What is the difference between Linux and UNIX operating systems?
UNIX is copyrighted name only big companies are allowed to use the UNIX copyright and name, so IBM AIX and Sun Solaris and HP-UX all are UNIX operating systems. The Open Group holds the UNIX trademark in trust for the industry, and manages the UNIX trademark licensing program.
Most UNIX systems are commercial in nature.
Linux is a UNIX Clone
But if you consider Portable Operating System Interface (POSIX) standards then Linux can be considered as UNIX. To quote from Official Linux kernel README file:
Linux is a Unix clone written from scratch by Linus Torvalds with assistance from a loosely-knit team of hackers across the Net. It aims towards POSIX compliance.
However, "Open Group" do not approve of the construction "Unix-like", and consider it misuse of their UNIX trademark.
Linux Is Just a Kernel
Linux is just a kernel. All Linux distributions includes GUI system + GNU utilities (such as cp, mv, ls,date, bash etc) + installation & management tools + GNU c/c++ Compilers + Editors (vi) + and various applications (such as OpenOffice, Firefox). However, most UNIX operating systems are considered as complete operating system as everything come from a single source or vendor.
As I said earlier Linux is just a kernel and Linux distribution makes it complete usable operating systems by adding various applications. Most UNIX oses comes with A-Z programs such as editor, compilers etc. For example FreeBSD comes with A-Z programs.
License and cost
Linux is Free (as in beer [freedom]). You can download it from the Internet or redistribute it under GNU licenses. You will see the best community support for Linux. Most UNIX like oses are not free (but this is changing fast, for example OpenSolaris UNIX). However, some Linux distributions such as Redhat / Novell provides additional Linux support, consultancy, bug fixing, and training for additional fees.
User-Friendly
Linux is considered as most user friendly UNIX like os. It makes it easy to install sound card, flash players, and other desktop goodies.
Security Firewall Software
Linux comes with open source netfilter/iptables based firewall tool to protect your server and desktop from the crackers and hackers. UNIX operating systems comes with its own firewall product (for example Solaris UNIX comes with ipfilter based firewall) or you need to purchase a 3rd party software such as Checkpoint UNIX firewall.
Backup and Recovery Software
UNIX and Linux comes with different set of tools for backing up data to tape and other backup media. However, both of them share some common tools such as tar, dump/restore, cpio etc.
End User Perspective
The differences are not that big for the average end user. They will use the same shell (e.g. bash or ksh) and other development tools such as Perl or Eclipse development tool.
System Administrator Perspective
Again, the differences are not that big for the system administrator. However, you may notice difference while performing the following operations:
- Installation procedure
- Hardware device names
- Various admin commands or utilities
- Software RAID device and mirroring
- Logical volume management
- Package management
- Patch management
UNIX Operating System Names
A few popular names:
- HP-UX
- IBM AIX
- Sun Solairs
- Mac OS X
- IRIX
Linux Distribution (Operating System) Names
A few popular names:
- Redhat Enterprise Linux
- Fedora Linux
- Debian Linux
- Suse Enterprise Linux
- Ubuntu Linux
Common Things Between Linux & UNIX
Both share many common applications such as:
- GUI, file, and windows managers (KDE, Gnome)
- Shells (ksh, csh, bash)
- Various office applications
- Development tools (perl, php, c, c++)
- Posix interface
A Sample UNIX Desktop Screenshot
A Sample Linux Desktop Screenshot
Further readings:
Following documents or URL should help anyone to get more idea:
- UNIX System Management and Security: Differences between Linux, Solaris, AIX and HP-UX
- 40 years of Unix
(Image credit IRIX and KDE wikipedia articles)
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- Last Updated: 01/10/10






{ 30 comments… read them below or add one }
best & knowledgeble information
Linux is Free (as in beer [freedom])
shouldn’t it be
Linux is Free (as in spreech [freedom])
or
Linux is Free (as in beer [price])?
Yes, you are absolutely correct. Free as in free beer means free of charge. Free as in speech indicates freedom to use, modify and redistribute as you wish, (freedom).
Unix and linux both are multiuser operating system. Unix operating based on CUI(Character User Interface) and does not support pointing device, where as in linux opearating system; adding new features XWindows in Unix operating system and it is based on GUI(Graphical User Interface) i.e., it is like as DOS and Windows
You are doing nice thing here.
Thank you so much
Bye
major diffrent GUI and Kernal
clear n knowledgeble information
Thank you so much for the information.. its clear nd knwldgable..”:-) thank u
Thanks for giving exact differences.Beacase I am searching for exact differences which I get cleared
differences were clear to maximum extent
Unix works on large mainframe computes but linux works on even PC
it was nice explanation … it is not huge but some little bit …
thanq so much
it is very much use to me ……..
thank u for the valuable info’
what is relation b/w linux&unix
what is linux&unix
Great!!!
I gained some valuable knowledge here!!!
But still confused about the origin of these two!!!
I m new to linux using Ubuntu 9.10 >>>
Pls give me some tricks and tips for my Os…
I con’t understand difference between unix and linux why because two operating systems are gui are not?
i con’t understand
Thank you very much :) :) Vivek :)
I have started off with UNIX and i wanted to know the differences b/w UNIX and LINUX , so this post was a nice knowledge for me :) :) :)
thks very educative……
clrearly mention imp… points..
I was really simple and easily understandable.
Thanks.
its very useful…,
All,
Very interesting……
ya i like it :-)
thanks,
I gained some valuable knowledge here!!!
Thanks, dude…!
Needed the info as I’ve just syarted studying these issues…!
Thanks again. :)
thanks a lot…
hw to copy files from one user to another user?
information provides good but if the difference is given diagramaticly it will be more helpfull.
thank ’s.
from N.W.I.E.T.(Dhudike)