The passing of a legend, genius and father of modern computing
On October 8th the world lost one of its most influential and revered geniuses. Denis Ritchie the creator of the C programming language and co-author of the UNIX operating system is no longer with us.
For many his passing will go un-noticed, but myself and many like me mourn the passing of one of computing’s foremost giants, for without Ritchie many of us wouldn't have lived the lives we have.
UNIX and C are close to my heart, having dabbled in them for almost as long as I can remember. What has always struck me is the understated power and simplicity of UNIX's construction and paradigms.
Ritchie leaves behind not only a legacy of many operating systems directly descendent from UNIX or even the vast array of software written in C - more so he leaves behind a philosophy he helped create and nurture.
The UNIX philosophy is embodied in the code of the UNIX kernel, the deliberately simple and precise style he authored his books in and the private and humble manner of the greatest coder ever.
Simply put he left behind the DNA of today’s most successful and software design and development methodologies and set the stage for an amazing 40 years of innovation.
Rob Pike has already done a great job of explaining the far reach of Ritchie’s inventions, but I feel that the gift of the UNIX philosophy and the building blocks of open-source were his greatest achievements.
Rest in peace Ritchie, the world is a better place for the time you spent with us.
Sincerely,
Joseph
