19 Dec
2017
19 Dec
'17
noon
I blundered today into the GECOS field in /etc/passwd:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gecos_field
"Some early Unix systems at Bell Labs used GECOS machines for print
spooling and various other services,[3] so this field was added to
carry information on a user's GECOS identity."
I had forgotten about this field and I don't recall it being
previously described as related to GECOS (I likely didn't take note at
the time I first encountered it).
Aside from the influence of Multics and other things on UNIX design
are there other tangible[1] manifestations of non-UNIX operating
system things like the GECOS field that were carried forward intact in
later UNIX implementations?
[1] things can be pointed at, rather than design ideas