Unix System Laboratories: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 12:22, 13 October 2018

Revision as of 22:13, 13 October 2018

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==C++ language work==

{{see also|C++#History}}

There was also a languages department at Unix System Laboratories,<!-- https://books.google.com/books?id=9yMQAQAAMAAJ Dr. Dobb's Journal of Software Tools ... is member of the languages department at Unix System Laboratories and is the editor of the Standard for the C++ Standardization committee. --> which was responsible for the [[C language]] compiler and development tools used to build Unix.<ref name="pr-uso"/> Moreover, it was responsible for commercial sales related to the C++ language, including development tools such as the [[Cfront]] compiler that had come from AT&T.<ref name="d-and-e"/>

Indeed, the paper describing one of the first implementations of automatic instantiation of [[Template (C++)|C++ templates]] in a C++ compiler had as lead author an engineer associated with Unix System Laboratories.<ref>{{cite journal | first=Glen | last=McCluskey | first2=Robert B. | last2=Murray | title=Template Instantiation For C++ | journal=SIGPLAN Notices | volume=27 | issue=12 | date=December 1992 | pages=47–56}}</ref><ref name="m-and-c"/> And [[Margaret A. Ellis]], co-author with C++ creator [[Bjarne Stroustrup]] of ''The Annotated C++ Reference Manual'', an important publication in the history of the language, was a USL software engineer.<ref name="d-and-e"/>

[[Image:Office within the Unix System Laboratories building in Summit, New Jersey--March 1994.jpg|thumb|250px|right|A software developer working in the Summit building]]

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goal was to create a "Unix for the masses".<ref>{{cite news | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=aw8EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA13 | title=Univel developing user-friendly Unix | first=Margie | last=Wylie | magazine=Network World | date=April 13, 1992 | page=13}}</ref>

A May 1992 ''[[InfoWorld]]'' interivewinterview with Pieper captured some of the ambitions of USL at the time, as Pieper said: "It is not just a new Unix version; rather it is the creation of an entire model change for Unix that says there are better ways to bring the benefits and features of Unix into a distributed PC environment. The earlier model did not allow Unix to play in the low-end market because of its size, complexity, and cost. The new model calls for business partnerships, such as the one with Novell, to deliver Unix to the commercial marketplace."<ref name="iw-roel"/> In another interview around the same time, Pieper predicted that if the new Unix became a success, USL revenue could increase ten-fold to $1 billion within five years.<ref name="bb-roel">{{cite news | url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/1992-06-21/a-unix-for-the-masses | title=A Unix For The Masses? | first=Evan I. | last=Schwartz | publisher=Bloomberg News | date=June 22, 1992}}</ref>

Pieper acknowledged that similar Unix efforts had failed in the past, but said that the presence of Novell's PC presence and marketing experience as well as the interest of Intel would make the difference this time.<ref name="iw-roel">{{cite news | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7D0EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA106 | title=USL's Pieper readies Unix for the PC network market | newspaper=InfoWorld | date=May 11, 1992 | page=106}}</ref>

Indeed, Pieper had aspirations to be another [[Bill Gates]]: "I want to be in the same position."<ref name="bb-roel"/>