SMRTR ProgrammingSep 8, 2025Lobsters

Unix Co-Creator Brian Kernighan on Rust, Distros and NixOS

SMRTR summary

Brian Kernighan, 83-year-old Unix co-creator and C language pioneer, recently spoke at a vintage computer festival. He expressed doubt about Rust replacing C, citing a frustrating experience with its performance and complexity. Kernighan admitted unfamiliarity with modern Linux distributions and package managers, and criticized how consumer devices running Unix-based systems restrict user access. He bluntly stated that much of today's software "sucks," but remained optimistic about programming's future, encouraging interested individuals to pursue tech careers.

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