What is Linux and Unix shell?

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Today Linux is in great demand. You can see the use of Linux everywhere. It's dominating on our servers, desktop, smartphones and even used in some electrical devices like refrigerators.

Some people think Unix and Linux as synonyms, but that's not true. Many operating systems were developed to be like Unix but none of them got the popularity as Linux. Linux is the clone of Unix. It has several features similar to Unix, still have some key differences. Before Linux and Windows, computer world was dominated by Unix. Unix is a copyrighted name and IBM AIX, HP-UX and Sun Solaris are only Unix operating system remained till date.


Difference between Linux and Unix

ComparisonLinuxUnix
Definition It is an open-source operating system which is freely available to everyone. It is an operating system which can be only used by its copyrighters.
Examples It has different distros like Ubuntu, Redhat, Fedora, etc IBM AIX, HP-UX and Sun Solaris.
Users Nowadays, Linux is in great demand. Anyone can use Linux whether a home user, developer or a student. It was developed mainly for servers, workstations and mainframes.
Usage Linux is used everywhere from servers, PC, smartphones, tablets to mainframes and supercomputers. It is used in servers, workstations and PCs.
Cost Linux is freely distributed,downloaded, and distributed through magazines also. And priced distros of Linux are also cheaper than Windows. Unix copyright vendors decide different costs for their respective Unix Operating systems.
Development As it is open source, it is developed by sharing and collaboration of codes by world-wide developers. Unix was developed by AT&T Labs, various commercial vendors and non-profit organizations.
Manufacturer Linux kernel is developed by the community of developers from different parts of the world. Although the father of Linux, Linus Torvalds oversees things. Unix has three distributions IBM AIX, HP-UX and Sun Solaris. Apple also uses Unix to make OSX operating system.
GUI Linux is command based but some distros provide GUI based Linux. Gnome and KDE are mostly used GUI. Initially it was command based OS, but later Common Desktop Environment was created. Most Unix distributions use Gnome.
Interface The default interface is BASH (Bourne Again SHell). But some distros have developed their own interfaces. It originally used Bourne shell. But is also compatible with other GUIs.
File system support Linux supports more file system than Unix. It also supports file system but lesser than Linux.
Coding Linux is a Unix clone,behaves like Unix but doesn't contain its code. Unix contain a completely different coding developed by AT&T Labs.
Operating system Linux is just the kernel. Unix is a complete package of Operating system.
Security It provides higher security. Linux has about 60-100 viruses listed till date. Unix is also highly secured. It has about 85-120 viruses listed till date
Error detection and solution As Linux is open-source,whenever a user post any kind of threat, developers from all over the world start working on it. And hence, it provides faster solution. In Unix, users have to wait for some time for the problem to be resolved.

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    Linux is an operating system which was developed by Linus Torvalds in 1991. The name “Linux” originates from the Linux kernel. It is an open-source software which is completely free to use. It is used for computer hardware and software, game development, mainframes, etc. It can run various client programs. 

    Unix is a portable, multi-tasking, bug-fixing, multi-user operating system developed by AT&T. It started as a one-man venture under the initiative of Ken Thompson of Bell Labs. It proceeded to turn out to become the most widely used operating system. It is used in web servers, workstations, and PCs. Many business applications are accessible in it. 

    LinuxUnix
    Linux is Open Source, and a large number of programmers work together online and contribute to its development.Unix was developed by AT&T Labs, different commercial vendors, and non-profit organizations.
    It is an open-source operating system which is freely accessible to everyone.It is an operating system which can be only utilized by its copywriters.
    Threat recognition and solution is very fast because Linux is mainly community-driven. So, if any Linux client poses any sort of threat, a team of qualified developers starts working to resolve this threat.Unix clients require longer hold up time, to get the best possible bug fixing patch.
    It supports more file systems than Unix.It also supports file systems but relatively lesser than Linux.
    File system supports – Ext2, Ext3, Ext4, Jfs, ReiserFS, Xfs, Btrfs, FAT, FAT32, NTFS File system supports – jfs, gpfs, hfs, hfs+, ufs, xfs, zfs
    Linux provides two GUIs, KDE and Gnome. But there are many other options. For example, LXDE, Xfce, Unity, Mate, and so on.Initially, Unix was a command-based OS, however later a GUI was created called Common Desktop Environment. Most distributions now ship with Gnome.
    It is used everywhere from servers, PCs, smartphones, tablets to mainframes.It is used in servers, workstations, and PCs.
    The default interface is BASH (Bourne Again Shell).It initially used Bourne shell. But is also compatible with other GUIs.
    Anybody can use Linux whether a home client, developer or a student.Developed mainly for servers, workstations, and mainframes.
    The source is accessible to the general public.The source is not accessible to the general public.
    Originally developed for Intel’s x86 hardware processors. It is available for more than twenty different types of CPU which also includes an ARM.It is available on PA-RISC and Itanium machines.
    It has about 60-100 viruses listed to date.It has about 85-120 viruses listed to date (rough estimate).
    Some Linux versions are Ubuntu, Debian GNU, Arch Linux, etc.Some Unix versions are SunOS, Solaris, SCO UNIX, AIX, HP/UX, ULTRIX, etc.

    Interesting Facts:

    • Linux is only the kernel, and is not the full system that is used.
    • More than 90% of current Linux source code is composed by other developers.
    • Initially, Linux was compiled using GNU C compiler.
    • There are more than 10 Linux-based Mobile operating Systems like Sailfish OS, Ubuntu Touch, Ubuntu Mobile, etc.
    • Linux is used by every major space program.
    • Nine out of top ten public clouds run on Linux.

    Is Unix shell the same as Linux?

    When we compare Unix to Linux, Linux default shell is BASH while the Unix shell is Bourne Shell. One key Unix and Linux difference is that Linux threat detection and solution are very fast while Unix users require longer wait times to get the proper bug fixing patch.

    What is the difference Unix and Linux?

    Linux is an open-source operating system. This OS is supported on several computer platforms and includes multiple software features that handle computer resources, and allow you to do tasks. Unix is a powerful and multitasking operating system that behaves like a bridge between the user and the computer.