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Creeper and Reaper facts for kids

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CreeperWorm
Screenshot of a Creeper simulation

Creeper was the very first computer worm. It was a special computer program. Then came Reaper, the first antivirus software. Reaper was made to find and remove Creeper.

What Was Creeper?

Creeper was an experimental computer program. It was created by Bob Thomas in 1971. He worked at a company called BBN. Creeper was designed to move between large computers. These computers were called DEC PDP-10 machines. They used an operating system called TENEX. These computers were connected through the ARPANET.

Later, Ray Tomlinson made a new version. This version could copy itself to other computers. Instead of just moving, it would make a copy. This self-copying version is known as the first computer worm. Creeper was a test. It showed that programs could spread on their own.

Creeper was not harmful. It did not damage any data. It only showed a message on the computer screen. The message said: "I'M THE CREEPER : CATCH ME IF YOU CAN".

How Creeper Spread

Creeper had a very small impact. It only affected a few computers. No more than 28 machines could have been infected. These were the only computers running TENEX on ARPANET. The people who ran these computers knew about the project. They even helped with it. Ray Tomlinson needed their permission. He had to ask to run the program on their machines. There were no unexpected problems from Creeper.

Reaper: The First Antivirus

Quick facts for kids
Reaper
Original author(s) Ray Tomlinson
Initial release 1972
Operating system TENEX

Reaper was the very first antivirus software. It was made to find and remove Creeper. Reaper also moved across the ARPANET. Ray Tomlinson created Reaper in 1972.

Creeper's Legacy

The story of Creeper and Reaper inspired many things. It led to the programming game Core War. In this game, programs fight each other. Fictional versions of Reaper have appeared in stories. For example, in the anime Digimon Tamers. It also showed up in the game Digital: A Love Story. A human-like Creeper character appeared in the webcomic Internet Explorer. It was shown alongside the Morris Worm, another famous early program.

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