Unix


Your Mac runs Unix. If it runs OS X, but most Mac's do these days. Actually it does not matter that it runs Unix, since you don't have to deal with it. But since this site is about the OS X Terminal, sorry, shell, and how to use it, a couple of words about Unix might be helpful. A more complete history about Unix can be found as usual at the Wikipedia

In the beginning of the seventies a couple of guys developed something that would be called 'Unix'. Many other operating systems existed at the time, but only Unix has survived the way it did. Operating systems based on unix have the second biggest market share after Windows based systems. In many areas Unix systems are the only choice.

What made Unix different so that it survived so well?

- Unix was made by people. Corporations played a role, but all initiatives came from people and their passion for computers

- Unix was widely used in Universities. Lot's of people had access to it, who were were able to change it and make additions to it.

- Unix tools are small items that could be recombined easily.

- Unix was flexible enough to pick up new concepts: Networks, for instance, got introduced when Unix had been around for years. Adding network support was not a problem.

- Since no hardware company was behind it, it got adopted on any hardware imaginable. There is even a version for iPods.

- Since no software company was behind it (ok, that's a simplification) it could be used in all sorts of applications.


Whatever it was in the end. It worked: Unix has been around for thirty five years, and it probably will be in anohter thirty five years when people might find the thought that somebody would run something like Windows very very amusing.

Here on these pages we care mostly about the commands and tools that you get on any unix system, including your Mac. There is much more to Unix. The command set is kind of standardized. The nice thing about OS X is that it's a defined toolset. The internet is full with possible add ons, but I will only use tools here that are available under OS X.






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