Multics project began in 1965, the program, MIT and General Electric Company jointly launched by Bell Labs, (the goal is to develop an interactive, time-sharing operating system with a multi-channel program processing capabilities to replace batch operating system was widely used eventually fail).
UNIX operating system (Dennis Ritchie) was invented by Ken • Thompson (Ken Thompson) and Dennis • Ritchie. Part of its sources of technology can be traced back Multics, Ken • Thompson at Bell Labs researchers led by lessons learned Multics project failed to achieve a time-sharing operating system prototype in 1969 and 1970, the formal system named UNIX.
In 1971-1972, the colleague Ken • Thompson • Dennis Ritchie invented the legend of the C language , which is a software system for the preparation of high-level language, it is the birth of an important milestone in the development of UNIX systems, it declared in the development of the operating system, the assembly language is no longer dominate.
Linux kernel was originally written for a • Linus Torvalds (Linus Torvalds) when he was studying at the University of Helsinki hobbies, when he felt that teaching a mini version of the UNIX operating system Minix too hard to use, so they decided to develop their own an operating system. Linux is a Unix-like operating systems, Unix earlier than Linux, Linux's original intention was to replace UNIX, and optimize the functionality and user experience, so Linux imitate the UNIX (but not copied UNIX source code), making Linux in appearance and interact with UNIX are very similar. The first version released in September 1991, when only 10,000 lines of code. • Linus Torvalds Linux source code without copyright retained, disclosed the code, and invite others together to improve Linux. With Windows and other proprietary operating systems different, Linux open source, anyone can use it for free.
It is estimated that there are only 2% of the Linux core code by Linus Torvalds • I have written, although he still has the Linux kernel (the core of the operating system), and retained a new method to select a new code and need to merge the final determination rights.
Linux and UNIX have a lot in common, simply put, if you have mastered Linux, then it will be very easy to get started using UNIX.
But it also has two big differences:
- Most UNIX systems with hardware supporting, that is to say, most UNIX systems such as AIX, HP-UX, etc. can not be installed on x86 servers and personal computers, and Linux can run on multiple hardware platforms;
- UNIX is a commercial software, while Linux is open source software, is a free, open-source.
Because Unix and Linux operating system has a problem that, although he is very efficient, but more difficult to get started, this is mainly performed by entering the command; there is no access to a computer for most people, it is difficult to learn;
So Bill Gates (Bill Gates) discovered this opportunity, he would painstaking research he created an operating system, called Windows operating system, that is, we now use a lot of computer operating systems.