Oral History: Ken Thompson on Co-creating Unix, C’s Origins, and the Go Programming Language

Ken Thompson shares his life story, from his early electronics hobbies to co-creating Unix, the C programming language, and Go at Bell Labs and Google.

Considered one of the greatest computer programmers of all time, Ken Thompson gives an oral history interview covering his achievements as a pioneer of computer programming. Created in partnership by the Association for Computing Machinery and the Computer History Museum, in connection with Thompson's A.M. Turing Award in 1983. Interviewed by David C. Brock on 2024-03-15 in The Sea Ranch, CA © Computer History Museum The interview begins with Thompson’s family background and youth, detailing the hobbies he pursued intently from electronics and radio projects, to music, cars, and chess. He describes his experience at the University of California, Berkeley, and his deepening engagement with computers and computer programming there. The interview then moves to his recruitment to the Bell Telephone Laboratories, and his experience of the Multics project. Thompson next describes his development of Unix and, with Dennis Ritchie, the programming language C. He describes the development of Unix and the Unix community at Bell Labs, and then details his work using Unix for the Number 5 Electronic Switching System. Thompson details his Turing Award lecture, the work on compromised compilers that led to it, and his views on computer security. Next, he details his career in computer chess and work he did for Bell Labs artist Lillian Schwartz. Thompson describes his work on the Plan 9 operating system at Bell Labs with Rob Pike, and his efforts to create a digital music archive. He then details his post Bell Labs career at Entrisphere and then Google, including his role in Google Books and the creation of the Go programming language. * Note: Transcripts represent what was said in the interview. However, to enhance meaning or add clarification, interviewees have the opportunity to modify this text afterward. This may result in discrepancies between the transcript and the video. Please refer to the transcript for further information - computerhistory.org/collections/catalog/102808980 Visit computerhistory.org/collections/oralhistories/ for more information about the Computer History Museum's Oral History Collection. Catalog number: 102808981 Acquisition number: 2024.0045