TOPS-10 had daemons (file daemon, for example). Does the TOPS-10
usage of the term predate or postdate its use in Unix?
-Paul W.
It was all pretty contemporary in my view. I suspect CTSS was first and the others picked up the idea from there. Univac EXEC-8 called them 'symbiants' as I recall, and I think TSS used the term 'system tasks' but we did refer to them as daemons also. Of course, I saw them called daemons on TOPS and UNIX around the same time and never really made a big deal one way or the other; again I think because we used the term on the IBM systems sometimes.