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Saving Unix Heritage, One Kernel At a Time

Posted by timothy on from the this-algorithm-was-part-of-the-one-true-cross dept.

coondoggie writes "In this, its 40th year of operating system life, some Unix stalwarts are trying to resurrect its past. That is, they are taking on the unenviable and difficult job of restoring to their former glory old Unix software artifacts such as early Unix kernels, compilers and other important historical source code pieces. In a paper to be presented at next week's Usenix show, Warren Toomey of the Bond School of IT is expected to detail restoration work being done on four key Unix software artifacts all from the early 1970s — Nsys, 1st edition Unix kernel, 1st and 2nd edition binaries and early C compilers. In his paper, Toomey states that while the history of Unix has been well-documented, there was a time when the actual artifacts of early Unix development were in danger of being lost forever."

11 of 169 comments (clear)

  1. Usenix attendees..... by KingPin27 · · Score: 4, Funny

    In a paper to be presented at next week's Usenix show, Warren Toomey of the Bond School of IT is expected to detail restoration work being done on four key Unix software artifacts all from the early 1970s

    Afterwards atendees will be ushered to the dining hall for a fine serving of raisins, prune juice, and Oxygen treatments.
    St. John's ambulance will also be on site to assist with attendees suffering with various age related ailments such as broken hips and arthritis.

    --
    "i lost my dignity on a slippery wiener"
  2. Re:Why? by rcamans · · Score: 3, Funny

    Only if you know it is going in a straight line.

    --
    wake up and hold your nose
  3. Re:Why? by oldspewey · · Score: 3, Funny

    Maybe they're looking for the stolen SCO code in Linux?

    --
    If libertarians are so opposed to effective government, why don't they all move to Somalia?
  4. Re:Why? by ArsonSmith · · Score: 4, Funny

    I studied this and found that June 4th, 2014 will be the start of the year of the Linux Desktop.

    --
    Paying taxes to buy civilization is like paying a hooker to buy love.
  5. What, no documentation? by bzzfzz · · Score: 2, Funny

    From TFA: "documentation is missing or incomplete, source code is missing leaving only the binary executables, or conversely the source exists but the compilation tools to reconstruct the executables are missing."

    Sounds like any number of projects I've had the pleasure of working on over the years.

  6. Careful... by damn_registrars · · Score: 4, Funny

    Those that don't learn UNIX are doomed to reinvent it. Poorly.

    One may interpret that saying as someone trying to incite a Linux / BSD war. We lost good men from both sides the last time that happened...

    --
    Damn_registrars has no butt-hole. Damn_registrars has no use for a butt-hole.
  7. Re:Why? by jdbausch · · Score: 2, Funny

    Is there really any useful purpose to be served by dredging this up? Don't these guys have anything better to do?

    yeah! FUCK HISTORY!

  8. Oh boy by FranTaylor · · Score: 3, Funny

    Someone will trot out a copy of the Morris worm and we can relive history all over again.

  9. Re:I do the same thing with used condoms by NotBornYesterday · · Score: 2, Funny

    Sadly, my not getting the joke rarely has anything to do with the quality of the joke itself.

    --
    I prefer rogues to imbeciles because they sometimes take a rest.
  10. Re:Why? by inamorty · · Score: 5, Funny

    pitty the world will end in 2012 :(

  11. Re:I love the smell of analogies in the morning! by Tetsujin · · Score: 2, Funny

    Restoring old cars saves energy and is environmentally friendly. I bought a used 1992 F250 needing work

    No no no no no... I mean old cars...

    --
    Bow-ties are cool.