Kenneth Thompson

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Kenneth Thompson

1943-

American computer and software engineer who won recognition for his role in the development of the Unix operating system in 1969. Thompson and Dennis Ritchie developed Unix as an operating system that could be used on any type of computer, giving a stable, flexible, and consistent computing environment. The widespread acceptance of Unix in science and industry settings is testimony to its success, as is the increasing popularity of the Linux operating system, a Unix derivative.

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