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Newsgroups: comp.unix.misc,comp.unix.bsd.misc,alt.folklore.computers Path: euryale.cc.adfa.oz.au!newshost.carno.net.au!harbinger.cc.monash.edu.au!munnari.OZ.AU!news.Hawaii.Edu!news.uoregon.edu!newsfeed.internetmci.com!news.webspan.net!ix.netcom.com!tor-nn1.netcom.ca!torfree!ab915 From: ab915@torfree.net (William J. Hayes) Subject: Re: On the Naming of UNIX Things Message-ID: <E0tAts.BAr.0.queen@torfree.net> Followup-To: comp.unix.misc,comp.unix.bsd.misc,alt.folklore.computers Organization: Toronto Free-Net X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.2 PL2] References: <55vhpf$q3o@mail1.wg.waii.com> Date: Wed, 13 Nov 1996 13:58:40 GMT Lines: 39 Xref: euryale.cc.adfa.oz.au comp.unix.misc:26372 comp.unix.bsd.misc:1488 alt.folklore.computers:124539 Mark Whetzel (markw@zeus.wg.waii.com) wrote: : I was having a discussion with some of my co-workers on WHY things : are named as they are in UNIX. Anybody have some of the : tales behind the odd things that bound in unix history? : One question we had of some students we are training: : Why are system processes called 'daemons'? After the traditional meaning, "A diabolic creature, of minimal intelligence, bound to ones will, to perform boring or repetitive chores". : Some of the others I have heard about: the naming of 'biff', grep, yacc. biff: The name of the dog which belonged to the programmer at UC Berkeley who wrote the program. Dog would bark whenever the mailman showed up. grep: "Generic Regular Expression Printer" yacc: "Yet Another Compiler Compiler" : E-mail preferred, as I can then post a summary of the BEST of this quest. These are easy, with definitive answers. : References to printed material and other net resources appreciated. Find "The Jargon File" : -- : Mark Whetzel My comments are my own, not my company's. : Western Geophysical - A division of Western Atlas International Inc., : A Subsidiary of Western Atlas Inc. DOMAIN addr: mark.whetzel@waii.com : VOICE: (713) 963-2544 FAX: (713) 963-2758