hackertube.io

UNIX: Making Computers Easier To Use -- AT&T Archives film from 1982, Bell Laboratories

AT&T Tech Channel · documentary · Watch on YouTube

History of computingOperating systems & kernels

What it is

A 1982 AT&T Bell Labs film for students about the Unix system and how it can be used practically. It includes Lorinda Cherry building a talking calculator by piping together Unix commands, and a spell checker made from Unix utilities.

Why Hacker News recommends it

HN commenters recommend it as a demonstration of the Unix philosophy, with small tools composed through pipes.

  • 6 people recommended it
  • 5 different months
  • 1 strong recommendations
  • first 2015, last 2024

What HN commenters said

  1. “both are really excellent demonstrations and eludications of the Unix philosophy and mindset”

    Demonstrates the Unix philosophy via pipes and a talking calculator.

    danso, 2015-12 · Strong recommendation · in “A Spellchecker Used to Be a Major Feat of Software Engineering (2008)”

  2. “Others might also find interesting this video from 1982”

    Kernighan builds a spell checker from UNIX utilities in 1982.

    bithive123, 2015-12 · Recommendation · in “A Spellchecker Used to Be a Major Feat of Software Engineering (2008)”

  3. “Also I found these fascinating”

    yesenadam, 2019-11 · Recommendation · in “A Mystery of Unix History”

  4. “Lorinda Cherry writing a talking calculator by piping together 3 unix commands.”

    Includes Lorinda Cherry building a talking calculator from piped commands.

    abetlen, 2020-12 · Recommendation · in “A spellchecker used to be a major feat of software engineering (2008)”

  5. “Lorinda Cherry herself explaining how to write a "talking calculator" (in 1982!) using dc and Unix pipelines”

    Lorinda Cherry demonstrates a talking calculator built from dc and Unix pipelines in 1982.

    ducktective, 2021-09 · Recommendation · in “Toybox: All-in-one Linux command line”

  6. “I love what she does here”

    Cherry demonstrates pipes and scripts with an amusing choice of input.

    Ambroos, 2022-02 · Recommendation · in “Lorinda Cherry, author of dc, bc, eqn has died”

Excerpts from Hacker News comments, linked to the originals. Summaries and labels were written by a language model from those comments.

Topics: unix, bell labs, pipes, lorinda cherry, history of computing, kernighan

Also recommended by the same people