Unix Hater's Handbook Stinks
8 days ago
- #Operating Systems
- #Unix
- #Critique
- The Unix Hater's Handbook critiques Unix's design and features, many of which are now obsolete or irrelevant.
- Unix commands are short and cryptic, a design choice likely influenced by early teletype limitations.
- Accidental file deletion remains a risk due to Unix's straightforward file removal command 'rm'.
- Pipes in Unix allow program composition but lack features like bidirectional communication.
- Unix documentation is fragmented and often inadequate, with no feedback mechanism for improvement.
- The book's criticisms are seen as non-constructive, focusing on slander rather than solutions.
- Dennis Ritchie's anti-foreword dismisses the book's critiques, highlighting Unix's enduring core concepts.
- The commercialization of Unix led to features that catered to business interests over user needs.
- The culture around Unix has led to its stagnation, with calls to discard rather than fix it.