History of Linux
Linux is an open-source operating system kernel first released by Linus Torvalds in 1991. Inspired by Unix, Linux was designed to be free and customizable, enabling developers and enthusiasts to contribute to its codebase. Over the years, Linux has grown into a widely-used operating system, powering everything from servers and desktops to mobile devices and embedded systems.
Dennis Ritchie and Kim Thomson when created Unix in the 1960s was not open source and people had to pay to use UNIX as it was a close project.
Linux is open source operating system that was created as a hobby by FINISH student Linus Torvald in 1991. Linus while studying at the University of Helsinki saw the MINIX Operating system for which he had to pay and decided to create an alternative, free and open-source version of the MINIX operating system based on UNIX under the GNU Project.
What is Unix?
Unix is a multiuser, multitasking operating system originally developed in the 1970s by AT&T's Bell Labs. It is proprietary and forms the basis of many modern operating systems like macOS, AIX, HP-UX and Solaris.
Key Differences Between Unix and Linux
Origin: Unix was developed in the 1970s by AT&T's Bell Labs, while Linux was created in 1991 by Linux Torvald as a Unix alike OS.
Kernel: Unix Kernel is proprietary and monolithic while Linux's Kernel is Open Source and monolithic
Source Code: Unix is closed source except for some variants like BSD while Linux is Open Source and freely available under GPL License which ensures the freedom to use, modify and distribute the software.
Cost: Commercial versions for Unix are expensive while Linux is free or Low cost with commercial support available
Hardware Support: Unix has limited hardware support, mainly designed for specific systems while Linux has extensive hardware support for wide range of devices
Flavors: We have different flavors for Unix like AIX, HP-UX, Sun Solaris, Free BSD while Linux also have variety of flavors like Ubuntu, CentoOS, Fedora Arch Linux, RHEL.
Security: Unix is generally considered robust but depends on Vendor's update while in Linux, we have security patches frequently due to open development and open source.
File System: Unix has proprietary file systems like UFS, JFS while Linux support modern file systems like ext4, XFS, ZFS, BTRFS.
Customization: Unix has limited Customization and it depends upon Vendor while Linux is highly customizable due to it's open source nature.
Support: Unix has Vendor provided support and it is costly while Linux has huge community and commercial support worldwide.
License: Unix is mostly proprietary, while Linux is open-source and free.
Development: Linux is community-driven, whereas Unix is developed by specific vendors.
Portability: Linux can run on a wide range of hardware, while Unix is generally hardware-specific.
Usage: Linux is widely used in cloud computing, servers, and desktops, whereas Unix is more prevalent in enterprise environments.
Learn More
If you want to learn more about Linux and its history, check out Linux.org