Jan. '00 Headlines

Unix is an operating system that was developed at the end of the  "Multics" era; an operating system envisioned by AT&T to allow multiple computers to communicate and work together.  When the Multics project  started fading away in 1969, Ken Thompson (one of the former Multics engineers)  created a single user system of his own.  Lo and behold, the system he created would later spawn into an OS that would allow multiple workstations to communicate with each other and exchange data. 

These computers would operate simultaneously, operate across time zones (via TCP/IP) and would have multiple users working on the same project.  Unix systems incorporate such features as electronic mail, computer  networks, and a great deal of third party programs designed to take  advantage of the OS for productivity purposes.  Unix operating systems  all have two important characteristics-- they include multitasking (the  ability to run multiple programs at once) and multi-user timesharing  systems (the ability to support one or more users at once).

 Unix has evolved as a kind of large freeware product, with many new  ideas provided in a variations of Unix platforms through different companies, universities, and people. 

 Unix is a fully functional operating system, with virtually all the  utilities you have become accustomed to, and more.  Many of the underlying  ideas and philosophies are different from other operating systems,  which leads to differences in the way things are done at the user  level.  But all of the normal commands such as searching, copying, mail, editing, and compiling are there; they just have different  names and different ways of running them.  With the addition of X-Window, Unix machines gained a graphical interface, which allowed the user even more control.  Though this remains just a shell, the preservation of the command line and text-oriented programs are still available.

 The down side of Unix is that it can be very difficult to use for the  inexperienced user.  It is a very complex operating system and unlike  MS DOS, Windows, and Windows 95, requires the user to do most of the  configurations.  However, because of this, an experienced user can make  Unix do virtually anything he wants it to.  Unix comes with all the  source code so the user can actually program or design new programs  into the operating system.  If Unix lacks something an experienced  programmer needs, he can simply write a program for the operating system  to meet the need.

 Unix operating systems are used in widely sold workstation products  from Sun Microsystems, IBM, and a number of other companies.  The Unix environment and the client-server program model were important elements  in the development of the Internet and networks rather than in individual computers. Linux, a Unix "flavor" distributed as free software, is increasing in popularity as an alternative to high-priced operating systems.

With Linux serving as the next generation of Unix-based systems, what will be in store?

Will Unix become the "OS of choice" into the new millennium? The answer to the question is YES. With Microsoft's crash-prone Windows platform and screwy technical support, it's just a matter of time before Windows goes belly up (and Bill Gates as well). But Linux needs to step up to the plate with better driver definitions, and a more friendly graphical user interface. Over time, this will happen, and super-reliable Linux operating system will splurge the market.

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Linux: Is the operating system that great?

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