Flavours of Unix.

[dabster]

Hi,
I recently had a discussion(heated one!) with a close friend as 'whether Linux is a flavour of unix or not'

My viewpoint is that Linux is not a flavour of unix it is a separate implementation which gimmicks or (kind of imitates) the functionality which unix already had(CLI commands) and adds hell lot of new features to it.
Only IBM-AIX , HP-UX, sun solaris can be considered as flavours of unix and not Linux.

What are your views people,

[khattam_]

GNU was first set out to be a unix clone.... Linux is GNU\Linux...

I don't know what the term "flavour" means in 'whether Linux is a flavour of unix or not'??

And if you consider IBM-AIX , HP-UX, sun solaris as Unix flavors, I think that you should consider GNU as that too... and since Linux is GNU\Linux, so it may be that too...

But still, the word "flavor" stops me from speaking any more...

[QwertyManiac]

Say, doesn't GNU itself go - GNU's Not Unix?

[mehulved]

There's no more unix. There are either unix like system or unix compliant system. The trademark UNIX lies with 'The Open Group'.
See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unix

[praka123]

hahaha!what next unix is a "flavour" of multics?

one word:UNIX and Linux goes parallel

[MetalheadGautham]

Next topic: Is Macintosh a flavour of Windows ?

[The_Devil_Himself]

dint linus coded Linux from 'unixlike' kernel developed by GNU\stallman?so that means Linux is not related to UNIX directly.

[praka123]

^ Linus tried a minix clone hence Linux born!
minix is still there maintained by original author Andy Tannenbaum

stallman originally developed gcc(gnu c compiler) which Linus used in his kernel adventure.not to say that Linux kernel gained momentum and popularity via Internet only

[MetalheadGautham]

Originally Posted by The_Devil_Himself

dint linus coded Linux from 'unixlike' kernel developed by GNU\stallman?so that means Linux is not related to UNIX directly.

Linux was basically supposed to beat the hell out of unix. It was supposed to do everything UNIX(or more precisely, MINIX) can do, and still have scope for improvement, and excel in other un explored feilds too. And I can sincearly say it succeeded. I pity those other guys who are still stuck with a single OS to use and die with.

[The_Devil_Himself]

Originally Posted by praka123

^ Linus tried a minix clone hence Linux born!
minix is still there maintained by original author Andy Tannenbaum

stallman originally developed gcc(gnu c compiler) which Linus used in his kernel adventure.not to say that Linux kernel gained momentum and popularity via Internet only

as far as I know stallman thought about developing a unix clone(unix wasn't free) which could do all the things Unix did and was to be provided free of cost with source code to people who cared to use it,but the development slowed down a lot in the early 90's and thats when linus picked it up and developed his own version 'Linux'.

[j1n M@tt]

I say YES

[vish786]

I find the question vague... how can "Linux be flavour of Unix".

[dabster]

Originally Posted by MetalheadGautham

Next topic: Is Macintosh a flavour of Windows ?

Oh Please! I am quite myself of admirer of FOSS and understand the thing, But the 'flavour' word makes the dividing line very thin and that's why wanted to poll in here.

[praka123]

I think below MAP explains everything clear also to @dabster:


try below URL for bigger image :
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Unix-history.svg

[Nimda]

Hmm.. interesting question. Minix was (and still is) a Unix clone. The initial versions were intentionally kept simple to aid students. So it's a subset of Unix anyway..

But Linux was just inspired by Minix. The original Linux kernel was significantly different (Monolithic kernel, for eg). So if the kernel alone is considered, Linux and Unix aren't that similar.

And then GNU comes in.. which was intended as a free "Unix emulator". GNU utilities could be ported to Linux or Minix or even the original UNIX system. And they were.

So I guess GNU/Linux is just inspired by Unix. Not exactly a flavour.

[amitabhishek]

Originally Posted by QwertyManiac

Say, doesn't GNU itself go - GNU's Not Unix?

Its also a nice example to show recursion.

Though off topic, OIL : Oil India limited can be another example.

[aditya.shevade]

^^ Same goes for PHP => PHP Hypertext Preprocessor.....

[GNUrag]

The copyright for UNIX trademark lies with the Open Group. So yes, you can call your implementation a UNIX if you get it certified by OpenGroup.

* yes, linux is uncertified, and will never be certified. Linux remains a unix clone.
* yes, Mac OSX is a certified UNIX implementation.

[Xccentricity]

Well Slackware is aimed to be as "Unix like" as possible.