Unix Folklore and Trivia

[Janie Weiss]

Subject:   Unix Folklore and History
From:      janie at cunixc.cc.columbia.edu

All operating systems have an intriging history, however, most histories
are buried in corporate vaults. Unix, on the other hand, has a history
that is in the public domain. Unfortunately, no text that we know of gives
us much insight into that history beyond the different evolutionary
pathways and what they mean to todays users.

We wish to use that history as a teaching tool. For example, who could
forget the function of biff after hearing that it was named after a
Berkeley graduate student's dog who barked each time he heard the
mailman!

If you know of any such events that shaped Unix, or any other anecdote of
interest to new users, please let us (janie at cunixc.cc.columbia.edu)
know so they may be documented.
Thanks.

                                   Phil Bourne/Janie Weiss