unixmagic

We have some possible new markers, please head over the github repo -- I'd love to hear your thoughts. https://github.com/drio/unixmagic/issues

This is a site that maps the references on Gary Overacre's 1980s UNIX Magic poster to short write-ups with sources. I posted an earlier version about a year ago [1]. Since then I rewrote some of the annotations, added deep-linking to individual markers and a frame/sidebar view, gave the site a terminal-style redesign, and fixed historical inaccuracies (daemon etymology, nroff origin, B language vs. Multics, etc.). Contributions and comments welcome; each marker is a GitHub issue. site: https://unixmagic.net [1] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=43019136

#39 skull (dev/null) or daemon To me it looks like monkey face or like a cats face, a lynx? There is a tap / spigot above but I don't think tap wasn't much of a unix thing back then? edits: https://github.com/drio/unixmagic/issues/13 > the top of head has an old time faucet handle and this might be referencing IO redirection (streams) as well as the stream of molten lava/magic brew.

I finished my puzzle this morning. Fun! https://github.com/drio/unixmagic/raw/main/static/puzzle.web...

Thank you! I’ve updated the content from "wheel" to "valve handle". Please feel free to contribute—there’s still so much to uncover! I can easily think of 50 more references, and I’ll be adding them gradually over time. This project is an invitation to dig deep into the meaning behind each reference—to explore their significance and understand how they fit into the historical context of Unix’s early days. I tried to capture that in the README (https://github.com/drio/unixmagic): "When contributing, remember that this is an opportunity to dig deep into the history behind what you’re describing. Feel free to share what this particular component means to you personally, but also aim to frame the explanation within the context of Unix’s early days. How did this functionality compare to other operating systems at the time? What made it special

Hi HN, We've discussed the Unix Magic poster before (https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=27029196). Like many of you, I love this poster and all the Unix references hidden in it. I built this as a static site that lets us annotate the Unix Magic poster by placing markers on references and adding descriptions to explain them. I've added a few so far, but there's much more to document. What I love about this approach is that contributions happen not just on the site itself but also through PRs, where we can discuss and refine the details of each reference. Feel free to send a PR! Code: https://github.com/drio/unixmagic Live site: https://drio.github.io/unixmagic Would love feedback, suggestions, and PRs from the community! Thanks! —drd