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= Gary_Kildall =
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Introduction
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Gary Arlen Kildall (; May 19, 1942 - July 11, 1994) was an American
computer scientist and microcomputer entrepreneur. During the 1970s,
Kildall created the operating system CP/M among other operating
systems and programming tools, and subsequently founded Digital
Research, Inc. to market and sell his software products. He is
considered a pioneer of the personal computer revolution.
In 1974 in Pacific Grove, California, Kildall demonstrated the first
working prototype of CP/M, which would later become the dominant
operating system for microcomputers for a time. Together with his
invention of the BIOS (Basic Input Output System), his operating
system allowed a microprocessor-based computer to communicate with
disk storage. Kildall was among the earliest individuals to recognize
microprocessors as fully capable computers. During the 1980s, Kildall
also appeared on PBS as co-host of 'Computer Chronicles', a weekly
informational program that discussed the latest developments in
personal computing.
Early life
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Gary Kildall was born and grew up in Seattle, Washington, where his
family operated a seamanship school. His father, Joseph Kildall, was a
captain of Norwegian heritage. His mother Emma was of half Swedish
ancestry, as Kildall's grandmother was born in Långbäck, Sweden, in
Skellefteå Municipality, but emigrated to Canada at 23 years of age.
Education
===========
Kildall earned a bachelor's degree in mathematics in 1967 and a
master's degree in Computer Science in 1968, both from the University
of Washington. At one time, he had hoped to become a mathematics
teacher. During his studies, Kildall became increasingly interested in
computer technology and enrolled to attain a Ph.D. in Computer
Science.
Kildall fulfilled his draft obligation by teaching at the Naval
Postgraduate School in Monterey, California.
Kildall briefly returned to UW and finished his doctorate in computer
science in 1972.
Intel lent him systems using the 8008 and 8080 processors, and in
1973, he developed the first high-level programming language for
microprocessors, named PL/M. For Intel he also wrote 8008 and 8080
instruction set simulators named INTERP/8 and INTERP/80. He created
the operating system CP/M the same year to enable the 8080 to control
a floppy disk drive, combining for the first time all the essential
components of a computer at the microcomputer scale. He demonstrated
CP/M to Intel, but Intel had little interest and chose to market PL/M
instead.
CP/M
======
In 1973 Kildall and Kathryn Strutynski developed the language PL/M to
produce CP/M, one of the first operating systems for personal
computers.They used as reference their experience with the IBM
mainframe computers and the operating system VM.
Kildall and his wife Dorothy established a company, originally named
"Intergalactic Digital Research" (later renamed as Digital Research,
Inc.), to market the operating system CP/M by advertisements in
hobbyist magazines. Digital Research licensed CP/M for the IMSAI 8080,
a popular clone of the Altair 8800. As more manufacturers licensed
CP/M, it became a de facto standard and had to support an increasing
number of hardware variations. In response, Kildall pioneered the
concept of a BIOS, a set of simple programs stored in computer
hardware (ROM or EPROM microprocessor) that enabled CP/M to operate on
different systems without modification.
CP/M's quick success surprised Kildall, and he was slow to update it
for high density floppy disks and hard disk drives. After hardware
manufacturers discussed creating a rival operating system, Kildall
started a rush project to develop CP/M 2. By 1981, at the peak of its
popularity, CP/M operated on different computer models and DRI had
million in yearly revenues.
Between 1983 and 1984, Digital Research offered several of their
business and educational applications for the IBM PC on bootable
floppy diskettes bundled with SpeedStart CP/M, a reduced version of
CP/M-86 as a bootable runtime environment.
IBM dealings
==============
IBM approached Digital Research in 1980, at Bill Gates' suggestion, to
negotiate the purchase of a forthcoming version of CP/M named CP/M-86
for the IBM PC. Gary had left initial negotiations to his wife,
Dorothy, as he usually did, while he and Tom Rolander, a colleague
and developer of the operating system MP/M, used Gary's private
aeroplane to deliver software to manufacturer Bill Godbout. Before the
IBM representatives would explain the purpose of their visit, they
insisted that Dorothy sign a non-disclosure agreement. On the advice
of DRI attorney Gerry Davis, Dorothy refused to sign the agreement
without Gary's approval. Gary returned in the afternoon and tried to
resume the discussion with IBM; accounts disagree on whether he signed
the non-disclosure agreement, as well as whether he ever met with the
IBM representatives.
Various reasons have been given for the two companies failing to reach
an agreement. DRI, which had only a few products, might have been
unwilling to sell its main product to IBM for a one-time payment
rather than its usual royalty-based plan. Dorothy might have believed
that the company could not deliver CP/M-86 on IBM's proposed schedule,
as the company was busy developing an implementation of the PL/I
programming language for Data General. Also possible, the IBM
representatives might have been annoyed that DRI had spent hours on
what they considered a routine formality. According to Kildall, the
IBM representatives took the same flight to Florida that night that he
and Dorothy took for their vacation, and they negotiated further on
the flight, reaching a handshake agreement. IBM main negotiator Jack
Sams insisted that he never met Gary, and one IBM colleague has
confirmed that Sams said so at the time. He accepted that someone else
in his group might have been on the same flight, and noted that he
flew back to Seattle to talk with Microsoft again.
Sams related the story to Gates, who had already agreed to provide a
BASIC interpreter and several other programs for the PC. Gates'
impression of the story was that Gary capriciously "went flying", as
he would later tell reporters. Sams left Gates with the task of
finding a usable operating system, and a few weeks later he proposed
using the operating system 86-DOS-- an independently developed
operating system that implemented Kildall's CP/M application
programming interface-- from Seattle Computer Products (SCP). Paul
Allen negotiated a licensing deal with SCP. Allen had 86-DOS adapted
for IBM's hardware, and IBM shipped it as IBM PC DOS.
Kildall obtained a copy of PC DOS, examined it, and concluded that it
infringed on CP/M. When he asked Gerry Davis what legal options were
available, Davis told him that intellectual property law for software
was not clear enough to sue. Instead Kildall only threatened IBM with
legal action, and IBM responded with a proposal to offer CP/M-86 as an
option for the PC in return for a release of liability. Kildall
accepted, believing that IBM's new system (like its previous personal
computers) would not be a significant commercial success. When the IBM
PC was introduced, IBM sold its operating system as an unbundled
option. One of the operating system options was PC DOS, priced at . PC
DOS was seen as a practically necessary option; most software required
it and without it the IBM PC was limited to its built-in Cassette
BASIC. CP/M-86 shipped a few months later six times more expensive at
, and sold poorly against DOS and enjoyed far less software support.
Multi-Programming Monitor Control Program (MP/M)
==================================================
With the loss of the IBM deal, Gary and Dorothy were pressured to
bring in more experienced management, and Gary's influence over the
company waned. He worked in various experimental and research
projects, such as a version of CP/M with multitasking (MP/M), created
by Digital Research developer Tom Rolander in 1979. Kildall also
worked on an implementation of the Logo programming language. He hoped
that Logo, an educational dialect of LISP, would supplant BASIC in
education, but it did not.
FlexOS
========
In 1985 Digital Research developed FlexOS, a modular real-time
multiuser multitasking operating system (RTOS).
Graphics Environment Manager (GEM)
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After seeing a demonstration of the Apple Lisa, Kildall oversaw the
creation of DRI's own graphical user interface, named Graphics
Environment Manager (GEM), which was introduced on February 28, 1985.
Novell acquired DRI in 1991 in a deal that netted millions for
Kildall.
Kildall resigned as CEO of Digital Research on 28 June 1985, but
remained chairman of the board.
Computer Chronicles
=====================
Kildall co-hosted a public television program produced by PBS named
'Computer Chronicles'. It discussed trends in personal computing. Gary
co-hosted the program for seven years during the first eight seasons
from 1983 to 1990. After this time the program continued through its
19th season, with the last episode broadcast on June 25, 2002.
Activenture
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In 1984 Gary started another company, 'Activenture', which adapted
optical disc technology for computer use, using as reference the Red
Book developed by Sony and Phillips in 1980. In 1985 the CD-ROM was
presented by Philips and Sony, the same year Activenture was renamed
'KnowledgeSet'.
The Electronic Encyclopedia
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In June 1985 Digital Research released 'The Electronic Encyclopedia',
a CD-ROM version of Grolier's 'Academic American Encyclopedia'. The
first computer encyclopedia, it included pictures in 1990 and added
audio and videos in 1992. The encyclopedia was acquired by Banta
Corporation; its last CD-ROM version was published in 2003.
Prometheus Light and Sound (PLS)
==================================
Kildall's final business venture, known as 'Prometheus Light and
Sound' (PLS) and based in Austin, Texas, developed a modular PBX
communication system that integrated land-line telephones with mobile
phones (called "Intelliphone") to reduce the then-high online costs
and to remotely connect with home appliances.
Prometheus Light and Sound system included a UUCP-based store and
forward system to exchange emails and files between the various nodes
and was planned to include TCP/IP support at a later time.
Computer Animation
====================
According to Brian Halla, Intel's technical liaison to Digital
Research in the 1970s, Gary Kildall showed him a VAX 11/780 running in
his house generating a Coke bottle spinning. According to Halla,
Kildall sold it a few months later to Pixar.
''Computer Connections''
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In 1992, Kildall was invited to the University of Washington computer
science program's 25th anniversary event. As a distinguished graduate
of the program, Kildall was disappointed when asked to attend simply
as an audience member. He also took offense at the decision to have
the main speech done by Bill Gates, a Harvard University dropout who
had donated to UW, but had never attended.
In response, Kildall began writing a memoir, entitled 'Computer
Connections: People, Places, and Events in the Evolution of the
Personal Computer Industry'. The memoir, which Kildall sought to
publish, expressed his frustration that people did not seem to value
elegance in computer software.
Writing about Bill Gates, Kildall described him as "more of an
opportunist than a technical type, and severely opinionated, even when
the opinion he holds is absurd".
In an appendix, he termed DOS "plain and simple theft" because its
first 26 system calls worked the same as CP/M's. He accused IBM of
contriving the price difference between PC DOS and CP/M-86 in order to
marginalize CP/M.
Kildall had completed a rough draft of the manuscript by the end of
1993, but the full text remains unpublished. Journalist Harold Evans
used the memoir as a primary source for a chapter about Kildall in the
2004 book 'They Made America', concluding that Microsoft had robbed
Kildall of his inventions. IBM veterans from the PC project disputed
the book's description of events, and Microsoft described it as
"one-sided and inaccurate".
In August 2016, Kildall's family made the first seven chapters of
'Computer Connections' available as a free public download.
Personal life
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Kildall self-described as a "greaser" during high school, and his
colleagues recall him as creative, easygoing, and adventurous. In
addition to flying, he loved sports cars, auto racing, and boating,
and had a lifelong love of the sea.
Although Kildall preferred to leave the IBM affair in the past and to
be known for his work before and afterward, there were continual
comparisons between himself and Bill Gates, as well as fading memories
of his contributions. A legend grew around the fateful IBM-DRI
meeting, encouraged by Gates and various journalists, suggesting that
Kildall had irresponsibly taken the day off for a recreational flight.
In later years, Kildall privately expressed bitter feelings about
being overshadowed by Microsoft, and began suffering from alcoholism.
Selling DRI to Novell had made Kildall a wealthy man, and he relocated
to the West Lake Hills suburb of Austin. His Austin house was a
lakeside property, with stalls for several sports cars, and a video
studio in the basement. Kildall owned and flew his own Learjet and had
at least one boat on the lake. While in Austin he also participated in
volunteer efforts to assist children with HIV/AIDS. He also owned a
mansion with a panoramic ocean view in Pebble Beach, California, near
the headquarters of DRI.
Death and legacy
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On July 8, 1994, at the age of 52, Kildall sustained a head injury at
the Franklin Street Bar & Grill, a biker bar in Monterey,
California. The exact circumstances of the injury are unclear. Various
sources have claimed he fell from a chair, fell down steps, or was
assaulted because he had entered the establishment wearing
Harley-Davidson leathers. Harold Evans, in 'They Made America', states
that Kildall "stumbled and hit his head" inside the premises, and "was
found on the floor".
After the injury, Kildall was discharged from a hospital twice. He was
pronounced dead at the Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula,
on July 11, 1994. An autopsy, performed on July 12, did not
conclusively determine the cause of death. Evans states that Kildall's
head injury triggered a cerebral hemorrhage, causing a blood clot to
form inside the skull. A CP/M Usenet FAQ states that Kildall was
concussed due to his injury, and died of heart failure; the relation
between the two is unclear. Medical evidence of chronic alcoholism was
found during the autopsy.
Initial news reports and police investigation considered Kildall's
death as a possible homicide. According to the coroner's report,
Kildall's fatal injury may have occurred "as a result of foul play,"
and the case was referred to the Monterey Police Department. "We're
going to investigate it as a possible homicide," said police Sgt.
Frank Sollecito. "I'm not going to flat-out say it's a homicide".
Kildall's body was cremated. His remains were buried in Evergreen
Washelli Memorial Park, in north Seattle.
Recognition
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After the announcement of Kildall's death, Bill Gates commented that
he was "one of the original pioneers of the PC revolution" and "a very
creative computer scientist who did excellent work. Although we were
competitors, I always had tremendous respect for his contributions to
the PC industry. His untimely death was very unfortunate and his work
will be missed."
Stewart Cheifet, his co-host on 'Computer Chronicles', said that
Kildall was his "favorite guy" and praised his skills and
contributions to the development of personal computing. Cheifet also
commented: "Gary's problem was that he was too much of a gentleman. He
wasn't a killer business kind of guy", adding that he was "a decent
man in a business that was hard to succeed in if you were decent."
In March 1995, Kildall was honored posthumously by the Software
Publishers Association (SPA) for his contributions to the
microcomputer industry:
* The first programming language and first compiler specifically for
microprocessors: PL/M. (1973)
* The first microprocessor disk operating system, which eventually
sold a quarter of a million copies: CP/M. (1974)
* The first successful open system architecture by segregating
system-specific hardware interfaces in a set of BIOS routines. (1975)
* Creation of the first diskette track buffering schemes, read-ahead
algorithms, file directory caches, and RAM drive emulators.
* Introduction of operating systems with preemptive multitasking and
windowing capabilities and menu-driven user interfaces (with Digital
Research): MP/M, Concurrent CP/M, Concurrent DOS, DOS Plus, GEM.
* Introduction of a binary recompiler: XLT86. (1981)
* The first computer interface for video disks to allow automatic
nonlinear playback, presaging today's interactive multimedia. (1984,
with Activenture)
* The file system and data structures for the first consumer CD-ROM.
(1985, with KnowledgeSet)
In April 2014, the city of Pacific Grove installed a commemorative
plaque outside Kildall's former residence, which also served as the
early headquarters of Digital Research.
In popular culture
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Steve Hauk wrote a play 'A Mild Concussion'. Later, with Stewart
Cheifet, a second version of the play was written under the title 'The
Forgotten Computer Genius'. The play looks at the final days of a
computer genius.
See also
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* History of personal computers
Further reading
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*
[
https://web.archive.org/web/20030922092322/http://edition.cnn.com/TECH/computing/9810/27/msfile1.idg/]
*
*
*
* (Part 2 not released due to family privacy reasons.)
*
* (18 pages)
External links
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*
*
Video
*
License
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All content on Gopherpedia comes from Wikipedia, and is licensed under CC-BY-SA
License URL:
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/
Original Article:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gary_Kildall
