Re: [TUHS] What was your "Aha, Unix!" moment?

Warren Toomey writes: A fun topic! I'm a bit on the young side, so Unix was my first exposure to any kind of timesharing or multi-user system. Prior to getting access to MIPS Ultrix 4.2 on a DECstation, my experience consisted ENTIRELY of: * 8-bit systems, mainly Commodore 64 and Tandy TRS-80 * The Commodore Amiga 1000 and 500 * DOS and Windows 3.0 in the form of an IBM PC XT and a PS/2 Then, when I arrived at Cornell University in 1992, I discovered that there was a network of three clustered DECstations, sharing about 2GB (!) of system and user disk space. Enormous! As an avid reader of BYTE Magazine, I had _heard_ of Unix in the trade press, but I didn't honestly know what it was. I was plunged head first into it as a user, and quickly found myself addicted. I did get some guidance from a few experienced users, so I wasn't completely on my own. I owe them quite a bit for their patience and guidance. For me, the "Aha!" moment was entirely related to being attached to Usenet and the Internet. The fact that I could suddently read email (with the RAND MH system) and Usenet (with nn) and communicate with all of these very clever people all over the world was positively intoxicating. My love only grew when I discovered that there was a C compiler installed, and that I could build my own programs from source downloaded by FTP. Later, Perl 4 was installed, and I learned how to write my own programs. It was an exciting time in my young life. -Seth -- Seth Morabito Poulsbo, WA, USA web(a)loomcom.com