UNIX rose from the ashes of a multi-organizational effort in the early 1960s to develop a dependable timesharing operating system. After three decades of use, the UNIX* computer operating system is still regarded as one of the most powerful, versatile, and flexible operating system in the computer world. Its popularity is due to many factors, including its ability to run a wide variety of machines, from
micros to supercomputers, and its
portability, all of which led to its adoption by many manufacturers. The system also fostered a distinctive approach to
software design, solving a problem by interconnecting simpler tools, rather than creating large
monolithic application programs. Its development and evolution led to a new philosophy of computing, and it has been a never-ending source of both challenges and joy to programmers around the world.