Lex Fridman Podcast #109 – Brian Kernighan: UNIX, C, AWK, AMPL, and Go Programming
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Jul 18, 2020 Brian Kernighan, a renowned professor at Princeton and co-author of 'The C Programming Language,' dives into the fascinating history of Unix and its evolution from proprietary to open-source. He discusses the artistry versus science debate in programming and highlights innovative languages like AWK, AMPL, and Go. Kernighan shares insights on learning new languages, the impact of programming on communication, and reflections on the early days of AI, merging nostalgia with a vision for the future of technology.
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Unix Creation
- Unix was created at Bell Labs in 1969 after the Multics project ended.
- Ken Thompson wrote the first version in three weeks while his wife and son were away.
Early Time-Sharing
- Time-sharing systems give each user a slice of computer time, creating the illusion of having the whole machine.
- CTSS, developed at MIT, was a pioneering time-sharing system in the 1960s.
Bell Labs Environment
- Bell Labs was a special place with many PhDs, focused on improving phone service.
- This led to research in various fields, including a growing interest in computing.
