[net.unix-wizards] Usernames and UIDs

ron@Brl@sri-unix (11/19/82)

From:     the Geoff Goodfellow Remailing of Ron Natalie <ron@Brl>
Date:     16 Nov 82 2:37:10-EST (Tue)
While roughing out some of the software changes for the UNIX
port to the Denelcor HEP, we had an idea to speed up the
mapping from Username to UID and vice versa (I stress we only
considered this for a very short time before discarding it).
Since the HEP words are 64 bits long, an 8 character username
fits nicely into an integer which could be used as the user
id.  Unfortunately, this would make the account 'root' have
a uid of 8245931986745556992  rather than it's customary zero and the
priv account would have to be typed as a string of eight nulls.

Also in the stupid suggestion department:  How about a VMS emulator
under UNIX.  Seems like people are working in the wrong direction.

-Ron

P.S.  I'm not serious.