Difference Between Unix and Linux
Open source OS UNIX and Linux are free to use. Being an open source OS allows developers across worldwide to inspect their source code and improve them further.
Despite being open source operating systems, Linux and UNIX are different from each other. UNIX is forerunner of Linux. The former was developed at Bell Labs in 1969. Now, the Open Group sees its problems and looks for instances to develop it further. In 1994, Open Group purchased UNIX from Novell. Other OS which are very much similar to UNIX and share its code or feature is known as UNIX-like.
Earlier, UNIX was considered as the backbone of IP access. Even now, it is core functioning part of Internet. Network servers and workstations install portable system of UNIX which allows them to multi-process computer and let multiple users log-in simultaneously. In UNIX, for storage, a hierarchical file system was used and text input was deployed. From its inception days, this OS has changed a lot but some commands are still the same.
Linux is based on the UNIX’s kernel. It is UNIX-like. It was developed by Linus Torvalds in 1992 as a free version. At that time, Linus was doing his under graduation studies at the University of Helsinki (Finland). Even now, he is at work with several other developers to evolve this platform. Linux is used on personal computers mostly.
Released under the GNU license, Linux, from the very start, was open source. The other popular UNIX kernel versions are Ubuntu, Red hat and Fedora. These have somewhat similar features to UNIX but are more evolved.
As both Linux and UNIX are open source, they are under scrutiny of several developers who keep searching for a way to make these OS a better and more secure platform. The open source program allows users to copy the source code and disseminate the OS or application for use.
This is an added advantage which is not possible in closed OS like Windows.