Groups | Search | Server Info | Keyboard shortcuts | Login | Register [http] [https] [nntp] [nntps]

Groups > linux.kernel > #1364182 > unrolled thread

Where did . come from

Back to article view | Back to linux.kernel

Contents

  Where did . come from Hgntkwis@vfemail.net - 2016-03-24 15:10 +0100
    Re: Where did . come from Casey Schaufler <casey@schaufler-ca.com> - 2016-03-24 18:00 +0100

#1364182 — Where did . come from

Granted, you need something to signify that a file is a dir (remember,
in linux everything is a file), and what the parent dir is.
I'm assuming that the kernel folks decided the name, or at least have
some idea about it.
I'm not objecting, it's fine, I just want to know this history behind the
decision to use . instead of say $ or %.

Thanks, David

-------------------------------------------------

ONLY AT VFEmail! - Use our Metadata Mitigator to keep your email out of the NSA's hands!
$24.95 ONETIME Lifetime accounts with Privacy Features!  
15GB disk! No bandwidth quotas!
Commercial and Bulk Mail Options!  

[toc] | [next] | [standalone]

#1364343

On 3/23/2016 9:29 PM, Hgntkwis@vfemail.net wrote:
> Granted, you need something to signify that a file is a dir (remember,
> in linux everything is a file), and what the parent dir is.
> I'm assuming that the kernel folks decided the name, or at least have
> some idea about it.
> I'm not objecting, it's fine, I just want to know this history behind the
> decision to use . instead of say $ or %.

Minimum amount of ink used on a TTY33.
No, I'm not kidding. It dates back to the UNIX systems of the 1970's.

>
> Thanks, David
>
> -------------------------------------------------
>
> ONLY AT VFEmail! - Use our Metadata Mitigator to keep your email out of the NSA's hands!
> $24.95 ONETIME Lifetime accounts with Privacy Features!  
> 15GB disk! No bandwidth quotas!
> Commercial and Bulk Mail Options!  
>

[toc] | [prev] | [standalone]

Back to top | Article view | linux.kernel

csiph-web