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A Commentary on the UNIX Operating System
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<p><i>A Commentary on the Sixth Edition UNIX Operating System</i> by <a href="/facts/John_Lions/Q0XdhKMh">John Lions</a> (later reissued as <i>Lions' Commentary on UNIX 6th Edition</i> and commonly referred to as the Lions Book) is a highly influential 1976 publication containing analytical commentary on the <a href="/facts/Source_code/o9J6Jv23">source code</a> of the <a href="/facts/Version_6_Unix/ev0YCVb4">6th Edition</a> <a href="/facts/Unix/0pNL2seI">Unix</a> <a href="/facts/Computer/SQe1aK05">computer</a> <a href="/facts/Operating_system/8XTuvMh2">operating system</a> "resident nucleus" (i.e., <a href="/facts/Kernel_(operating_system)/uEj4U3Rz">kernel</a>) <a href="/facts/Software/RP79lVSW">software</a>, plus copy formatted and indexed by Lions, of said source code obtained from the authors at <a href="/facts/AT%2526T/y3Lo9uhk">AT&T</a> <a href="/facts/Bell_Labs/fKP5Gk0H">Bell Labs</a>. </p><p>Itself an exemplar of the early success of UNIX as portable code for a publishing platform, Lions's work was typeset using UNIX tools, on systems running code ported at the University, similar to that which it documented. </p><p>It is suspected to be the most frequently photocopied book in <a href="/facts/Computer_science/lN3pEyPz">computer science</a>.: xi Despite its age, Lions's book is still considered an excellent commentary on simple, high quality code. </p><p>Lions's work was most recently reprinted in 1996 by Peer-To-Peer Communications, and has been circulated, recreated or reconstructed variously in a number of media by other parties. </p>