Browsing by Subject "MULTICS"

Now showing 1 - 10 of 10
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    Oral history interview with Dan Bricklin and Bob Frankston
    (Charles Babbage Institute, 2004-05-07) Bricklin, Dan; Frankston, Bob
    Dan Bricklin and Bob Frankston discuss the creation of VisiCalc, the pioneering spreadsheet application. Bricklin and Frankston begin by discussing their educational backgrounds and experiences in computing, especially with MIT’s Multics system. Bricklin then worked for DEC on typesetting and word-processing computers and, after a short time with a small start-up company, went to Harvard Business School. After MIT Frankston worked for White Weld and Interactive Data. The interview examines many of the technical, design, and programming choices in creating VisiCalc as well as interactions with Dan Fylstra and several business advisors. Bricklin comments on entries from his dated notebooks about these interactions. The interview reviews the incorporation of Software Arts in 1979, then describes early marketing of VisiCalc and the value of product evangelizing. There is discussion of rising competition from Mitch Kapor’s 1-2-3 and the steps taken by Fylstra’s software publishing company Personal Software (later VisiCorp). Part II of the interview begins with Bricklin and Frankston’s use of a Prime minicomputer to compile VisiCalc’s code for the Apple II computer. There is discussion of connections to Apple Computer and DEC, as well as publicity at the West Coast Computer Faire. The two evaluate the Fylstra essay, reviewing the naming of VisiCalc and discussing the division of labor between software developers and Fylstra as a software publisher. They describe the porting of code for versions of VisiCalc for other computers. Talks concerning a possible merger between Personal Software and Software Arts broke down, and instead there was a lawsuit between the companies. Software Arts developed a new product called TK!Solver and became a Macintosh developer. They evaluate the early spreadsheet products, including Kapor’s 1-2-3, Context MBA, Multiplan, and Excel as well as VisiCalc for the IBM PC. There is discussion of the Xerox PARC Alto and Macintosh. The interview was conducted in two parts, first with Martin Campbell-Kelly and the second with Paul Ceruzzi. There are references to an essay prepared by Dan Fylstra, circulated privately at the 2004 meeting and subsequently posted on the web (see “The Creation and Destruction of VisiCalc” in footnote).
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    Oral history interview with Fernando J. Corbató
    (Charles Babbage Institute, 1990-11-14) Corbató, F. J.
    Corbató discusses computer science research, especially time-sharing, at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Topics in the first session include: Phil Morse and the establishment of the Computation Center, Corbató's management of the Computation Center, the development of the WHIRLWIND computer, John McCarthy and research on time-sharing, cooperation between International Business Machines (IBM) and MIT, and J. C. R. Licklider and the development of Project MAC. Topics in the second session include: time-sharing, the development of MULTICS by the General Electric (GE) Computer Division, IBM's reaction to MIT working with GE, the development of CTSS, the development of UNIX in cooperation with Bell Labs, interaction with the Information Processing Techniques Office of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, interaction with Honeywell after they purchased GE's Computer Division, and the transformation of Project MAC into the Laboratory for Computer Science.
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    Oral history interview with Peter G. Neumann
    (Charles Babbage Institute, 2013-06-03) Neumann, Peter G.
    In this interview, computer security pioneer Peter G. Neumann relates his education at Harvard University (A.B. in Math, S.M. and Ph.D. in Applied Math), including an influential (to his perspective and career) two-hour long meeting/discussion as an undergraduate with Albert Einstein (discussing “complexity” and other topics). The vast majority of the interview addresses the many facets of his highly influential career in computer security research. With regard to the latter, this includes discussion of his work at Bell Labs and extensive involvement with MULTICS security, and his subsequent four-decade (and continuing) career as a research scientist at SRI International. He tells of his work and leadership with the Provably Secure Operating System (PSOS), research and writing on risks (including moderating the ACM Risks Forum), insider misuse and intrusion-detection systems (IDES, NIDES, EMERALD), and his current work on two DARPA-funded projects that builds on key lessons of the past to design and develop secure/trustworthy computer systems. He also relates the computer security research infrastructure and how it evolved, as well as comments on a number of other topics such as the major computer security conferences and the range of perspectives of researchers in the computer security research community. This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. 1116862, “Building an Infrastructure for Computer Security History.”
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    Oral history interview with Peter J. Denning
    (Charles Babbage Institute, 2013-04-10) Denning, Peter J.;
    This interview focuses on Peter Denning’s pioneering early contributions to computer security. This includes discussion of his perspective on CTSS and Multics as a graduate student at MIT, pioneering (with his student Scott Graham) the critical computer security concept of a reference monitor for each information object as a young faculty member at Princeton University, and his continuing contributions to the computer security field in his first years as a faculty member at Purdue University. Because of an extensive, career spanning oral history done with Denning as part of the ACM Oral History series (which includes his contributions as President of ACM, research on operating systems, and principles of computer science), this interview is primarily limited to Denning’s early career when computer security was one of his fundamental research areas. This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. 1116862, “Building an Infrastructure for Computer Security History.”
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    Oral history interview with Ralph E. Griswold and Madge T. Griswold
    (Charles Babbage Institute, 1993-09-29) Griswold, Ralph E., 1934-; Griswold, Madge T., 1941-
    Ralph and Madge Griswold discuss how their respective educational backgrounds in electrical engineering and journalism led them separately to Bell Laboratories. Madge discusses her involvement with TEXT90 and TEXT360 in the preparation of technical journal documents. Ralph recalls the informal dissemination of SNOBOL to the academic community. The Griswolds describe Bell Laboratories' involvement with MULTICS and the movement of groups within Bell Laboratories away from GE machines to IBM equipment. From their perspectives as an employee and an administrator respectively, Madge and Ralph describe the climate for women at Bell Laboratories during the 1960s. Ralph discusses how changes in the research environment at Bell Laboratories led him to the University of Arizona. Ralph describes his effort to recruit computer scientists to the fledgling department and Madge discusses her involvement in the recruiting process and the development of the department. The Griswolds also discuss the stagnation of SNOBOL4 after the language manual went out-of-print, and their work at the Bright Forest Company with the development of a commercial Icon implementation.
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    Oral history interview with Roger R. Schell
    (Charles Babbage Institute, 2012-05-01) Schell, Roger R.
    Dr. Roger R. Schell, a retired U.S. Air Force Colonel and current president of Æsec Corporation, is one of the foremost contributors to and authorities on "high assurance" computer security. In this oral history he discusses his formulation of the secure kernel and reference monitor concepts (in the early 1970s), his work that led to security enhancements to Honeywell-Multics (mid-1970s), his role as deputy director of the National Computer Security Center (including leadership on TCSEC or “The Orange Book” in the early to mid-1980s), and commercial (high assurance) computer security enterprises he’s led since retiring from the Air Force. This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. 1116862, “Building an Infrastructure for Computer Security History.”
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    Oral history interview with Steven B. Lipner
    (Charles Babbage Institute, 2012-08-15) Lipner, Steven B.
    Steven B. Lipner is a computer security pioneer with more than 40 years of experience as a researcher, development manager, and general manager in IT Security. He helped form and served on the Anderson Panel for the Air Force in the early 1970s (was MITRE’s representative), oversaw path breaking computer security high assurance mathematical model work at MITRE later that decade, was a leader in Digital Equipment Corporation’s (DEC) effort to build an A1 (TCSEC certification) system in the 1980s, and led the creation of Microsoft’s Security Development Lifecycle in the 2000s. This interview focuses primarily on Lipner’s involvement on the Anderson Panel, his work at MITRE, and his work at DEC. This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. 1116862, “Building an Infrastructure for Computer Security History.”
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    Oral history interview with Thomas Van Vleck
    (Charles Babbage Institute, 2012-10-24) Van Vleck, Thomas
    Thomas Van Vleck is a time-sharing and computer security pioneer. As a user he worked with MIT’s Compatible Time-Sharing System (CTSS) and MULTICS as a MIT student prior to helping to design enhancements (including security enhancements) to the MULTICS system first as a technical staff member at MIT and later on Honeywell-MULTICS as a technical staff member and manager at Honeywell. The interview discusses the security issues/risks on CTSS that resulted in modest changes (password protection) to CTSS and influenced the far more extensive security design elements of MULTICS. His long association w/ MULTICS in both the MIT and Honeywell setting provides unique perspective on the evolution of MULTICS security over the long term. He also briefly discusses his post-Honeywell career working on computer security as a manager at several other firms. This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. 1116862, “Building an Infrastructure for Computer Security History.”
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    Oral history interview with W. Earl Boebert
    (Charles Babbage Institute, 2015-04-28) Boebert, W. Earl
    Computer security pioneer Earl Boebert discusses his education at Stanford University before the bulk of the interview focuses on his work within the Air Force and at Honeywell. Among the topics he discusses are the Air Force Undergraduate Navigator Training System, efforts to save and market Multics (and the inherent challenges given GE’s existing systems and the economics of the mainframe business), PSOS, Sidewinder, the formation of Secure Computing Corporation. Also discussed is his role in the broader computer security research community including serving on many National Research Council committees, including the one producing the influential 1991 Computers at Risk. This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. 1116862, “Building an Infrastructure for Computer Security History.”
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    Oral history interview with William H. Murray
    (Charles Babbage Institute, 2013-09-24) Murray, William H.
    In this interview computer security pioneer William Murray begins by discussing early work experiences and influences (his father was an IBM CE and manager, and his mother was a keypunch operator). The bulk of the interview focuses on his work at IBM in computer security and his reflections on developments in this field. This includes efforts with computer security at IBM SHARE, Bob Courtney as an early leader at IBM in this field, Horst Feistel and the cryptographic research group at IBM, MVS TSO, IBM’s MVS Integrity Commitment, TCSEC, and RACF. He also provides context to a number of his publications including his influential Access Control Facility for AAS and Data Security and Controls. Murray was an influential figure with ISC-squared and the CISSP security credential and the auditing and forensics sides to security (working as a consultant for Deloitte & Touche and Ernst & Young after leaving IBM). This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. 1116862, “Building an Infrastructure for Computer Security History.”