Just curious, does Unix stand for anything?


 
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# 1  
Old 10-16-2002
Just curious, does Unix stand for anything?

If not, where did the name come from?
# 2  
Old 10-16-2002
The authors of unix had worked on another OS first. It was called Multics for Multiplexed Information and Computing System. Unix was named after multics and was intended as sort of an insult since Multics had become too complex. I have seen some sources that claim the unix was originally spelled unics and was shortened to unix as sort of an early example of hacker spelling.

Multics may still be around somewhere. It was still being used in the late 80's.
# 3  
Old 10-16-2002
this may help...

http://cm.bell-labs.com/cm/cs/who/dmr/hist.html

and as for the existence of MULTICS, the last system was dismantled in 2000... here are some links...

a painful letter announcing the dismantling of last MULTICS h/w

http://www.multicians.org/corby-letter.html

http://www.multicians.org/
# 4  
Old 10-16-2002
UNiplexed Information and Computing System...

For all I know this could have led from something else but at one point it was spelled UNICS...

Dont know where the change came from but I think UNIX might be UNiplexed Information eXchange...


Oh yeah, and LINUX is LINus UniX for the man responsible for it's creation, Linus Torvalds...
# 5  
Old 10-17-2002
Quote:
Originally posted by djtrippin
UNiplexed Information and Computing System...

For all I know this could have led from something else but at one point it was spelled UNICS...

Dont know where the change came from but I think UNIX might be UNiplexed Information eXchange...


Oh yeah, and LINUX is LINus UniX for the man responsible for it's creation, Linus Torvalds...
Well I knew that Smilie
# 6  
Old 10-17-2002
I thought he just called it linux becuase it naturally ran together with UNIX and Linus. Oh well, if I ever become an OS programmer, I can call my creation ALEX, and make up some useless ancronym for it.
# 7  
Old 10-18-2002
lol, kinda like Perl.
cerberusofhate
 
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