Social Science - Quiz 22 - Pg. 46-48

Which of the following programs inspired Ken Thompson and Dennis Ritchie to create Unix?

• CTSS

• BASIC

• Whirlwind

• Multics

• SAGE

Answer explanation

Ken Thompson and Dennis Ritchie used Multics in their work with Bell Labs. The withdrawal of support for Multics by Bell Labs in 1969 led Thompson and Ritchie to develop Unix. [46,1,2]

Where did Ken Thompson and Dennis Ritchie work?

• Digital Equipment Corporation

• Bell Labs

• Apple

• IBM

• Westinghouse

Answer explanation

Ken Thompson and Dennis Ritchie worked for Bell Labs. The two men developed Unix while working for Bell Labs. [46,1,2]

Which of the following computers did Ken Thompson and Dennis Ritchie use FIRST to develop Unix?

• PDP-8

• PDP-7

• PDP-15

• PDP-11

• PDP-5

Answer explanation

Ken Thompson and Dennis Ritchie used the PDP-7 in order to develop the Unix operating system. Today the PDP-7 is primarily associated with the creation of Unix. [46,1,2]

Which of the following computers did Ken Thompson and Dennis Ritchie’s employer purchase in order for them to continue developing Unix?

• PDP-15

• PDP-7

• PDP-11

• PDP-8

• PDP-1

Answer explanation

Bell Labs purchased a PDP-11 for Ken Thompson and Dennis Ritchie to use for their Unix project. Thompson And Ritchie previously used an old PDP-7 to begin their work in the creation of Unix. [46,1,3]

Why did Ken Thompson and Dennis Ritchie deemphasize the fact that Unix was a new operating system?

• They believed that news of their progress would inspire a surge in competition.

• They feared that their supervisors would be hesitant to back such a project.

• They felt that their project was likely doomed to failure.

• They hoped that they could obtain a patent for their operating system with relative rapidity

• They knew that few outside observers would understand Unix as an operating system in the conventional sense.

Answer explanation

Ken Thompson and Dennis Ritchie deemphasized the fact that Unix was a new operating system. This decision was a result of the hesitance of their supervisors at Bell Labs towards operating systems following the firm’s recent withdrawal from Multics. [46,2,0]

Which of the following programming languages did Dennis Ritchie create?

• Python

• E

• Microcode

• C

• Java

Answer explanation

Dennis Ritchie created the programming language C to run Unix. This language played a crucial role in the proliferation of the Unix operating system. [46,2,1]

Which of the following advantages did Dennis Ritchie’s new language give to Unix?

• The new language reduced the need for Unix programmers to focus on computer memory.

• The new language created many more high-level capabilities for Unix than its competitors could offer.

• The new language eliminated the need for training in programming to code Unix effectively.

• The new language led to a drastic reduction in the cost of supplying Unix to firms.

• The new language allowed Unix to run on a wide variety of computer models.

Answer explanation

The C language allowed for Unix to run on computer models besides the PDP-11. This in turn allowed for Unix to become much more popular and widespread among programmers and software engineers. [46,2,1]

Which of the following universities played a significant role in altering Unix source code?

• the University of California at Berkeley

• Vanderbilt University

• Northwestern University

• the University of California at Los Angeles

• Duke University

Answer explanation

Universities were a large-scale consumer of the Unix operating system in its early years. The University of California at Berkeley is perhaps the most famous example of a school altering the Unix source code. [46,2,2]

Why were universities originally the primary buyers of the Unix operating system?

• The universities were the main institutions that owned the type of computer necessary to run Unix.

• The corporation that owned Unix could not legally sell it on a large commercial scale.

• The universities were the only institutions that could afford to purchase the operating system.

• The universities were the only institutions who saw any value in Unix.

• The corporation that owned Unix could charge very high prices to publicly funded institutions.

Answer explanation

AT&T, which owned Unix, could not sell the operating system on a large commercial scale due to government regulation of their monopoly. These restrictions led to the firm selling Unix for a low cost to American academic institutions. [46,2,2]

Who developed the idea of networking entire computers together?

• Donald Davies

• J.C.R. Licklider

• Paul Baran

• Leonard Kleinrock

• Rohan Haack

Answer explanation

J.C.R. Licklider first developed the idea of networking entire computers together. This idea differed from earlier timeshare systems, which envisioned a single computer to which multiple people could connect. [47,1,1]