Return-Path: Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org via listexpand id ; Thu, 13 Dec 2001 09:40:42 -0500 Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org id ; Thu, 13 Dec 2001 09:40:32 -0500 Received: from tomcat.admin.navo.hpc.mil ([204.222.179.33]:15170 "EHLO tomcat.admin.navo.hpc.mil") by vger.kernel.org with ESMTP id ; Thu, 13 Dec 2001 09:40:19 -0500 Date: Thu, 13 Dec 2001 08:40:18 -0600 (CST) From: Jesse Pollard Message-Id: <200112131440.IAA49406@tomcat.admin.navo.hpc.mil> To: pozsy@sch.bme.hu, linux-kernel Subject: Re: Where does 'vmlinuz' come from? X-Mailer: [XMailTool v3.1.2b] Sender: linux-kernel-owner@vger.kernel.org X-Mailing-List: linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org J Sloan > Hi all, > > This is not a bugreport, but a simple question: :) > where does the term vmlinuz come from? It is partly historical: Original boot on PDP-11, the kernel was kept in the file /unix (date was mid to late 1970s) When virtual memory was added it was changed to /vmunix (early 80s I think) to distinguish the difference on those systems that could do both (Mid 80s I had a Motorola 68020 that still used /unix since the VM hadn't been finished yet). Then on to Linux, which added compression. Since the name UNIX (in all it's forms) was copyrighted and couldn't be used to name the system the OS became linux, and, following the progression, vmlinux hence - with compressed files having a Z or gz extension - vmlinuz ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jesse I Pollard, II Email: pollard@navo.hpc.mil Any opinions expressed are solely my own. - To unsubscribe from this list: send the line "unsubscribe linux-kernel" in the body of a message to majordomo@vger.kernel.org More majordomo info at http://vger.kernel.org/majordomo-info.html Please read the FAQ at http://www.tux.org/lkml/