In Unix-like operating systems, dotfile is synonymous with hidden file. Usually used by programs to store configuration variables.

I have multiple machines, which I regularly work on. I keep sync of a set of personalized dotfiles between them – customized settings for programs that I’m using, like many of you. Till now, I was using my private git repository for things like my private scripts, Mutt, Irssi, Ekg2 or Tmux configurations. On the other hand some I keep publicly available for others i.e. on GitHub like Vim configs. And oh boy, there are so many of them! The true is, I customize almost everything that I’m using including simple tools like cp (just to get progress bar or interactivity).

On the day of my birthday, I wondered (of course - as many us do), if this is my start date, what is the to origin story of the birth date of computer time?

The Unix epoch, defined as 00:00:00 UTC on January 1, 1970, serves as the foundational reference point for timekeeping in nearly all modern computing systems. This date, though seemingly arbitrary, emerged from a confluence of technical constraints, historical decisions, and practical considerations during Unix’s early development.