I think this PDP-11 meme is quite misleading. There is nothing really in the C programming model specific to the PDP-11 and C was used on systems much weirder than a PDP-11.
C is also very successfully the basis of many parallel programs running on multi-processor systems with a memory model in the standard that was created much later than the PDP-11.
replyAlso somehow the implied argument that computing hardware and operating systems simulate a PDP-11 for the sake of C is completely backwards. Historically, there were other approaches, e.g. processors designed for object-oriented programming or actors etc.. All those were not very successful.
It's clear that the authors were either inspired by the PDP-11 ISA and/or designed the language to make porting UNIX from PDP-11 Assm to it easier.
replyUNIX for PDP-7 in Assm -> UNIX for PDP-11 in Assm -> UNIX for PDP-11 in C
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=42644851
and
Sure, you need an OS course, but that's when students should learn C as well.
replyProbably thinking of this article: "C Is Not a Low-level Language: Your computer is not a fast PDP-11."
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