interpreter might be called by different names, such as COMCON on DEC TOPS-10 systems. The interpreter would execute one of a number of predefined commands, one of which would be to run a user program. Common commands would log the user on and off the system, allocate, free, and manipulate devices and files, and query various pieces of information about the system or a user process.

In 1964, for the Multics operating system, Louis Pouzin