| "I know that Linux is an alternative to the | | | | UNIXWare.So, Ummm... What About Linux?Today, |
| Microsoft Windows operating system, but when | | | | there are lots of Unix variants sold or given |
| and where did it originate, and why is it | | | | away by many different companies and |
| free?"A Really Brief History of UnixSometime | | | | universities. While these various flavors can |
| in the mid 1960s, a bunch of geeks at AT&T's | | | | make it difficult to write portable software, |
| Bell Labs decided it would be fun to create a | | | | efforts to standardize Unix (two of the more |
| new operating system called Multics. (This | | | | notable ones being POSIX and COSE) offer hope |
| was no small task, because computers at the | | | | for greater compatibility in the future.In |
| time were about the size of a football field | | | | the early 90s, a geek named Linus Torvalds at |
| and two stories high.) Multics fizzled in | | | | the University of Helsinki in Finland thought |
| 1969 when Bell cut the cord, but some of the | | | | it would be fun to write a PC-based Unix |
| geeks continued work on what became known as | | | | kernel from scratch, without using any of the |
| UNIX; and it became wildly popular inside | | | | original AT&T UNIX code. This kernel, with |
| AT&T.Since AT&T was not allowed to sell | | | | the addition of open source unix utility |
| computer software at the time, it gave away | | | | programs from the GNU Project, became known |
| UNIX (complete with source code) to any | | | | as Linux.Because of that (and because the |
| educational institution that wanted it. AT&T | | | | author is a nice guy), Linux is free. You can |
| produced new versions of UNIX called System | | | | obtain the source code, modify, sell or give |
| III and System V in the early 1980s, but all | | | | away the software so long as you provide full |
| the while, geeks at the University of | | | | source code and don't impose any restrictions |
| California at Berkeley and other places were | | | | on what others do with it.For more |
| busy hacking away on their own versions of | | | | information on Linux history and commands, |
| Unix based on the AT&T code.Some | | | | see the LowFatLinux tutorial.BOB RANKIN... is |
| cross-pollination did occur, but there are | | | | a tech writer and computer programmer who |
| still significant differences between the | | | | enjoys exploring the Internet and sharing the |
| Berkeley (commonly called BSD Unix) and AT&T | | | | fruit of his experience with others. His work |
| flavors. In the early 1990s, AT&T sold UNIX | | | | has appeared in ComputerWorld, NetGuide, and |
| to Novell, which was bought by Digital | | | | NY Newsday. Bob is publisher of the Internet |
| Equipment Corporation, which sold it to SCO | | | | TOURBUS newsletter, author of several |
| (Santa Cruz Operation), which markets it as | | | | computer books, and creator of the website. |