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April 01, 2009

Linux vs. Unix: Brief Comparison

Though closely associated and the terms often used interchangeably, Linux and Unix are two very distinct operating systems.  The factors that set them apart could make all the difference in determining which platform is the right solution for you.  This article will provide a little insight on the intriguing debate of Linux vs. Unix.

History

UNICS was originally created in 1969 by a group of AT&T Bell Labs employees.  The name was trademarked to UNIX in the early 1970s, and has since been commonly referred to a Unix, with small caps.  The platform began as a multi-tasking operating system with a command line interpreter and a couple of small utility programs, far from the PC as we know it today.

In 1985, the introduction of the Free Software Foundation led to the development of the GNU GPL (General Public License), a movement created so software could be freely distributed.  By the early 90s, Unix consisted of basic components such as the shell, compilers, libraries and text editors, but still lacked elements like the daemons, device drivers and kernel.   In 1991, Linus Torvlads, a young student, began working on Minix, a Unix-like system whose code was free available under the GNU GPL.  Out of this project came the first Linux kernel, which included various libraries and utilities from the GNU (GNU's Not Unix) OS to create a usable operating system.  Linux was released as open-source software under the GNU GPL, allowing the underlying source code to be freely used and modified.

Usage

The Linux OS is mainly for small to medium sized operations.  However, it is being increasingly used in the corporate setting where Unix was previously considered the only option.  In the beginning, Linux was viewed as an academic project and most enterprises didn't look at it as an option for networking.  All that has changed over the years as the system has gone mainstream with significant support from major software developers.  This system is often a preferred choice for office computing and web server operations.  Unix is still an obvious choice in more demanding situations where multiple processes and systems are involved as it handles these tasks with more efficiency than Linux.

Cost and Distribution

The major difference between Linux and Unix is cost and method of distribution.  Because Linux is open-source, it can generally be acquired freely, with the exception of server additions which normally require an initial purchase.  The open-source nature has resulted in significant modifications and numerous distributors.  Some of the most notable distributors of the many Linux variants include Fedora, Mandrake, Red Hat and SUSE.

Unix on the other hand, is not open-source software and therefore, considerably more expensive than Linux.  With the hardware included, a midrange Unix server can cost anywhere in between $25,000 and $259,000 with high-end severs ranging up to $500,000.

Current Status

Over the last few years, Linux has grown faster than any other server-based operating system on the market, and the array of Linux hosting solutions are solid evidence.  To be competitive, major Unix vendors such as HP, IBM and Sun are customizing features to make the OS more compatible with Linux.  AIX, Solaris and HP-UX are all Unix systems that have recently been integrated with more traits of the Linux kernel.

Tags: linux,  Fedora,  AIX,  unix,  UNICS,  SUSE,  Solaris,  Red Hat,  open-source,  Mandrake