Brian Kernighan telling the story of how Unix was born. I keep reading small stories here and there about Unix and Bell labs, it's time to hear the full story from the man himself.
📚 Chapter 9 of 9100% complete
Unix: A History and a Memoir
by Brian W. Kernighan
StartNowReally enjoyed the stories in this book! Highly recommended, more in the verdict. As Brian said several times: Ken Thompson is a singularity in this field. Knowing that he was so into chess made me like him even more! :D The point Brian makes about the importance of 'technical management' is so true and relevant nowadays... If you haven't read Ken Thompson's 'Reflections on trusting trust' paper, then please do! It's one of the most fascinating, mind bending explorations. Will be writing a blog post about it at some point soon. Plan 9 OS is another example of how the market is not driven by what's better technically, but by other factors such as practicalities, money, business considerations, etc. I'm not sure how I feel about that, but regardless, that's how it is. They had an Enigma machine! I can imagine the excitement on his students' faces as Brian describes the moment they saw it. A day to remember! Brian keeps sharing small stories here and there about different topics in the UNIX era between 1970s and 1980s. Love these quick and interesting overviews. What a coincidence! Read this paper two weeks ago: <https://dsf.berkeley.edu/cs262/unix.pdf>, and at the beginning of chapter 4, Brian is talking about this specific paper too, which I didn't know back then! If you haven't seen 'The mother of all Demos', then please do: <https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL76DBC8D6718B8FD3> It's always appreciated when the author gives a detailed description of the setting; How the space was laid out, who sat next to whom, how people met and gathered, etc. This level of detail helps the reader mentally teleport into that moment, as if they were truly there. This is probably the 4th time in 2 months that I've seen someone talk about how innovation is rarely planned, it happens unexpectedly. Reminds of the other book in my library: 'Why greatness cannot be planned'. Apparently my friend in NYC lives close to 463 West Street...Expecting a picture soon...I wonder if that's something I should add here, like a 'Resources' tab for all things I collect while reading a book!? hmmm... Started with this book and already loving all the photos and maps Brian is sharing about Bell labs! Arrived; Starting date to be determined soon Purchased the book and waiting for it to arrive