Re: UNIX is/was an Operating System

From: Alan Connor (zzzzzz_at_xxx.yyy)
Date: 03/23/05

  • Next message: Gianni Mariani: "Re: specific UTF-8 locales" 
    Date: Wed, 23 Mar 2005 05:48:47 GMT

    On comp.unix.questions, in
    <1ad1e8b9.0503222000.5a01f1e4@posting.google.com>, "Ghazan
    Haider" wrote:

    > Which statement is more true:
    >
    > Unix is an OS
    >
    > or
    >
    > Unix was an OS
    >
    > ??
    >
    > Unix as defined by the opengroup exists in AIX and others, but
    > theyre operating systems, not an operating system. Secondly,
    > in some circles UNIX was the original OS from which others
    > sprouted, and todays OSes are descendents of UNIX, rather
    > UNIX-derived. So whether UNIX is a class of operating systems
    > or a group of UNIX-descended operating systems, the statement
    > that UNIX is AN operating system would be false, since its
    > plural.
    >
    > It certainly was an operating system, but then copies of the
    > original still exist, so if referring to the original only,
    > UNIX is an operating system.
    >
    > I've a collection of workstations, and deal with HPUX, AIX,
    > Solaris, Unixware as well as the non-UNIX: Linux, NetBSD
    > etc. So when i visited the wikipedia article on UNIX, was
    > surprised by "UNIX is an operating system".
    >
    > Just being pedantic on a boring day. Any thoughts?

    Okay; I'll bite.

    Most of us use "unix" to describe one of many Unix-derived OSes,
    some of which you lists above. I am running Debian Linux here,
    and consider it to be a unix OS. As contrasted with a DOS-derived
    OS like Windows...

    (and DOS is actually a poor Unix clone, severely
    damaged by its authors attempt to hide the fact that this is what
    it is, [and laziness: they left out the most important part of
    Unix -- networking!] whereas Linux is an up-front Unix clone)

    ..or Mac or any of the other, more obscure, OSes around.

    The abbreviation "nix" is often used to mean "Unix-derived-OS",
    as you know.

    AC

  • Next message: Gianni Mariani: "Re: specific UTF-8 locales"

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