Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site psivax.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!bonnie!akgua!sdcsvax!sdcrdcf!psivax!friesen From: friesen@psivax.UUCP (Stanley Friesen) Newsgroups: net.unix Subject: Re: Shell Shock or Why Shell Message-ID: <202@psivax.UUCP> Date: Mon, 10-Dec-84 14:16:05 EST Article-I.D.: psivax.202 Posted: Mon Dec 10 14:16:05 1984 Date-Received: Wed, 12-Dec-84 05:36:52 EST References: <24900002@siemens.UUCP> <4514@rochester.UUCP> Reply-To: friesen@psivax.UUCP (Stanley friesen) Organization: Pacesetter Systems Inc., Sylmar, CA Lines: 22 Summary: In article <4514@rochester.UUCP> quiroz@rochester.UUCP (Cesar Quiroz) writes: > > Now, how the metaphor of a shell *around* a kernel appeared > (I guess most people think of the command interpreter as built > *on top*, not *around* the kernel) will certainly be a nice > story to know, so let's encourage the First Born of UnixLand > to speak and enlighten the Net People. > >Cesar I believe the terminology comes from the Multics system, the spiritual predecessor of Unix. This system pioneered the concept of software "rings" or layers. That is the system was implemented as as series of progressively more abstract, more or less independent layers. The command language interpreter is one of the *outer* layers, and based on the term "ring" may be percieved as surrounding the rest of the system. like a shell. -- Sarima (Stanley Friesen) {trwrb|allegra|burdvax|cbosgd|hplabs|ihnp4|sdcsvax}!sdcrdcf!psivax!friesen