Err...I just wanan know what's the difference between Linux and Unix? o_O

Linux is a clone of UNIX :)

Linux is not much of a clone of UNIX anymore. It's more like an operating system highly inspired by UNIX. It's UNIX-like but not quite UNIX. FreeBSD is an example of UNIX.

Uh oh, don't get me started. :)

UNIX is a trademark owned by the Open Group. Linux is an operating system.

Some uninformed claim that Linux isn't UNIX. But it has an assembly language kernel, a shell, and commands and utilities written in a high level language. That's what describes a UNIX OS. Just because Linux hasn't been certified with The Open Group, to receive their trademarked UNIX certification, it doesn't make it not UNIX by definition. It is even POSIX compliant.

I suspect that some day Linus Torvalds may actually care to get Linux certified by the Open Group, but I doubt it.

Linux was originally intended to be a free version of a minix-like operating system for 386 computers. Unless it interacts with the system in the same way as UNIX does, it's not UNIX. FreeBSD is based on BSD UNIX source code. Linux is not based on any UNIX source code. It was totally written from scratch to behave like minix. That makes it UNIX-like. Besides, the name speaks for itself: Linux Is Not UNIX. :D jk

I'm pretty sure Mr. Torvalds has changed his goals in the last ten years with Linux. It did start out as an "alternative" to minix if you want to call it that but it's much much more now.

Originally posted by ToastyX
Linux was originally intended to be a free version of a minix-like operating system for 386 computers. Unless it interacts with the system in the same way as UNIX does, it's not UNIX. FreeBSD is based on BSD UNIX source code. Linux is not based on any UNIX source code. It was totally written from scratch to behave like minix. That makes it UNIX-like. Besides, the name speaks for itself: Linux Is Not UNIX. :D jk

Minux is a flavor of UNIX too. Read my post above about Linux being UNIX.

I never said minix wasn't a flavor of UNIX. I said Linux was originally intended to be a free version of a minix-like operating system for 386 computers.

Originally posted by ToastyX
I never said minix wasn't a flavor of UNIX. I said Linux was originally intended to be a free version of a minix-like operating system for 386 computers.

"Unless it interacts with the system in the same way as UNIX does, it's not UNIX."

I guess I have no idea what you were trying to point out there.

But in an attempt to further the break down in communication, I never said you said that minix wasn't a flavor of UNIX. I said Minix is a flavor of UNIX too. Read my post above about Linux being UNIX. :)

UNIX historians here might want to look at unix history chart from http://perso.wanadoo.fr/levenez/unix/ :).


Personally I think Linux technically a UNIX operating system, as I can treat it the same way I treat UNIX. But legally, Linux is not UNIX as it is not based on any UNIX code out there (well, almost). UNIX itself is registered trademark of Opengroup, so it is actually illegal to say Linux is UNIX. But some people get around of this legal problem by saying 'Linux is a free UN*X implementation' or similar :).

In terms of having any problems with hosting web sites...there shouldn't be any.

This thread sounds like a UNIX/LINUX history lesson... :o

:D