Difference between revisions of "UNIX"

From Computer History Wiki
Jump to: navigation, search
m (rm dup link)
m (External links: +Unix and Multics)
(4 intermediate revisions by the same user not shown)
Line 8: Line 8:
 
}}
 
}}
  
'''Unix''' (officially trademarked as '''UNIX'''® - the documentation switched from using 'UNIX' to 'Unix' as of [[Unix Seventh Edition|V7]]) is a computer [[operating system]] originally developed in the 1970s by a group of AT&T employees at Bell Labs including Ken Thompson, Dennis Ritchie and Douglas McIlroy.
+
'''Unix''' (officially trademarked as '''UNIX'''® - the documentation switched from using 'UNIX' to 'Unix' as of [[Unix Seventh Edition|V7]]) is a computer [[operating system]] originally developed in the 1970s by a group of AT&T employees at Bell Labs including [[Ken Thompson]], [[Dennis Ritchie]] and [[Douglas McIlroy]].
  
Today's Unix systems are split into various branches, developed over time by AT&T as well as various commercial vendors and non-profit organizations. A number of clones of Unix, which share the interfaces, and 'look and feel', but no code, have also been produced.
+
Today's Unix systems are split into various branches, developed over time by AT&T as well as various commercial vendors and non-profit organizations. A number of clones of Unix, which share the interfaces, and 'look and feel', but no code, have also been produced; most notably, [[Linux]].
 +
 
 +
==Notable versions==
 +
 
 +
Versions of relevance for hobbyists include (note that 'Version' in early UNIXes refers to the revision of the 'UNIX Programmer's Manual'; UNIX didn't really have coordinated [[distro]]s before about V6):
  
Versions of relevance for hobbyists include:
 
 
* [[PDP-7 Unix|Unix "version 0"]] for [[PDP-7]]
 
* [[PDP-7 Unix|Unix "version 0"]] for [[PDP-7]]
 
* [[UNIX First Edition|UNIX V1]] - The first version of UNIX that has been recently made to run on the [[PDP-11]]
 
* [[UNIX First Edition|UNIX V1]] - The first version of UNIX that has been recently made to run on the [[PDP-11]]
* [[UNIX Fifth Edition|UNIX V5]] - One of first version with known source and binaries available.
+
* [[UNIX Third Edition|UNIX V3]] - The first version with [[pipe]]s
* [[UNIX Sixth Edition|UNIX V6]] - The last version before branches started to appear
+
* [[UNIX Fourth Edition|UNIX V4]] - The first version with the [[kernel]] written in [[C programming language|C]]
* [[Unix Seventh Edition|Unix V7]] - One of the most complete and the last generally available and [[PDP-11]] version of Research UNIX
+
* [[UNIX Fifth Edition|UNIX V5]] - The first version with complete source and binaries available
* [[32v|Unix/32V]] - A 32bit port of System 7 to the VAX 11/780.
+
* [[UNIX Sixth Edition|UNIX V6]] - The first widely distributed version; the last before branches started to appear
 +
* [[Unix Seventh Edition|Unix V7]] - One of the most complete, and the last generally available and [[PDP-11]] version of Research UNIX
 +
* [[Unix/32V]] - A [[software port|port]] of Seventh Edition to the [[VAX-11/780]]
 +
 
 +
Unix then went commercial and was sold, in a number of releases. (Below is an early ad for AT&T UNIX.)
  
Unix then went commercial and was sold.  Below is an early ad for AT&T UNIX.
 
[[Image:Att842unixcomp.jpg|150px|thumb|right|Unix ad]]
 
 
* [[Unix SYSIII]]
 
* [[Unix SYSIII]]
 
* [[Unix SYSV]]
 
* [[Unix SYSV]]
Line 27: Line 32:
 
* [[Unix SYSVr3]]
 
* [[Unix SYSVr3]]
 
* [[Unix SYSVr4]]
 
* [[Unix SYSVr4]]
 +
 +
[[Image:Att842unixcomp.jpg|150px|thumb|left|Unix ad]]
 +
<br clear=all>
  
 
== CSRG releases ==
 
== CSRG releases ==
Meanwhile the [[Computer Systems Research Group‎]] kept on releasing newer [[BSD]] UNIX's derived from 32v. Descended from there are several popular versions:
 
  
* [http://www.freebsd.org FreeBSD] focuses on providing a system geared towards a single user.
+
Meanwhile the [[Computer Systems Research Group‎]] kept on releasing newer [[BSD]] UNIX's, mostly for the [[VAX]], derived from 32V. These had wide distribution, and tremendous impact; they were a major step in UNIX's road to its current ubiguity.
  
* [http://www.netbsd.org NetBSD] will run on a variety of 32-bit older systems from the [[VAX]] to the [[Amiga]]. 
+
Descended from there are several popular versions:
  
 +
* [http://www.freebsd.org FreeBSD] focuses on providing a system geared towards a single user.
 +
* [http://www.netbsd.org NetBSD] will run on a variety of 32-bit older systems from the VAX to the [[Amiga]]. 
 
* [http://www.openbsd.org OpenBSD] derived from the NetBSD project will run on all kinds of systems.
 
* [http://www.openbsd.org OpenBSD] derived from the NetBSD project will run on all kinds of systems.
  
 
==See also==
 
==See also==
  
* [[:Category: Unix OS's]]
+
* [[:Category:Unix OS's|Unix OS's]]
* [[:Category: Unix-based OS's]]
+
* [[:Category:Unix-based OS's|Unix-based OS's]]
 
* [[UNIX file system]]
 
* [[UNIX file system]]
 
* [[BSD Fast File System]]
 
* [[BSD Fast File System]]
Line 50: Line 59:
 
* [https://wiki.tuhs.org/doku.php?id=start The Unix Heritage Wiki]
 
* [https://wiki.tuhs.org/doku.php?id=start The Unix Heritage Wiki]
 
* [https://www.princeton.edu/~hos/Mahoney/unixhistory An Oral History of Unix] - Lengthy interviews with Thompson, Ritchie, McIlroy, etc
 
* [https://www.princeton.edu/~hos/Mahoney/unixhistory An Oral History of Unix] - Lengthy interviews with Thompson, Ritchie, McIlroy, etc
 +
* [https://multicians.org/unix.html Unix and Multics]
  
 
===Fun links===
 
===Fun links===
Line 59: Line 69:
  
 
[[Category: Operating Systems]]
 
[[Category: Operating Systems]]
 +
[[Category: UNIX]]

Revision as of 03:55, 27 June 2022


UNIX
Type: Time-sharing
Creator: Ken Thompson, Dennis Ritchie and Douglas McIlroy at Bell Labs
Multitasking: Multi-tasking with swapping/paging (latter added in a later version)
Architecture: Originally PDP-7, then PDP-11; now cross-platform.
Date Released: 1969


Unix (officially trademarked as UNIX® - the documentation switched from using 'UNIX' to 'Unix' as of V7) is a computer operating system originally developed in the 1970s by a group of AT&T employees at Bell Labs including Ken Thompson, Dennis Ritchie and Douglas McIlroy.

Today's Unix systems are split into various branches, developed over time by AT&T as well as various commercial vendors and non-profit organizations. A number of clones of Unix, which share the interfaces, and 'look and feel', but no code, have also been produced; most notably, Linux.

Notable versions

Versions of relevance for hobbyists include (note that 'Version' in early UNIXes refers to the revision of the 'UNIX Programmer's Manual'; UNIX didn't really have coordinated distros before about V6):

Unix then went commercial and was sold, in a number of releases. (Below is an early ad for AT&T UNIX.)

Unix ad


CSRG releases

Meanwhile the Computer Systems Research Group‎ kept on releasing newer BSD UNIX's, mostly for the VAX, derived from 32V. These had wide distribution, and tremendous impact; they were a major step in UNIX's road to its current ubiguity.

Descended from there are several popular versions:

  • FreeBSD focuses on providing a system geared towards a single user.
  • NetBSD will run on a variety of 32-bit older systems from the VAX to the Amiga.
  • OpenBSD derived from the NetBSD project will run on all kinds of systems.

See also

External links

Fun links