git: d780a23a9947 - main - tabs: a hacky version of tabs appeared in 1st edition Unix

[Warner Losh]

The branch main has been updated by imp:

URL: https://cgit.FreeBSD.org/src/commit/?id=d780a23a9947039c997e785105160c78db1d134c

commit d780a23a9947039c997e785105160c78db1d134c
Author:     Warner Losh <imp at FreeBSD.org>
AuthorDate: 2021-09-09 23:11:18 +0000
Commit:     Warner Losh <imp at FreeBSD.org>
CommitDate: 2021-09-09 23:11:18 +0000

    tabs: a hacky version of tabs appeared in 1st edition Unix
    
    First edition Unix had an /etc/tabs file. It contained the escape
    sequences to set tabs to every 8 stops on an old Teletype Model 37 and
    compatible terminals. One would 'cat /etc/tabs' to reset them.  Unix at
    the time effectively mandated this because the delays in the tty driver
    assumed this and tabs didn't work when they were too different from '8'.
    Document this historical niggle in HISTORY after it was brought to my
    attention on a Hacker News thread.
    
    Sponsored by: Netflix
---
 usr.bin/tabs/tabs.1 | 9 +++++++--
 1 file changed, 7 insertions(+), 2 deletions(-)

diff --git a/usr.bin/tabs/tabs.1 b/usr.bin/tabs/tabs.1
index 9075de5fa7ff..614c8c96cb13 100644
--- a/usr.bin/tabs/tabs.1
+++ b/usr.bin/tabs/tabs.1
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@
 .\"
 .\" $FreeBSD$
 .\"
-.Dd May 20, 2002
+.Dd September 9, 2021
 .Dt TABS 1
 .Os
 .Sh NAME
@@ -147,9 +147,14 @@ The
 utility conforms to
 .St -p1003.1-2001 .
 .Sh HISTORY
+.Pa /etc/tabs
+appeared in
+.At v1
+which set tabs every 8 on Teletype model 37 and compatible printing terminals
+when printed.
 A
 .Nm
-utility appeared in PWB UNIX.
+utility that worked on many terminals appeared in PWB UNIX.
 This implementation was introduced in
 .Fx 5.0 .
 .Sh BUGS