A farkon shekarun 1980s, kakannin mahaifinsa sun yi hijira zuwa Santa Barbara daga Spain. Peterson ya sami ilimi a makarantun jama'a a yankin Santa Barbara. An tashe shi kusa da darektan Jami'ar California, dakin gwaje-gwaje na kwamfuta na Santa Barbara, wanda ya gabatar da shi ga shirye-shiryen kwamfuta tun yana ƙarami a 1978. A shekara ta 2017, an gabatar da labarin rayuwar Peterson a cikin wani littafi da mai magana da motsawa Brian Tracy ya rubuta game da 'yan kasuwa. Peterson ya shafe yawancin ƙuruciyarsa ta hanyar haɗawa da UCSB mainframe kwamfutoci ta hanyar tashar da modem. Ta hanyar samun dama ga fasaha, Peterson ya koyi yin kansa Unix da VMS aikace-aikace bisa PDP-11 da DEC VAX. A farkon shekarun 1980s, ilimin kimiyya na shirye-shirye ya kasance abin sha'awa ga malaman kwaleji a yankin Santa Barbara.
Unix da VMS