friesen@psivax.UUCP (Stanley Friesen) (12/10/84)
In article <4514@rochester.UUCP> quiroz@rochester.UUCP (Cesar Quiroz) writes: > > Now, how the metaphor of a shell *around* a kernel appeared > (I guess most people think of the command interpreter as built > *on top*, not *around* the kernel) will certainly be a nice > story to know, so let's encourage the First Born of UnixLand > to speak and enlighten the Net People. > >Cesar I believe the terminology comes from the Multics system, the spiritual predecessor of Unix. This system pioneered the concept of software "rings" or layers. That is the system was implemented as as series of progressively more abstract, more or less independent layers. The command language interpreter is one of the *outer* layers, and based on the term "ring" may be percieved as surrounding the rest of the system. like a shell. -- Sarima (Stanley Friesen) {trwrb|allegra|burdvax|cbosgd|hplabs|ihnp4|sdcsvax}!sdcrdcf!psivax!friesen
dan@ciprico.UUCP (12/18/84)
I've heard that the terminology "shell" is a result of some of the very early UNIX research being funded by Shell the oil company. Has anyone else heard this? Can someone verify that Shell did indeed fund some Bell Labs work? -Dan A. Dickey
gwyn@brl-tgr.ARPA (Doug Gwyn <gwyn>) (12/26/84)
> I've heard that the terminology "shell" is a result of some of the very > early UNIX research being funded by Shell the oil company. Someone's been pulling your leg.
ed@mtxinu.UUCP (Ed Gould) (12/29/84)
> > I've heard that the terminology "shell" is a result of some of the very > early UNIX research being funded by Shell the oil company. Has anyone else > heard this? Can someone verify that Shell did indeed fund some Bell Labs > work? -Dan A. Dickey You gotta be kidding! Fortunately, the name "shell" has a much more rational and reasonable meaning. It refers to the layering, if you will, of the command interpreter around the kernel. Hence, the command interpreter (user interface) is the "shell" that is seen by the outside world. -- Ed Gould {ucbvax,decvax}!mtxinu!ed
heller@shell.UUCP (Don Heller) (12/30/84)
> I've heard that the terminology "shell" is a result of some of the very > early UNIX research being funded by Shell the oil company. Has anyone else > heard this? Can someone verify that Shell did indeed fund some Bell Labs > work? -Dan A. Dickey We like a good chuckle here at Shell. Oh, if it were only true... ---- Don Heller Physics and Computer Science Dept. Shell Development Company Houston, Texas {ihnp4, pur-ee, ut-sally}!shell!heller