Comparison between Linux and Unix systems

[Introduction] The biggest difference between Linux and UNIX is that the former is free software that develops source code, while the latter is traditional commercial software that implements intellectual property protection for source code. This should be their biggest difference. This difference is reflected in the fact that users have a high degree of autonomy for the former, while they can only be passive about the latter

DIFFERENCE AND CONNECTION

The biggest difference between Linux and UNIX is that the former is free software that develops source code, while the latter is traditional commercial software that implements intellectual property protection for source code. This should be their biggest difference. This difference is reflected in the fact that users have a high degree of autonomy for the former, while they can only passively adapt to the latter. This difference is also reflected in the fact that the development of the former is in a completely open environment. environment, and the development of the latter is completely in a black box, and only relevant developers can access the prototype of the product.

The origin of Linux can be traced back to the oldest UNIX. In 1969, Ken Thompson of Bell Labs began developing a multi-user, multi-tasking operating system using an idle PDP-7 computer. Soon, Dennis Richie joined the project, and through their joint efforts, the earliest UNIX was born. Richie was inspired by an earlier project, MULTICS, and named the operating system Unix. Early UNIX was written in assembly language, but its third version was redesigned using a new programming language, C. C is the programming language designed by Richie and used to write operating systems. Through this rewrite, Unix was ported to run on the more powerful DEC PDP-11/45 and 11/70 computers. What happened next, as they say, is history. Unix came out of the laboratory and became a mainstream operating system, and now almost every major computer manufacturer has its own version of Unix.

Linux originated from the simple needs of a student. Linus Torvalds, the author and main maintainer of Linux, the only software he could afford when he was in college was Minix. Minix is ​​a simple operating system similar to Unix that is widely used to assist teaching. Linus was not very satisfied with Minix, so he decided to write his own software. He started his work on an Intel 386 PC using the Unix he was familiar with during his student days as a prototype. His progress was rapid, and inspired by his work results, he shared the results with other classmates through the Internet, mainly for academic use. Someone saw the software and started distributing it. Whenever a new problem arose, someone would immediately find a solution and join in. Soon, Linux became an operating system. It is worth noting that Linux does not include Unix source code. It is rewritten according to the public POSIX standard. Linux makes extensive use of GNU software from the Cambridge, Massachusetts Free Software Foundation, and Linux itself is built using them.

Two other major differences:

1) Most UNIX systems are matched with hardware, while Linux can run on a variety of hardware platforms.

2) UNIX is commercial software, while Linux is free software, free and open source code.

UNIX (50,000 US dollars) and Linux are free

[History]

Unix has a longer history than linux. The idea of ​​​​Linux originates from Unix

[Product]

• unix and Linux is the name of the operating system. However, in addition to being the name of the operating system, the four letters unix are also owned by SCO as a trademark.

• Linux commercialization includes RedHat Linux, SuSe Linux, slackware Linux, domestic Hongqi, etc., and Turbo Linux.

• Unix mainly There are Sun's Solaris, IBM's AIX, HP's HP-UX, and SCO Unix/Unixware for the x86 platform

##[Other differences]

• The core of Linux is free and free to use, and the core source code is open. The core of Unix is ​​not public;

• In terms of hardware requirements, Linux is lower than Unix and not as demanding as Unix. Linux is easier to master than unix when it comes to installation.

• In terms of use, Linux is relatively not as complicated as Unix.

Unix is ​​mostly an operating system developed by hardware manufacturers for their own hardware platforms, mainly related to CPUs. For example, Sun's Solaris is commercially available and is positioned in workstations using SPARC/SPARCII CPUs. and servers, of course Solaris also has an x86 version, and Linux also has its RISC version. But to be precise, it is not appropriate to compare Unix on RISC with Linux on x86. As for price, Linux for personal use is basically free. Different Linux distribution manufacturers have some optimizations on basic systems for enterprise-level applications, such as RedHat's Enterprise products. These products including support services are relatively expensive. Like IBM/HP/SUN's Unix, because it is mainly targeted at its hardware platform, the operating system is usually included in the device price. (No one buys a Unix operating system alone)

• In terms of performance, Linux is not as comprehensive as Unix, but it is basically more than enough for individual users and small applications.

Normally, if you have the opportunity to use a Unix environment, such as in a bank or telecommunications department, it is usually a fixed model of Unix. For example, in telecommunications, most companies are SUN, in civil aviation, most companies are HP, and in banks, most companies are IBM. When learning, different Unix command sets are somewhat different, so please pay attention. As for learning, I think Linux is easier to learn, and more and more people like and tinker with Linux now, and there are a lot of information about Linux. If you want to learn by yourself, Linux or BSD systems are good choices. An x86 machine will do.

• In terms of application, unless it is a large website, general enterprises or individuals can use Linux.

UNIX is a powerful, high-performance A comprehensive multi-user, multi-task operating system that can be applied to a variety of different platforms from supercomputers to ordinary PCs. It is the most widely used and influential operating system.

Linux is an operating system that has the same appearance and performance as or better than UNIX. However, Linux does not originate from the source code of any version of UNIX. It is not UNIX, but a product similar to UNIX. Linux products successfully imitate UNIX systems and functions. Specifically, Linux is an operating system compatible with System V and BSD UNIX. For System V, currently, the software program source code can be run after being recompiled under Linux. , and for BSD UNIX, its executable file can be run directly in the Linux environment.

Generally speaking, Linux is an operating system that complies with POSIX (Portable Operating System Environment) specifications. It can implement all UNIX features on ordinary PC computers and has multi-tasking and multi-user capabilities. . Another main reason why Linux is loved by the majority of computer enthusiasts is that it has all the functions of UNIX. Anyone who uses the UNIX operating system or wants to learn the UNIX operating system can benefit from Linux.

• In terms of network management capabilities and security, people who have used Linux admit that Linux is very similar to UNIX.

UNIX systems have always been used as high-end applications or server systems, so they have a complete set of network management mechanisms and rules. Linux follows these excellent rules to make the network configurable. It is very powerful and provides great flexibility for system management.

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