kkramer@ARDEC.arpa (FSP) (11/16/87)
11/20/86
UNIX ABBREVIATIONS
unix from "multics" - similar but unified
awk from Aho, Weinberger, & Kernighan - the authors
cpp from C Pre Processor
cu from Call UNIX
grep from Globally search for Regular Expression and Print
egrep from extended grep
fgrep from fast grep
rc from Run time Command file - (at end of program name)
roff from Run OFF a copy of this document
nroff from New ROFF
sroff from Simpler ROFF
troff from Typestter ROFF
otroff from Old TROFF
ditroff frm Device Independent ROFF
su from Substitute User
uucp from UNIX to UNIX CoPy
uux from UNIX to UNIX command eXecution
yacc from Yet Another Compiler Compiler
foobar from foo divided by 2 pitchrist@convex.UUCP (11/17/87)
/* Written 1:06 pm Nov 16, 1987 by kkramer@ARDEC.arpa in convex:comp.unix.questions */
> foobar from foo divided by 2 pi
Bogosity!
foobar < fubar < Fucked-Up Beyond All Recognition
--tomron@topaz.rutgers.edu (Ron Natalie) (11/17/87)
> grep from Globally search for Regular Expression and Print More correctly from the editor command "g/re/p" where re is regular expression. > ditroff frm Device Independent ROFF Device Independent TROFF. > su from Substitute User WRONG, WRONG, WRONG. This is a perversion of the acronym from when it was expanded to take a user name as an argument. Original unix manuals list it as "become SuperUser" >foobar from foo divided by 2 pi While it is unclear of the precise origins of foobar, this one seems unlikely. UNIX started with foo. It is not certain whether foobar is a collision between foo and "fubar - fouled (or worse) up beyond all recognition) or whether it is the negation or other bar operation on foo. Some other obscure ones mdec (as in /usr/mdec) - from MAINDEC dec maintenance, the words that appear on the DEC diagnostic paper tapes. iot, emt - These are PDP-11 trap generating instructions I/O Trap and emulator trap that were bounded to Signals in PDP-11 UNIX. tty - teletype (people are beginning to forget what teletypes were) ksr, asr - nomenclature of teletypes, Keyboard Send/Receive, Automatic Send/Recieve. The latter having a paper tape punch. EMACS - editor macros (not a UNIX name in itself, but frequently found there these days). crt - c run time -Ron
whh@pbhya.UUCP (Wilson Heydt) (11/18/87)
From: kkramer@ARDEC.arpa (FSP) Newsgroups: comp.unix.questions Subject: RE: UNIX NAME ABBREVIATIONS In article <10376@brl-adm.ARPA> kkramer@ARDEC.arpa (FSP) cites: > UNIX ABBREVIATIONS > >unix from "multics" - similar but unified . . . >roff > nroff > sroff > troff > otroff > ditroff . . . There is also: vroff Versatec ROFF ========================================================================= Hal Heydt | Analyst, Pacific*Bell | Real men write self 415-645-7708 | modifying code. {dual,qantel,ihnp4}ptsfa!pbhya!whh |
authorplaceholder@upba.UUCP (11/18/87)
> crt - c run time
CRT comes from Cathode Ray Tube.
-Cory
UUCP: ...!ihnp4!upba!cory Cory Dekker
USMAIL: 800 Foxcroft Ct, #188; Lincoln, NE 68510 (402) 483-7761alen@cogen.UUCP (Alen Shapiro) (11/18/87)
In article <16550@topaz.rutgers.edu> ron@topaz.rutgers.edu (Ron Natalie) writes: > >crt - c run time well, sort of, but the normal use of crt (before C was even a twinkle in anyone's eye was): Cathode Ray Tube and stood for that strange device with a screen on it that was responsible for displaying messages to computer operators. The distiction was invented so that the tty (teletype) with permanent output could be talked about and not be confused with what we now refer to as a VDU (Visual/Video Display Unit - or if we're really modern, terminal:-)). CRT's did not have to have a keyboard associated with them (and from an engineering standpoint just refers to the tube itself). wot about "cat" (Concatenate And Type) (not to be confused with the CAT phototypesetter) "roff" (short for RunOFF) "troff" (Typesetter RunOFF) "spool" (Simultaneous Peripheral Operation Off Line) Anyone know the origins of "glob"? Is it just a short form for "GLOBal"? --alen the Lisa slayer (it's a long story)
mlandau@bbn.com (Matt Landau) (11/19/87)
In comp.unix.questions (<388@cogen.UUCP>), alen@cogen.UUCP (Alen Shapiro) writes: >In article <16550@topaz.rutgers.edu> ron@topaz.rutgers.edu (Ron Natalie) writes: >> >>crt - c run time > >well, sort of, but the normal use of crt (before C was even a twinkle >in anyone's eye was): > Cathode Ray Tube I suspect Ron was talking about "crt" as in "crt0.o", which is the usual name for the piece of code that gets included automaitcally by most Unix linkers. The code in crt0.o contains the intial entry point called at runtime, which does things like set up argc, argv, and envp and then call main.
john@frog.UUCP (11/19/87)
In article <16550@topaz.rutgers.edu>, ron@topaz.rutgers.edu (Ron Natalie) writes: > >foobar from foo divided by 2 pi >While [the precise origins of foobar are unclear], this one seems unlikely. I think this one was supposed to be cute. I'm surprised that you missed the most obvious blunder: UNIX is not ``MULTICS ("Multiple Users Losing Totally In Cruddy Software") unified'', but rather (if you believe AT&T) Uniprocessor MULTICS (if you believe Ken and Dennis) Castrated MULTICS -- John Woods, Charles River Data Systems, Framingham MA, (617) 626-1101 ...!decvax!frog!john, ...!mit-eddie!jfw, jfw@eddie.mit.edu "Cutting the space budget really restores my faith in humanity. It eliminates dreams, goals, and ideals and lets us get straight to the business of hate, debauchery, and self-annihilation." -- Johnny Hart
rwl@uvacs.CS.VIRGINIA.EDU (Ray Lubinsky) (11/20/87)
In article <16550@topaz.rutgers.edu>, ron@topaz.rutgers.edu (Ron Natalie) writes: > tty - teletype (people are beginning to forget what teletypes were) : > crt - c run time Er, you mean Cathode Ray Tube? (People are beginning to forget what CRT's were) :-) -- | Ray Lubinsky Department of Computer Science, University of Virginia | | UUCP: ...!uunet!virginia!uvacs!rwl | | CSNET: rwl@cs.virginia.edu | | BITNET: rwl8y@virginia |
jrb@petro.UUCP (11/20/87)
In article <16550@topaz.rutgers.edu> ron@topaz.rutgers.edu (Ron Natalie) writes: >> su from Substitute User >WRONG, WRONG, WRONG. This is a perversion of the acronym from >when it was expanded to take a user name as an argument. Original >unix manuals list it as "become SuperUser" I've personally prefered a friend's mis-interpretation of "su" as "Step Up". He was a neophyte administrator with access to root priviledges -- a scary thought, indeed! Jon -- Jon Boede ...!{gatech,ihnp4,ssbn,swrinde,tness1,utanes}!petro!jrb 512/599-1847 2555 N.E. Loop 410, #1403, 78217 "People who are incapable of making decisions are the ones who hit those barrels at freeway exits."
gwyn@brl-smoke.ARPA (Doug Gwyn ) (11/20/87)
In article <388@cogen.UUCP> alen@cogen.UUCP (Alen Shapiro) writes: >wot about "cat" (Concatenate And Type) RONG: cat catenate > (not to be confused with the CAT phototypesetter) Not even with the GSI (now Wang) C/A/T > "roff" (short for RunOFF) > "troff" (Typesetter RunOFF) nroff new roff (lots of "n*" names follow this model, e.g. nplot) troff typesetter roff > "spool" (Simultaneous Peripheral Operation Off Line) I suspect this is revisionist acronym retrofitting. In the good old days before UNIX, spooling was often accomplished by tape intermediary, with the data quite literally spooled onto a reel. >Anyone know the origins of "glob"? Is it just a short form for "GLOBal"? Yes, old UNIX shells used a separate process whose executable was named "glob" to perform "wildcard" expansion.
roger@celtics.UUCP (Roger B.A. Klorese) (11/23/87)
In article <6706@brl-smoke.ARPA> gwyn@brl.arpa (Doug Gwyn (VLD/VMB) <gwyn>) writes: >In article <388@cogen.UUCP> alen@cogen.UUCP (Alen Shapiro) writes: >> "spool" (Simultaneous Peripheral Operation Off Line) >I suspect this is revisionist acronym retrofitting. Could be... but the acronym is quite old, IBM's originally. By the way, HASP = Houston Automated Spooling Program... a nested acronym. -- ///==\\ (Your message here...) /// Roger B.A. Klorese - CELERITY (Northeast Area) \\\ 40 Speen St. Framingham, MA 01701 USA +1 617 872-1552 \\\==// celtics!roger@necntc.NEC.COM - necntc!celtics!roger
jack@swlabs.UUCP (Jack Bonn) (11/23/87)
In article <6706@brl-smoke.ARPA> gwyn@brl.arpa (Doug Gwyn (VLD/VMB) <gwyn>) writes: >In article <388@cogen.UUCP> alen@cogen.UUCP (Alen Shapiro) writes: >> "spool" (Simultaneous Peripheral Operation Off Line) >I suspect this is revisionist acronym retrofitting. I agree. I thought spool referred to the spool of magtape that you hung to collect the line printer data for later. Remember magtapes? -- Jack Bonn, <> Software Labs, Ltd, Box 451, Easton CT 06612 uunet!swlabs!jack
jlw@lznv.UUCP (11/23/87)
In article <1886@celtics.UUCP>, roger@celtics.UUCP (Roger B.A. Klorese) writes: > > By the way, HASP = Houston Automated Spooling Program... a nested acronym. I always thought it meant Houston Attached Support Processor as in the NASA Houston version of ASP. HASP -> JES2 (Job Entry System 2) ASP -> JES3 Joe Wood lznv!jlw
mikep@ism780c.UUCP (Michael A. Petonic) (11/23/87)
In article <2085@uvacs.CS.VIRGINIA.EDU> rwl@uvacs.CS.VIRGINIA.EDU (Ray Lubinsky) writes: >In article <16550@topaz.rutgers.edu>, ron@topaz.rutgers.edu (Ron Natalie) writes: >> tty - teletype (people are beginning to forget what teletypes were) >> crt - c run time >Er, you mean Cathode Ray Tube? (People are beginning to forget what CRT's >were) :-) >-- >Ray Lubinsky Actually, Ray, "crt" in this case does stand for "c run time" instead of "cathode ray tube" as you suggested. Look at the Subject: line of the article. It says *UNIX* NAME ABBREVIATIONS. You're not the first person to "correct" Ron on his definition of the abbreviation. Look in /lib of must UNIX sytems (Berzerkeley and System V) and you'll notice a file called "crt0.o"...... -MikeP
tim@amdcad.AMD.COM (Tim Olson) (11/23/87)
In article <1051@swlabs.UUCP> jack@swlabs.UUCP (Jack Bonn) writes: | In article <6706@brl-smoke.ARPA> gwyn@brl.arpa (Doug Gwyn (VLD/VMB) <gwyn>) writes: | >In article <388@cogen.UUCP> alen@cogen.UUCP (Alen Shapiro) writes: | >> "spool" (Simultaneous Peripheral Operation Off Line) | >I suspect this is revisionist acronym retrofitting. | | I agree. I thought spool referred to the spool of magtape that you hung | to collect the line printer data for later. Remember magtapes? Alen is close -- it's "Simultaneous Peripheral Output On Line". Page 10 of Andrew Tanenbaum's MINIX book agrees with this acronym. Spooling was originally done to disk, so it couldn't refer to Magtape. Here's another little-know acronym -- BSS (as in uninitialized data sections). It was from an IBM assembly-language mnemonic by the same name, which stood for "Block Started by Symbol". -- Tim Olson Advanced Micro Devices (tim@amdcad.amd.com)
dmt@ptsfa.UUCP (Dave Turner) (11/24/87)
In article <1886@celtics.UUCP> roger@celtics.UUCP (Roger B.A. Klorese) writes: > >By the way, HASP = Houston Automated Spooling Program... a nested acronym. >-- My IBM manuals are all in storage just now so I can verify this but I remember HASP as meaning: Houston Automated Spooling Priority system Does anyone have the old manuals handy? -- Dave Turner 415/542-1299 {ihnp4,lll-crg,qantel,pyramid}!ptsfa!dmt
jbatson@tron.bbn.com.bbn.com (James Batson) (11/25/87)
Here's one I think we haven't covered before. What does "biff" (the mail alarm) stand for? Jay Batson If I had any opinions, I'd probably try to foist them off on my employer, so my opinions may (or may not) represent those of my employer....
wel@homxc.UUCP (11/25/87)
In article <1886@celtics.UUCP>, roger@celtics.UUCP (Roger B.A. Klorese) writes: > In article <6706@brl-smoke.ARPA> gwyn@brl.arpa (Doug Gwyn (VLD/VMB) <gwyn>) writes: > >In article <388@cogen.UUCP> alen@cogen.UUCP (Alen Shapiro) writes: > >> "spool" (Simultaneous Peripheral Operation Off Line) > >I suspect this is revisionist acronym retrofitting. > > Could be... but the acronym is quite old, IBM's originally. > > By the way, HASP = Houston Automated Spooling Program... a nested acronym. Funny story about HASP. When NASA was still brainstorming it in its infancy, IBM got wind of their intentions (it was developed on the early 360s, when these beasts had no spooler), called them up and, in effect, said "Great Idea! How long do you think it'll take you to write it?", to which NASA apparently responded "Four months", which was countered by IBM with "Well how about if we send you some of our guys to help? How long do you think it'd take you then?" and trumped with "Nine months". > ///==\\ (Your message here...) > /// Roger B.A. Klorese - CELERITY (Northeast Area) > \\\ 40 Speen St. Framingham, MA 01701 USA +1 617 872-1552 > \\\==// celtics!roger@necntc.NEC.COM - necntc!celtics!roger Winston Lee "Hab' Ihnen den feinsten Cognac gebracht -- trinken nur die Angestellten"
barnett@steinmetz.ge.com (Bruce G Barnett) (11/25/87)
In article <18799@bbn.COM> jbatson@tron.bbn.com.UUCP (James Batson) writes: |What does "biff" (the mail alarm) stand for? While the manual page implies it stands for B-e notified IF mail arrived and who it is F-rom a letter in Unix World/Review revealed that it was named after the Author's dog. re: cat I thought cat was short for Concatenate All Text But perhaps this is another 'revisionist' attempt to clarify the jargon?
jsloan@wright.UUCP (11/25/87)
in article <1051@swlabs.UUCP>, jack@swlabs.UUCP (Jack Bonn) says: > In article <6706@brl-smoke.ARPA> gwyn@brl.arpa (Doug Gwyn (VLD/VMB) <gwyn>) writes: >>In article <388@cogen.UUCP> alen@cogen.UUCP (Alen Shapiro) writes: >>> "spool" (Simultaneous Peripheral Operation Off Line) >>I suspect this is revisionist acronym retrofitting. > I agree. I thought spool referred to the spool of magtape that you hung > to collect the line printer data for later. Remember magtapes? SPOOL cannot be that revisionist, because I remember it from an IBM manual from my previous reincarnation as a systems programmers on mainframes (360/65 with MFT is my earliest memory, although I have some regressed racial memories of an 1130). I seem to recall reading about the SPOOL acronym in a HASP manual (Houston Automatic Spooling Program, or Houston Automatic Spooling Priority system, depending on what manual you read, although my "official" SHARE IBM acronym manual from 1977 lists the latter definition). How many other acronyms have come into such common use that we take them for words rather than acronyms? How many acronyms that originated in the IBM mainframe environment has the UNIX community (perhaps unwittingly) adopted? -- John Sloan Wright State University Research Center jsloan@SPOTS.Wright.Edu 3171 Research Blvd., Kettering, OH 45420 ...!cbosgd!wright!jsloan (513) 259-1384 (513) 873-2491 Logic Disclaimer: belong(opinions,jsloan). belong(opinions,_):-!,fail.
jsloan@wright.UUCP (11/25/87)
Again, my SHARE 1977 IBM acronym index says "Simultaneous Peripheral Operation On Line", and this is what I remember from my MFT/HASP days from the manuals. It could be that Tanenbaum is doing some revision. And I certainly do recall "spooling" to magtape, albeit it may be an ancestrial memory. -- John Sloan Wright State University Research Center jsloan@SPOTS.Wright.Edu 3171 Research Blvd., Kettering, OH 45420 ...!cbosgd!wright!jsloan (513) 259-1384 (513) 873-2491 Logic Disclaimer: belong(opinions,jsloan). belong(opinions,_):-!,fail.
jsloan@wright.UUCP (11/25/87)
Apologies. I just realized what group we're carrying on this discussion in. Isn't there a more appropriate one.... hmmmm.... like maybe a comp.sys.acronyms or comp.trivia or comp.nostalgia? This is great fun but we should probably move it somewhere else before everyone puts us in their kill file. -- John Sloan Wright State University Research Center jsloan@SPOTS.Wright.Edu 3171 Research Blvd., Kettering, OH 45420 ...!cbosgd!wright!jsloan (513) 259-1384 (513) 873-2491 Logic Disclaimer: belong(opinions,jsloan). belong(opinions,_):-!,fail.
jc@minya.UUCP (11/26/87)
> Here's another little-know acronym -- BSS (as in uninitialized data > sections). It was from an IBM assembly-language mnemonic by the same > name, which stood for "Block Started by Symbol". Oh, c'mon, now! Any native speaker of English can decode this one instantly on being told that the sequence is Code Segment, Data Segment, and BSS which stands for .... Non-natives should ask the closest native for an instant answer. (;^) -- John Chambers <{adelie,ima,maynard,mit-eddie}!minya!{jc,root}> (617/484-6393)
gwyn@brl-smoke.ARPA (Doug Gwyn ) (11/26/87)
In article <3074@vdsvax.steinmetz.UUCP> barnett@steinmetz.UUCP (Bruce G Barnett) writes: >I thought cat was short for > Concatenate All Text >But perhaps this is another 'revisionist' attempt to clarify the jargon? Must be; "cat" has nothing to do with text. Files of any type can be catenated with "cat".
jay@splut.UUCP (Jay Maynard) (11/27/87)
In article <1200@lznv.ATT.COM>, jlw@lznv.ATT.COM (j.l.wood) writes: > In article <1886@celtics.UUCP>, roger@celtics.UUCP (Roger B.A. Klorese) writes: > > By the way, HASP = Houston Automated Spooling Program... a nested acronym. > I always thought it meant Houston Attached Support Processor as in the > NASA Houston version of ASP. Nope...Roger had it right. It was originally written by IBM/FSD (Federal Systems Division) for NASA, as part of their computer support work here. I don't know how it leaked out, but it became so popular that IBM finally decided to support it officially as a part of MVS. Ironically, NASA has standardized on JES3 :-(... > HASP -> JES2 (Job Entry System 2) > ASP -> JES3 This much is correct...almost (it's Job Entry Subsystem). -- Jay Maynard, K5ZC (@WB5BBW)...>splut!< | GEnie: JAYMAYNARD CI$: 71036,1603 uucp: {uunet!nuchat,academ!uhnix1,{ihnp4,bellcore,killer}!tness1}!splut!jay Never ascribe to malice that which can adequately be explained by stupidity. The opinions herein are shared by none of my cats, much less anyone else.
jsloan@wright.EDU (John Sloan) (11/27/87)
> What does "biff" (the mail alarm) stand for?
One of the UNIX magazines (UNIX World I believe) had an article in
which they offered a pretty plausible explanation of the "acronym"
biff. Several months later a letter appeared by someone claiming
to be the original author of biff, stating that the program was
named after their dog. Just another piece of UNIX folklore?
--
John Sloan Wright State University Research Center
jsloan@SPOTS.Wright.Edu 3171 Research Blvd., Kettering, OH 45420
...!cbosgd!wright!jsloan (513) 259-1384 (513) 873-2491
Logic Disclaimer: belong(opinions,jsloan). belong(opinions,_):-!,fail.stpeters@dawn.steinmetz (Dick St.Peters) (11/28/87)
In article <6706@brl-smoke.ARPA> gwyn@brl.arpa (Doug Gwyn (VLD/VMB) <gwyn>) writes: >Yes, old UNIX shells used a separate process whose executable was named >"glob" to perform "wildcard" expansion. Too bad this isn't still the case. I'd love to be able to write my own personalizwd glob, not to mention a username-dependent glob - say one that knew which users needed/wanted hand-holding protection. I don't want to open the whole "rm *" debate again (please!), but as UNIX displaces VMS here, being able to easily protect reluctant new users until we're *sure* they understand the dangers would help avoid a lot of long-lasting first-impression (first-disaster) bad feelings. (Scripts and such just don't cut it ... see the "rm *" debates.) -- Dick St.Peters GE Corporate R&D, Schenectady, NY stpeters@ge-crd.arpa uunet!steinmetz!stpeters
jay@splut.UUCP (Jay Maynard) (11/28/87)
In article <3811@ptsfa.UUCP>, dmt@ptsfa.UUCP (Dave Turner) writes: > My IBM manuals are all in storage just now so I can verify this but I remember > HASP as meaning: > > Houston Automated Spooling Priority system > > Does anyone have the old manuals handy? A related question: Can anyone spare an original HASP manual? I attend the NASA/JSC Data Processing Systems Division change control board, and would love to walk in there one day, drop a real HASP manual on the table, and suggest that they implement it... E-mail me if you can help. -- Jay Maynard, K5ZC (@WB5BBW)...>splut!< | GEnie: JAYMAYNARD CI$: 71036,1603 uucp: {uunet!nuchat,academ!uhnix1,{ihnp4,bellcore,killer}!tness1}!splut!jay Never ascribe to malice that which can adequately be explained by stupidity. The opinions herein are shared by none of my cats, much less anyone else.
steve@alberta.UUCP (Steve Sutphen) (11/28/87)
One command (that first appeared in Version 5 in 5/15/74) that isn't immediately obvious in its entymology is `dd'. My guess is that the author really wanted to call it `cc' (for Convert and Copy -- the title on the `man' page) but that letter pair was already used. steve sutphen.
david@elroy.Jpl.Nasa.Gov (David Robinson) (11/28/87)
In article <897@pembina.UUCP>, steve@alberta.UUCP (Steve Sutphen) writes: > One command (that first appeared in Version 5 in 5/15/74) that isn't > immediately obvious in its entymology is `dd'. My guess is that the > author really wanted to call it `cc' (for Convert and Copy -- the > title on the `man' page) but that letter pair was already used. > steve sutphen. I have read somewhere that the `dd' command is a spoof on the IBM JCL DD statement. The command line arguments are very similar in style to those of JCL. // DD SYSIN=* -- David Robinson elroy!david@csvax.caltech.edu ARPA david@elroy.jpl.nasa.gov ames!elroy!david UUCP Disclaimer: No one listens to me anyway!
decot@hpisod2.HP.COM (Dave Decot) (11/28/87)
> One command (that first appeared in Version 5 in 5/15/74) that isn't > immediately obvious in its entymology is `dd'. My guess is that the > author really wanted to call it `cc' (for Convert and Copy -- the > title on the `man' page) but that letter pair was already used. > steve sutphen. NO! They named it after me!!! HAHAHAHAHAHA! Actually, the story I heard was that it stands for "duplicate disk" -- its most frequent use. -dd
rwa@auvax.UUCP (11/28/87)
In article <897@pembina.UUCP>, steve@alberta.UUCP (Steve Sutphen) writes: > One command ... that isn't immediately obvious in its entymology is `dd'. > My guess is that the author really wanted to call it `cc' (for Convert > and Copy -- the title on the `man' page) but that letter pair was already > used. Locally, we refer to dd as 'd*mned dangerous', and this seems a fairly accurate description of the beast. The other possibility is that it refers to ibm jcl (the infamous '//sysin dd *' statement). It always makes me think of the jingle (sung to the tune of `Twinkle, twinkle, little {star,bat}') : Slash-slash sysin deedee star, How I wonder what you are... -- Ross Alexander @ Athabasca University alberta!auvax!rwa
esj@beach.cis.ufl.edu (Eric S. Johnson) (11/30/87)
> One command (that first appeared in Version 5 in 5/15/74) that isn't > immediately obvious in its entymology is `dd'. My guess is that the > author really wanted to call it `cc' (for Convert and Copy -- the > title on the `man' page) but that letter pair was already used. > steve sutphen. I heard it was a bit of a joke, named after those JCL statements that IBMers have to deal with. -- In Real Life: UUCP: ...ihnp4!codas!ufcsv!beach.cis.ufl.edu!esj Eric S. Johnson II Internet: esj@beach.cis.ufl.edu University of Florida esj@ufl.edu
blair@chinet.UUCP (Douglas M. Blair) (11/30/87)
Don't want you folks to think that spool is a modern term. I have a manual from a World War One vintage teletype (Model 15) which clearly uses the term "spool" to refer to the practice of allowing incoming traffic (from MORSE or BAUDOT code) accumulate on a spool of paper tape, which could then be fed into the tape reader on a printer. How soon we forget :-) Doug Blair 312-653-5527 ...ihnp4!chinet!obdient!blair
ken@usceast.UUCP (Ken Sallenger) (11/30/87)
In article <4928@elroy.Jpl.Nasa.Gov> david@elroy.Jpl.Nasa.Gov (David Robinson) writes: > >I have read somewhere that the `dd' command is a spoof on the IBM >JCL DD statement... I suspect this may be the case. The similarities have been noted. My own personal mnemonic has always been Device-to-Device, or Disk-to- Disk copy. Particularly after some 7 years of using it to copy disk packs. -- Ken Sallenger # Dept. of Computer Science +1 803 777-4611 ken@usceast.UUCP # Univ. of South Carolina, Columbia, SC 29208 ken@cs.scarolina.edu (CSNET)
fishkin@pixar.UUCP (Ken Fishkin) (12/01/87)
In article <199@wright.EDU> jsloan@wright.EDU (John Sloan) writes: >biff. Several months later a letter appeared by someone claiming >to be the original author of biff, stating that the program was >named after their dog. In the fall of '82, the Grad/Faculty/Staff bulletin board had a picture of a dog named "Biff Studworth"; his .plan, I believe, was "Mail delivery systems". -- Ken Fishkin ..ucbvax!pixar!fishkin
mc68020@gilsys.UUCP (Thomas J Keller) (12/01/87)
In article <897@pembina.UUCP>, steve@alberta.UUCP (Steve Sutphen) writes: > One command (that first appeared in Version 5 in 5/15/74) that isn't > immediately obvious in its entymology is `dd'. My guess is that the > author really wanted to call it `cc' (for Convert and Copy -- the > title on the `man' page) but that letter pair was already used. NAW! 'dd' OBVIOUSLY stands for 'diddle data', which can be used synonymously with 'convert and copy', as anyone can clearly see! -- Tom Keller VOICE : + 1 707 575 9493 UUCP : {ihnp4,ames,sun,amdahl,lll-crg,pyramid}!ptsfa!gilsys!mc68020
rick@seismo.CSS.GOV (Rick Adams) (12/01/87)
From ucbvax!hickman Wed Nov 11 16:21:57 1981 Subject: Real Meaning of biff Status: RO The real reason biff is called biff, is....Drum roll: There is a grad student named Heidi Who has a dog The dog is around a lot And so it seemed quite tidy To name a barking program after a dog which did not .....the dogs name is biff.... kiet
irf@kuling.UUCP (Stellan Bergman) (12/01/87)
In article <897@pembina.UUCP> steve@pembina.UUCP (Steve Sutphen) writes: >One command (that first appeared in Version 5 in 5/15/74) that isn't >immediately obvious in its entymology is `dd'. My guess is that the >author really wanted to call it `cc' (for Convert and Copy -- the >title on the `man' page) but that letter pair was already used. I always thought that this command was a copy of the corresponding IBM/JCL command. After all it is not very UNIX-like with a syntax dd if=/dev/rmt0 ibs=800 conv=ascii,lcase or whatever. (Remember that "SYSIN DD *" torture ...?) Bo Thide', Swedish Institute of Space Physics, UUCP: ..enea!kuling!irfu!bt
decot@hpisod2.HP.COM (Dave Decot) (12/03/87)
> > In article <199@wright.EDU> jsloan@wright.EDU (John Sloan) writes: > >biff. Several months later a letter appeared by someone claiming > >to be the original author of biff, stating that the program was > >named after their dog. > > In the fall of '82, the Grad/Faculty/Staff bulletin board had a picture > of a dog named "Biff Studworth"; his .plan, I believe, was "Mail delivery > systems". > > Ken Fishkin ..ucbvax!pixar!fishkin From HP-UX's chfn manual page: Below is a sample run: Name [Biff Studsworth II]: Location (Ex: 47U-P5) []: 42L-P1 Office Phone (Ex: 1632) []: 1863 Home Phone (Ex: 9875432) [5551546]: none Dave Decot hpda!decot
howard@COS.COM (Howard C. Berkowitz) (12/24/87)
In article <2276@homxc.UUCP>, wel@homxc.UUCP (Winston Lee) writes: > In article <1886@celtics.UUCP>, roger@celtics.UUCP (Roger B.A. Klorese) writes: > > By the way, HASP = Houston Automated Spooling Program... a nested acronym. > > Funny story about HASP. When NASA was still brainstorming it in its infancy, > IBM got wind of their intentions (it was developed on the early 360s, when > these beasts had no spooler), called them up and, in effect, said "Great Idea! > How long do you think it'll take you to write it?", to which NASA apparently > responded "Four months", which was countered by IBM with "Well how about if we > send you some of our guys to help? How long do you think it'd take you then?" > and trumped with "Nine months". > My understanding of the story (through SHARE meetings) is different, and gives credit to a couple of very good software people. As I heard it, NASA Houston was very unhappy with IBM's initial spooler for OS/360, and suggested that they might drop IBM if IBM didn't do something about it. IBM's response, according to folklore, was to assign two technical support people under marketing management, Simpson and Crabtree, to write an acceptable spooler and save the sale. They did, and HASP eventually became generally available, subsequently becoming JES on the 370. -- -- howard(Howard C. Berkowitz) @cos.com {uunet, decuac, sun!sundc, hadron, hqda-ai}!cos!howard (703) 883-2812 [ofc] (703) 998-5017 [home] DISCLAIMER: I explicitly identify COS official positions.