Unix vs. Windows: A Competitive History and Future
Microsoft Windows and Unix are two major classes of operating systems. The Unix computer operating system has been in use for more than three decades. Originally it rose from the ashes of a failed attempt in the early 1960s to develop a reliable timesharing operating system. A few survivors from Bell Labs did not give up and developed a system that provided a work environment described as "of unusual simplicity, power, and elegance".
Since the 1980's Unix's main competitor, Windows has gained popularity due the steadily increasing power of micro-computers with Intel-compatible processors (CPUs), which is the platform that Windows was designed for. In recent years, however, a new version of Unix called Linux, also specifically developed for micro-computers, has emerged. It can be obtained for free and is therefore a lucrative choice for individuals and businesses on a budget.
On the server front, Unix has been closing in on Microsoft’s market share. In 1999, Linux scooted past Novell's Netware to become the No. 2 server operating system behind Windows NT. In 2001 the market share for the Linux operating system was 25 percent; other Unix flavors 12 percent. On the client front, Microsoft is currently dominating the operating system market with over 90% market share.
Because of Microsoft’s aggressive marketing practices, millions of users who have no idea what an operating system is have been using Windows operating systems given to them when they purchased their PCs. Many others simply are not aware that there are operating systems other than Windows. You, on the other hand, are here reading this article, and probably trying to make conscious OS decisions for home use or for your organizations. In that case, you should at least give Unix your consideration, especially if the following is relevant in your environment.
Since the 1980's Unix's main competitor, Windows has gained popularity due the steadily increasing power of micro-computers with Intel-compatible processors (CPUs), which is the platform that Windows was designed for. In recent years, however, a new version of Unix called Linux, also specifically developed for micro-computers, has emerged. It can be obtained for free and is therefore a lucrative choice for individuals and businesses on a budget.
On the server front, Unix has been closing in on Microsoft’s market share. In 1999, Linux scooted past Novell's Netware to become the No. 2 server operating system behind Windows NT. In 2001 the market share for the Linux operating system was 25 percent; other Unix flavors 12 percent. On the client front, Microsoft is currently dominating the operating system market with over 90% market share.
Because of Microsoft’s aggressive marketing practices, millions of users who have no idea what an operating system is have been using Windows operating systems given to them when they purchased their PCs. Many others simply are not aware that there are operating systems other than Windows. You, on the other hand, are here reading this article, and probably trying to make conscious OS decisions for home use or for your organizations. In that case, you should at least give Unix your consideration, especially if the following is relevant in your environment.
Advantages of Unix
- Unix is more flexible and can be installed on many different types of machines, including main-frame computers, supercomputers and micro-computers.
- Unix is more stable and does not go down as often as Windows does, therefore requires less administration and maintenance.
- Unix has greater built-in security and permissions features than Windows.
- Unix possesses much greater processing power than Windows.
- Unix is the leader in serving the Web. About 90% of the Internet relies on Unix operating systems running on Apache, the world’s most widely used Web server, which is free.
- Software upgrades from Microsoft often require the user to purchase new or more hardware or prerequisite software. That is not the case with Unix.
- The mostly free or inexpensive open-source operating systems, such as Linux and BSD, with their flexibility and control, prove to be very attractive to (aspiring) computer wizards. Many of the smartest programmers are developing state-of-the-art software free of charge for the fast growing "open-source movement”.
- Unix also inspires novel approaches to software design, such as solving problems by interconnecting simpler tools instead of creating large monolithic application programs.
Remember, no one single type of operating system can offer universal answers to all your computing needs. It is about having choices and making educated decisions
.
Why UNIX?
- Unix is more flexible and can be installed on many different types of machines, including main-frame computers, supercomputers and micro-computers.
- Unix is more stable and does not go down as often as Windows does, therefore requires less administration and maintenance.
- Unix has greater built-in security and permissions features than Windows.
- Unix possesses much greater processing power than Windows.
- Unix is the leader in serving the Web. About 90% of the Internet relies on Unix operating systems running on Apache, the world’s most widely used Web server, which is free.
- Software upgrades from Microsoft often require the user to purchase new or more hardware or prerequisite software. That is not the case with Unix.
- The mostly free or inexpensive open-source operating systems, such as Linux and BSD, with their flexibility and control, prove to be very attractive to (aspiring) computer wizards. Many of the smartest programmers are developing state-of-the-art software free of charge for the fast growing "open-source movement”.
- Unix also inspires novel approaches to software design, such as solving problems by interconnecting simpler tools instead of creating large monolithic application programs.
Remember, no one single type of operating system can offer universal answers to all your computing needs. It is about having choices and making educated decisions
.
Why UNIX?
UNIX is an operating system (suite of programs), originally developed in 1969 at Bell Labs and has been under development ever since. UNIX is a very popular operating system for many reasons, including:
- multi user (multiple users can log in to a computer at the same time, and use concurrently the resources of that computer).
- multi-tasking (each user can perform many tasks at the same time).
- network-ready (built-in TCP /IP networking makes easy to communicate between computers).
- very powerful programming environments (free of the many limits imposed by other operating systems).
- robust and stable.
- scalable, portable, flexible.
- open source.
UNIX systems also have a graphical user interface (GUI) similar to Microsoft Windows which provides an easy to use environment. However, knowledge of UNIX is required for operations which aren't covered by a graphical program, or for when there is no windows interface available (for example, in a telnet session).
UNIX at a glance
UNIX consists of three main components: kernel, shell, and programs.
- KERNEL: hub of the operating system.
- SHELL: command line interpreter.
- PROGRAMS: collections of operations.
Each component has specific roles:
- KERNEL: it allocates time and memory to programs and handles the filestore and communications in response to system calls.
- SHELL: it interprets the commands the user types in and arranges for them to be carried out.
- PROGRAM: execute a set of predefined operations.
As an illustration of the way the shell and the kernel work together, suppose a user types the following command:
#rm -fr myfile
Internally,
1-The shell searches the filestore for the file containing the program rm.
2-The shell requests to the kernel, through system calls, to execute the program rm on myfile.
3-When the process has finished running, the shell returns the UNIX prompt to the user, indicating that it is waiting for further commands.
What
is Linux and why is it so popular?
Every desktop computer uses an operating system. The most popular operating systems in use today are:
- Windows
- Mac OS
- UNIX
Linux is an operating system -- very much like UNIX -- that has become very popular over the last several years.
Operating systems are computer programs. An operating system is the first piece of software that the computer executes when you turn the machine on. The operating system loads itself into memory and begins managing the resources available on the computer. It then provides those resources to other applications that the user wants to execute. Typical services that an operating system provides include:
- A task scheduler - The task scheduler is able to allocate the execution of the CPU to a number of different tasks. Some of those tasks are the different applications that the user is running, and some of them are operating system tasks. The task scheduler is the part of the operating system that lets you print a document from your word processor in one window while you are downloading a file in another window and recalculating a spreadsheet in a third window.
- A memory manager - The memory manager controls the system's RAM and normally creates a largervirtual memory space using a file on the hard disk. (See also this Question of the Day.)
- A disk manager - The disk manager creates and maintains the directories and files on the disk. When you request a file, the disk manager brings it in from the disk.
- A network manager - The network manager controls all data moving between the computer and thenetwork.
- Other I/O services manager - The OS manages the keyboard, mouse, video display, printers, etc.
- Security manager - The OS maintains the security of the information in the computer's files and controls who can access the computer.
An operating system normally also provides the default user interface for the system. The standard "look" of Windows 98 includes the Start button, the task bar, etc. The Mac OS provides a completely different look and feel for Macintosh computers.
Linux is as much a phenomenon as it is an operating system. To understand why Linux has become so popular, it is helpful to know a little bit about its history. The first version of UNIX was originally developed several decades ago and was used primarily as a research operating system in universities. High-powered desktop workstations from companies like Sun proliferated in the 1980s, and they were all based on UNIX. A number of companies entered the workstation field to compete against Sun: HP, IBM, Silicon Graphics, Apollo, etc. Unfortunately, each one had its own version of UNIX and this made the sale of software difficult. Windows NT was Microsoft's answer to this marketplace. NT provides the same sort of features as UNIX operating systems -- security, support for multiple CPUs, large-scale memory and disk management, etc. -- but it does it in a way that is compatible with most Windows applications.
The entry of Microsoft into the high-end workstation arena created a strange dynamic. The proprietary operating systems owned by separate companies and the lack of a central authority in the UNIX world weaken UNIX, but many people have personal problems with Microsoft. Linux stepped into this odd landscape and captured a lot of attention.
The Linux kernel, created by Linus Torvalds, was made available to the world for free. Torvalds then invited others to add to the kernel provided that they keep their contributions free. Thousands of programmers began working to enhance Linux, and the operating system grew rapidly. Because it is free and runs on PC platforms, it gained a sizeable audience among hard-core developers very quickly. Linux has a dedicated following and appeals to several different kinds of people:
- People who already know UNIX and want to run it on PC-type hardware
- People who want to experiment with operating system principles
- People who need or want a great deal of control over their operating system
- People who have personal problems with Microsoft
In general, Linux is harder to manage than something like Windows, but offers more flexibility and configuration options.
Why Unix Is
Superior?
As an illustration of the way the shell and the kernel work together, suppose a user types the following command:
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