42
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.
Previous Page Next Page