Origin of "partition" in storage devices

OS/8 partitioned RK02 disk packs. On Mon, Jan 31, 2022 at 2:38 PM Warner Losh via cctalk < cctalk at classiccmp.org> wrote: > On Mon, Jan 31, 2022 at 12:01 PM Tom Gardner via cctalk < > cctalk at classiccmp.org> wrote: > >> There is a discussion of the origin of the term "partition" in storage >> devices such as HDDs at: >> >> > https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talk:Disk_partitioning#Where_did_the_term_%22p >> artition%22_originate >> < > https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talk:Disk_partitioning#Where_did_the_term_%22… >> ? >> >> It seems clear it was used in memory well before HDDs but when it got >> started there is unclear. >> * IBM PC DOS v2 was an early user in 1983 with FDISK and its first PC >> support of HDDs >> * UNIX, Apple OS's and IBM mainframe all seem to come later. >> > SunOS had partitions from the start (1982). These may have been carried > over > from the Ubisoft port, but I've not been able to confirm that. If so, they > date a little > earlier. HP/UX had them in about this same time period, but my sources for > that > are not very good. > > Warner > > >> Partitioning as a "slice" probably predates IBM PC DOS v2 >> >> Would appreciate some recollections about DEC usage, other minicomputers >> and >> the BUNCH. >> >> You can either post directly to Wikipedia or let me know; links to >> references would greatly be appreciated >> >> Tom >> >>