What (ITS utility)

What (typed as :what in the HACTRN prompt) was a small information utility available in the Incompatible Timesharing System. It could provide information about incoming email, bus schedule on the MIT campus, executable source files or answer the user in a humorous manner.

Implementation

 * what was written in the MIDAS assembly language. It can still be used on some of the ITS instances maintained across the web. The last traceable edit of the source code was by Ken L. Harrenstien on 16 May 1988.

Usage examples
Without arguments :what would print information about inbox status: You don't seem to have any recent messages.
 * what


 * KILL E$J

With the argument bus it would print out information about the next few buses leaving from the MIT campus: It is now 12:50 Bus 83 leaves Central Sq 13:10, 13:30, 13:45, 14:00, ... Bus 83 leaves Ringworld/Alewife 13:00, 13:20, 13:40, 13:55, ...
 * what bus
 * KILL E$J

Asked about source for NAME, :what responded with paths to source files corresponding to NAME: UP:SYSENG; 0  WHAT   201      3 +487    11/30/1987 17:33:23 (5/2/2015) KLH 0  WHAT   204      3 +493    5/16/1988 19:13:03 (5/4/2015) KLH
 * what source for what

Not knowing the answer, it would often resort to humor: You tell me.
 * what is life


 * KILL E$J

Finally, :what displayed some amount of introspection: It's an all purpose utility program, dummy!
 * what is this


 * KILL E$J

I am an omniscient utility program, idiot!
 * what are you


 * KILL E$J