What is Unix?

Dennis Ritchie (standing) and Ken Thompson working on a PDP-11 minicomputer

Unix is an operating system that can handle multiple users and processes at the same time. Dennis Ritchie and Ken Thompson of AT&T's Bell Labs developed Unix in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Unix forms the basis for Linux, Apple's Mac OSx, Android, and most other tech that you know and love, including all versions of Microsoft Windows. Expand the optional Geek Box below if you want an in-depth look at the many Unix variants over the years.

Geek Box: Origins of Unix (Click to expand)

Flowchart of Unix origins and subsequent variants over the years.

Work in a Unix environment is accomplished through typing in a command line. If you have used the terminal window in Mac OSx or a DOS prompt in Windows, then you are already familiar with this way of computing. If this idea is new to you, fear not - you already execute the same types of commands whenever you save an image, open a program via an icon, and so on. The next section will explain a little more about how a Unix environment is set up and how it compares to a personal computer or smartphone environment.