Re: What's the big difference between Linux and Unix??
At 2004-06-12T14:06:07+01:00, Matthew Seaman wrote: For more detail that you could possibly want about the descent of Unix, see: http://www.levenez.com/unix/ Hi Matthew, Thanks for pointing out that interesting site. Cheers, Raghavendra. -- N. Raghavendra [EMAIL PROTECTED] | See mail headers for contact Harish-Chandra Research Institute | and OpenPGP details. ___ [EMAIL PROTECTED] mailing list http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions To unsubscribe, send any mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: What's the big difference between Linux and Unix??
In article [EMAIL PROTECTED], Grauwmans Steven (gs) writes: gs If U could please help me, I'm getting confused. Linux is a kernel, ie the bit of the OS which needs to be there, but you should never be aware of in normal use if it works properly. Unix is a trademark. There used to be an OS caled Unix, but it is so long since it's descendents diverged that the name is pretty useless now. If you see it in use it is probably historical, marketing or someone who is confused. It's like looking for a modern human population to label as homo-erectus. So, basicly you are looking at a large number of Unix-like operating systems, some of which use Linux as their kernel, some of which don't. To add another dodgy metaphor, Volkswaggon once created a car called the Golf which was so sucessful that lots of cars now are visibly descendents of that design. Some of them share the same kind of engine. However none of those cars is a golf, and certainly the engine isn't. -- Mail me as [EMAIL PROTECTED]_O_ | ___ [EMAIL PROTECTED] mailing list http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions To unsubscribe, send any mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
What's the big difference between Linux and Unix??
Linux is UNIX, but why is Fedora Core a Linux and FreeBSD a UNIX? I searched on the internet for an answer, but after visiting 10 sites I gave up. If U could please help me, I'm getting confused. Greetings, Grauwmans Steven ___ [EMAIL PROTECTED] mailing list http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions To unsubscribe, send any mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: What's the big difference between Linux and Unix??
Grauwmans Steven wrote: Linux is UNIX, but why is Fedora Core a Linux and FreeBSD a UNIX? I searched on the internet for an answer, but after visiting 10 sites I gave up. If U could please help me, I'm getting confused. Linux is a kernel. Fedora uses this kernel, and therefore is a Linux *distribution*, such as many other (see http://www.distrowatch.com for example). All distributions (note this term) which use this common kernel are Linux, so to say. All these distributions look and feel like Unix, they are Unix clones. FreeBSD does not use the Linux kernel, but has its own. FreeBSD is based on one of the original Unices, namely BSD Unix. Therefore, it is Unix, but not Linux. HTH. -PU ___ [EMAIL PROTECTED] mailing list http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions To unsubscribe, send any mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: What's the big difference between Linux and Unix??
On Sat, Jun 12, 2004 at 10:06:49AM +0200, Grauwmans Steven wrote: Linux is UNIX, but why is Fedora Core a Linux and FreeBSD a UNIX? I searched on the internet for an answer, but after visiting 10 sites I gave up. If U could please help me, I'm getting confused. Because FreeBSD code is derived from the 4.4 BSD release by the CSRG at Berkeley, and they developed their code based on Unix code from ATT who were the original authors of Unix. Linux on the otherhand was a cleanroom implementation of a unix-like operating system not incorporating any code from previous Unix systems. (Despite what SCO is claiming, which IMHO is a load of tosh). Mind you, there has been significant cross fertilization between Linux, the BSD and SysV Unix camps. I tend to think that Linux passes the duck test as far as being a Unix variant, and that it should be known as such. I also think that the unix vs Unix(TM) distinction -- i.e. whether the OS has licensed code from ATT or it's heirs -- is pretty much irrelevant nowadays. For more detail that you could possibly want about the descent of Unix, see: http://www.levenez.com/unix/ (Very much up-to-date, that site -- already mentions FreeBSD 4.10.) Cheers, Matthew -- Dr Matthew J Seaman MA, D.Phil. 26 The Paddocks Savill Way PGP: http://www.infracaninophile.co.uk/pgpkey Marlow Tel: +44 1628 476614 Bucks., SL7 1TH UK pgpSEI6czncB0.pgp Description: PGP signature
RE: What's the big difference between Linux and Unix??
This is a hard one to answer. Most people disagree slightly on this question. It all depends on your perspective. If you go by companies that are allowed to use the UNIX copyright, then only IBM AIX and Sun Solaris are UNIX. If you go by the posix specification, then most operating systems can be considered UNIX as many implement portions of the posix specification if not all of it. Even windows NT/2k/XP have a posix subsystem. (not unix though as they don't have a userland remotely close) I used to get real gun ho on the idea that *BSD is older than GNU/Linux. That was false in one sense. The linux kernel is actually older than the *BSD code that all BSDs are based on. The reason is that most of the BSD kernel was rewritten and implemented AFTER the first public linux kernel release. So on one hand only system V implementations contain any original UNIX code. (aside from a small portion that was considered ok during the lawsuit) I'm sure several others will disagree with me, but this is what I've learned from websites and part of an O'reilly book on the history of open source. I forget the exact title. Also, I don't think a true linux fan would consider linux as UNIX. The reason is the title.. GNU/Linux is the proper name and if you lookup what GNU stands for, you'll see my point. :) As for SCO, I don't think they have much claim over linux code. They might not even own the UNIX code as Novell claims. Either way, SCO UNIX was based on Microsoft Unix (Xenix?) so I laugh at the idea anyway. To summarize, it depends how you interpret the *facts*. I don't think anyone really remembers all the details anymore. -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Grauwmans Steven Sent: Saturday, June 12, 2004 4:07 AM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: What's the big difference between Linux and Unix?? Linux is UNIX, but why is Fedora Core a Linux and FreeBSD a UNIX? I searched on the internet for an answer, but after visiting 10 sites I gave up. If U could please help me, I'm getting confused. Greetings, Grauwmans Steven ___ [EMAIL PROTECTED] mailing list http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions To unsubscribe, send any mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] ___ [EMAIL PROTECTED] mailing list http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions To unsubscribe, send any mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
