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3 Documentation? What Documentation? “One of the advantages of using UNIX to teach an operating systems course is the sources and documentation will easily fit into a stu- dent’s briefcase.” —John Lions, University of New South Wales, talking about Version 6, circa 1976 For years, there were three simple sources for detailed Unix knowledge: 1. Read the source code. 2. Write your own version. 3. Call up the program’s author on the phone (or inquire over the network via e-mail). Unix was like Homer, handed down as oral wisdom. There simply were no serious Unix users who were not also kernel hackers—or at least had ker- nel hackers in easy reach. What documentation was actually written—the infamous Unix “man pages”—was really nothing more than a collection of reminders for people who already knew what they were doing. The Unix documentation was so concise that you could read it all in an afternoon.