Unix-like is the common technical assessment as I've always heard it. In layman-ese, Unix typically refers to the components running above the kernel (XWindows, emacs, whatever); so to most people Linux is Unix-enough.
Wikipedia has a 'simple' family tree: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Unix_history-simple.en.svg Family-wise, I believe Linux would go under the System V branch, but lineage-wise, it started out as a Minix-rewrite. On Oct 7, 9:10 pm, Chris Miller <[email protected]> wrote: > On Thursday, October 7, 2010, hard wyrd <[email protected]> wrote: > > "Real" Unix refers to the original Unix operating system that was developed > > by Ken > > Thompson <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ken_Thompson_(computer_programmer)>, Dennis > > Ritchie <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dennis_Ritchie>, Brian > > Kernighan <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_Kernighan>, Douglas > > McIlroy <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Douglas_McIlroy>, and Joe > > Ossanna <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Ossanna> . > > > Any direct descendant from Unix is still considered "real" Unix which > > includes, but is not limited to, BSD Unix, Unix System V, Solaris, and > > others. Mac OS X is a descendant and relied heavily on the BSD Unix core > > albeit differing slightly. In other words, Mac OS X's kernel only differs > > slightly to the BSD and original Unix parents. > > If you want to get technical, Apple Mac OS X uses the Darwin operating > system, which is an environment pioneered by NeXT Computer. Both use > the "Mach" kernel, which is a very flexible microkernel which powers > both Mac OS X (Darwin) and the iOS (Darwin as well). > > Darwin uses a *lot* of FreeBSD software (with some Apple > modifications, most of which are freely available on the Apple > Open-Source SVN server.) > > I don't exactly remember the lineage of Mach, but that's what life is > like inside the walled garden. Hope some find that little bit of > pendantry interesting. :) > > > Linux (the kernel) on the other hand, despite behaving and functioning like > > Unix, is not a "real" direct descendant since it was coded from the ground > > up by Linus Torvalds and continues to this day with Linus at the helm with > > the help of the various kernel hackers all over the world. However, Linux > > is considered a "Unix variant in spirit and function". > > > Since I'm not a native English speaker, I may be wrong with semantics - > > "variant" and "derivative" - but you get the drill. > > Nope, you were spot on. > > Just to add my $0.02, I refer to things that pass Open-Group > certification as a "Unix," and all else (Linux) as "Unix-like." > > -- > Registered Linux Addict #431495 > For Faith and Family! | John 3:16!http://www.fsdev.net/ -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Linux Users Group. To post a message, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit our group at http://groups.google.com/group/linuxusersgroup
