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From: valley@uchicago (Doug Dougherty)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc,comp.os.msdos.programmer,comp.sys.ibm.pc.misc
Subject: Re: Who the hell wrote CP/M?
Message-ID: <valley.670161012@gsbsun>
Date: 28 Mar 91 11:50:12 GMT
References: <27478@uflorida.cis.ufl.EDU> <94uwy2w163w@shark.cs.fau.edu> <1991Mar28.053026.27936@slate.mines.colorado.edu>
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jedelen@slate.mines.colorado.edu (Jeff Edelen) writes:

>In article <94uwy2w163w@shark.cs.fau.edu> rob.bbs@shark.cs.fau.edu (Robert Rittenhouse) writes:
>>jdb@reef.cis.ufl.edu (Brian K. W. Hook) writes:
>>
>>> A friend and I got in a massive argument over who wrote the CP/M operating
>>> system.  He claimed that it was "DEC" but I stated that it was DRI.  I
>>> assumed all along that:
>>> 
>>> 1.  CP/M was written by Gary Kildall.
>>> 2.  CP/M was written by DRI
>>> 3.  DRI is NOT related to DEC (Digital Equipment Corporation)
>>> 
>>> If I am in err, pleae let me know.
>>> 
>>You are correct. Gary Killdall, (Intergalactic) Digital Research Inc.
>>CP/M was loosely based on a DEC PDP-11 OS (I think RSTS) tho.
>>Rob R.
>>> Brian

>I always thought it was based on TOPS.  I've never used TOPS, but I have used
>RSTS, and can't believe it's based on that.

Sure it is.  CP/M has the DIR cmd, PIP, device:filename (admittedly, the
device names are all single character unlike RSTS), "/" as the switch
character, filename.ext, etc.

Of course, this belongs in alt.folklore.computers, though...