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> Linus Torvalds built Linux by rewriting MINIX to scratch an itch. Margaret Hamilton debugged Apollo guidance code on-the-fly, inventing modern software reliab
by ecshafer 1y ago
> Linus Torvalds built Linux by rewriting MINIX to scratch an itch.
Margaret Hamilton debugged Apollo guidance code on-the-fly, inventing modern software reliability.
Their very first examples are Engineers with formal training. Formal training gives you the mathematical and engineering maturity TO tinker.
- hn_acc1 1y agoThis. We had to write a multi-process 68K assembly OS as part of an undergrad course. This helped immensely in having an idea of what the Linux kernel is doing. Without that - how do you even get started writing a kernel, if you don't know what it is or what it does?
- mrheosuper 1y agoyou can "accidentally" write a kernel, at least in my case. I was doing some embedded stuff when i was at school. I needed to run some "functions" in parallel. Obvious choice would be using a RTOS, but i did not know the exist of RTOS, so i spun up some timer interrupt, a "queue" of function to run parallel, an isr that acts like "scheduler", some variables that act like "semaphore", etc. Only few years later i realized i have invented a very simple "RTOS"
- peterfirefly 1y agoTorvalds had very little formal education in computer science when he released the first version of Linux in August 1991.
- peonicles 1y agoMargaret Hamilton (checks wikipedia) studied mathematics at the University of Michigan in 1955. Back in 1955, "computer science" wasn't a thing yet. Computers were the domain of electrical engineering and math, the latter of which was what Margaret studied..
- ecshafer 1y agoComputer Science is just applied math.