[TUHS] screen editors / machine load

[Mike Markowski]

[2020-01-09 08:49] Dave Horsfall <dave at horsfall.org>
> > I had a boss once who insisted that all his staff learn "ed",
> > because one day it might be the only editor available; he was
> > right...
>

I first used Unix on a pdp-11/70 in 1981, first year at university.  My
professor stopped by the computing center to see how his students were
doing - super nice of him and a perk to pre-PC times! - and was showing me
something or other regarding Unix.  I had only used ed to that point and
seeing him fire up vi was practically sci-fi to me.  He showed me a few
commands and vowed me to secrecy for fear if all students started using it,
it would bring the 11/70 to its knees.  Were multiple vi sessions really
such a potential burden to the machine?  I wouldn't think so with the slow
nature of human i/o, yet there certainly were times when the pdp-11/70
crashed as project due dates loomed closer and closer!

Also, I very much enjoy this list.  As an EE I use Unix-like OSes as a tool
rather being a builder of the tool like many here.  So I don't have the
deep background to contribute to the collective history, but I'm on the
sidelines enjoying the show.  As a brief tie-in to the editor comparisons,
I do a lot of DSP work for RF systems these days.  Python makes it quick
and easy to try new math, but has a maddening requirement that indentation
be strictly tabs or strictly spaces.  Text window pasting into a tab
indented python file wreaks havoc.  vim yank/put between split windows
retains the type of white space and lets me use my vi muscle memory.

Happy 2020,
Mike Markowski
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