The Answer Guy

Linux is {Now|Not} UNIX

From Mark Hugo on Fri, 05 May 2000

Jim:

I hope this doesn't make me sound too ignorent. Is it possible to get a Unix system (Not a Linux) on a PC?

I have a potential job opportunity if I have some Unix "experience". Is there a simulator available for a PC? Are Linux and Unix similar enough to learn on RedHat Linux? Or are they too different?

Mark Hugo, Mpls, MN

Linux is the best UNIX "simulator" for the PC.

Linux is similar enough to other forms of UNIX for over 90% of the work you would do as a sysadmin and over 80% of what you'd be doing in the course of normal (applications level) programming.

You can also get a variety of other forms of UNIX for the PC: FreeBSD (https://www.freebsd.org) and its ilk (NetBSD https://www.netbsd.org, BSDI/OS https://www.bsdi.com, and OpenBSD https://www.openbsd.com), Solaris/x86 (https://www.sunsoft.com) and SCO "OpenDesktop" and Unixware (https://www.sco.com).

Most of these are free. All have versions that are "free for personal use."

BTW: The fact that your experience is limited to PCs is more likely to be a problem than the fact that you only have Linux experience. PCisms are worse in many regards then the differences between PCs and other forms of UNIX.

Also note that Linux is not just for PCs anymore. There are versions that run on Alpha, PowerPC (Macintosh and other), SPARC and other platforms.

Copyright © 2000, James T. Dennis
Published in The Linux Gazette Issue 54 June 2000

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