4 ms·

Commentary on the sixth edition Unix operating system (1977) [pdf]

61 points by tambourine_man 5y ago

binkHN 5y ago
FWIW, this is from 1977.
- yjftsjthsd-h 5y ago
  Yeah, by Unix, they mean v6 UNIX™, fresh out of Bell Labs:)
- pjmlp 5y ago
  Yes, it was the book that ignited the UNIX fire adoption. AT&T forbidding its distribution years later, only made it into a cult status among the hacker culture, thus spreading even more the desire to make UNIX clones. This are the kinds of events that would have turned out much different had UNIX been a commercial product.
  - scns 5y ago
    The Streisand Effect at work, before it had its' name.
jiveturkey 5y ago
You are not expected to understand this.
- yjftsjthsd-h 5y ago
  A reminder that that line is intended not as "you're not smart enough", but "this will not be on the test"
thuccess129 5y ago
Is there an update to this consolidating the strengths and weaknesses of UNIX/Linux with a view to evolving Plan 9?
a-dub 5y ago
this makes a lot more sense alongside the actual souce code, like in this version: https://www.amazon.com/Lions-Commentary-Unix-John/dp/1573980137/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=lions+commentary+unix+source&qid=1631861788&sr=8-2 https://www.amazon.com/Lions-Commentary-Unix-John/dp/1573980...
- mananaysiempre 5y ago
  See also https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xv6 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xv6 for an attempted equivalent that would be freely redistributable, prepared as material for the MIT OS Engineering course. Apparently they switched from 32-bit x86 to RISC-V as a platform while I wasn’t looking :)
stevesimmons 5y ago
"It has often been suggested that 1,000 lines of code represents the practical limit in size for a program which is to be understood and maintained by a single individual."
batrachos 5y ago
Interestingly, 1977 is also regarded as the definitive year of punk rock.
LargoLasskhyfv 5y ago
Hrm. Interestingly, someone posted the sources to Amdahl UTS here two days ago. Which is apparently the same thing, just ported to run on IBM S/370 under VM/370. [1] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=28560334 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=28560334 Including two videos explaining how to install it, and all the requirements under Hercules, and many, many other links. Now I'm wondering if it would be possible to install an IRC-client under it just for giggles, or if it would be possible at all? Sigh. So much to try! :-)

binkHN 5y ago

FWIW, this is from 1977.

yjftsjthsd-h 5y ago
Yeah, by Unix, they mean v6 UNIX™, fresh out of Bell Labs:)
pjmlp 5y ago
Yes, it was the book that ignited the UNIX fire adoption. AT&T forbidding its distribution years later, only made it into a cult status among the hacker culture, thus spreading even more the desire to make UNIX clones. This are the kinds of events that would have turned out much different had UNIX been a commercial product.
- scns 5y ago
  The Streisand Effect at work, before it had its' name.

jiveturkey 5y ago

You are not expected to understand this.

yjftsjthsd-h 5y ago
A reminder that that line is intended not as "you're not smart enough", but "this will not be on the test"

thuccess129 5y ago

Is there an update to this consolidating the strengths and weaknesses of UNIX/Linux with a view to evolving Plan 9?

a-dub 5y ago

this makes a lot more sense alongside the actual souce code, like in this version: https://www.amazon.com/Lions-Commentary-Unix-John/dp/1573980137/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=lions+commentary+unix+source&qid=1631861788&sr=8-2 https://www.amazon.com/Lions-Commentary-Unix-John/dp/1573980...

mananaysiempre 5y ago
See also https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xv6 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xv6 for an attempted equivalent that would be freely redistributable, prepared as material for the MIT OS Engineering course. Apparently they switched from 32-bit x86 to RISC-V as a platform while I wasn’t looking :)

stevesimmons 5y ago

"It has often been suggested that 1,000 lines of code represents the practical limit in size for a program which is to be understood and maintained by a single individual."

batrachos 5y ago

Interestingly, 1977 is also regarded as the definitive year of punk rock.

LargoLasskhyfv 5y ago

Hrm. Interestingly, someone posted the sources to Amdahl UTS here two days ago. Which is apparently the same thing, just ported to run on IBM S/370 under VM/370. [1] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=28560334 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=28560334 Including two videos explaining how to install it, and all the requirements under Hercules, and many, many other links. Now I'm wondering if it would be possible to install an IRC-client under it just for giggles, or if it would be possible at all? Sigh. So much to try! :-)