Origin of "partition" in storage devices

[Bill Degnan]

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_%22partition%22_originate
> >
> > ?
> >
> > 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
> >
> >
>