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Light edits and re-wording.

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Nathaniel Beaver
2016-04-25 18:12:09 -05:00
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@@ -364,7 +364,7 @@ Linux uses case-sensitive filenames
because Unix used case-sensitive filenames. because Unix used case-sensitive filenames.
Unix was case-sensitive because Multics was case-sensitive. Unix was case-sensitive because Multics was case-sensitive.
Multics was case-sensitive because the ASCII standard Multics was case-sensitive because the ASCII standard
included a lowercase alphabet. [#Multics_case_sensitive]_ included both an uppercase and a lowercase alphabet. [#Multics_case_sensitive]_
Why was ASCII case-sensitive? Why was ASCII case-sensitive?
It nearly wasn't. It nearly wasn't.
@@ -373,8 +373,8 @@ Early telegraphy codes did not distinguish upper and lowercase
because it would have slowed transmission speeds prohibitively. because it would have slowed transmission speeds prohibitively.
Encodings with different bit patterns for uppercase and lowercase Encodings with different bit patterns for uppercase and lowercase
had been proposed as early as 1959, [#Bemer_1959]_ had been proposed as early as 1959, [#Bemer_1959]_
but is was not widely implemented. though they were not widely implemented.
The IBM 7030 "Stretch" supercomputer used an 8-bit encoding For example, the IBM 7030 "Stretch" supercomputer used an 8-bit encoding
that included interleaved uppercase and lowercase alphabets, that included interleaved uppercase and lowercase alphabets,
and it was used at Los Alamos in 1961. and it was used at Los Alamos in 1961.
[#Stretch_supercomputer]_ [#Stretch_supercomputer]_
@@ -398,7 +398,7 @@ so they decided to use a 7-bit code.
--- Charles E. Mackenzie, "Coded character sets: history and development" (1980), p.228 --- Charles E. Mackenzie, "Coded character sets: history and development" (1980), p.228
In fact, the some of the committee members In fact, the some of the committee members
wanted to reserve the remaining to use the remaining space for control characters. wanted to reserve the remaining space for control characters.
The conclusion of the preceding paragraph is based on the assump- The conclusion of the preceding paragraph is based on the assump-
tion that two alphabets, small letters and capital letters, would be in- tion that two alphabets, small letters and capital letters, would be in-
@@ -423,12 +423,11 @@ it wasn't until late 1963 that they finally agreed to include a lowercase alphab
Why is it useful for filenames to include upper and lowercase? Why is it useful for filenames to include upper and lowercase?
It has some intuitive appeal; It can make filenames more intelligible,
it is useful to be able to distinguish between, say, such as distinguishing between
the abbreviation for United State ("US") the abbreviation for United State ("US")
and the first-person plural objective pronoun ("us"). and the first-person plural objective pronoun ("us")
in paths such as ``/usr/share/X11/locale/en_US.UTF-8/``.
.. Talk more? E.g. Rob/rob, Job/job, Lot/lot, Miami Marlins vs Miami marlins, Target sale vs target sale, Scrabble/scrabble, drake/Drake
It also allows more possibilities for filenames, It also allows more possibilities for filenames,
and makes filename comparisons simpler and faster and makes filename comparisons simpler and faster
@@ -448,6 +447,8 @@ to uppercase or lowercase.
http://xahlee.info/UnixResource_dir/_/fileCaseSens.html http://xahlee.info/UnixResource_dir/_/fileCaseSens.html
.. http://www.cio.com/article/2868393/linus-torvalds-apples-hfs-is-probably-the-worst-file-system-ever.html
However, there is also no shortage of opinions However, there is also no shortage of opinions
that enforcing filename case-sensitivity that enforcing filename case-sensitivity
-- and even case-sensitivity in general -- -- and even case-sensitivity in general --
@@ -1801,15 +1802,17 @@ Because Linux is multi-user by design,
even with different desktop environments even with different desktop environments
(e.g. GNOME and KDE can coexist on the same Linux box). (e.g. GNOME and KDE can coexist on the same Linux box).
X sessions can be accessed remotely using e.g. `VNC`_ or `X over SSH`_. X sessions can be accessed remotely using e.g. `VNC`_ or `X over SSH`_.
It is common for two different users to work remotely Often, two different users will work remotely
at the same time on the same machine. at the same time on the same machine
using different desktop environments.
.. _multiple local instances of the X server: http://journalxtra.com/linux/desktop/multiple-desktops-on-one-linux-pc-now-thats-greedy/ .. _multiple local instances of the X server: http://journalxtra.com/linux/desktop/multiple-desktops-on-one-linux-pc-now-thats-greedy/
.. _VNC: https://wiki.debian.org/VNCviewer .. _VNC: https://wiki.debian.org/VNCviewer
.. _X over SSH: https://www.debian.org/doc/manuals/debian-reference/ch07.en.html#_connecting_a_remote_x_client_via_ssh .. _X over SSH: https://www.debian.org/doc/manuals/debian-reference/ch07.en.html#_connecting_a_remote_x_client_via_ssh
A `multiseat`_ configuration is also possible if the hardware is available. A `multiseat`_ configuration is also possible if the hardware is available.
Even on single-user machines this capability of the X server is useful to e.g. run two different desktop environments at the same time. Even on single-user machines this capability of the X server is useful
to e.g. run two different desktop environments at the same time.
.. _multiseat: https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/xorg_multiseat .. _multiseat: https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/xorg_multiseat