Unix-like operating systems

Unix-like operating systems are a family of operating systems that share common design principles and adhere to established standards, most notably the Portable Operating System Interface (POSIX), derived from the original AT&T Unix. They are characterized by a powerful command-line interface, a…

Key facts

First appeared
1969
Category
technology
Problem solved
The original Unix, and subsequently Unix-like systems, aimed to solve the problems of complex, expensive, and non-portable operating systems of the late 1960s, such as MULTICS. It provided a simpler, more efficient, and highly portable interactive multi-user computing environment suitable for minicomputers, facilitating research and software development with its elegant design and powerful toolset.
Platforms
RISC-V, ARM, PowerPC, Alpha, HP PA-RISC, MIPS, SPARC, x86-64, IBM Z (mainframe)

Related technologies

Notable users

  • Netflix
  • Microsoft (Azure, WSL)
  • Universities and Research Institutions
  • Government agencies
  • Meta (Facebook)
  • Red Hat
  • Google
  • Amazon Web Services (AWS)
  • Apple
  • IBM