Unix History

Unix Timeline
Below, you can see the preview of the Unix History (click on the white zone to get a bigger image):
1969198019851990199519992001200320042005index

This is a simplified diagram of unix history. There are numerous derivative systems not listed in this chart, maybe 10 times more! In the recent past, many electronic companies had their own unix releases. This diagram is only the tip of an iceberg, with a penguin on it ;-).
If you want to print this timeline, you can download one of the following files:
Printer using A4 paper
Printer using Letter paper
PlotterIf you have some problem
with the EPS file, lookhere.
Here is the index of the Unix History :
Printer using A4 paper
Printer using Letter paper
Here is theChangeLog of this history.
If you have put this diagram on the wall of your office and have taken a photo of it, please send me a copy and I‘ll put it on thispage. ;-)
Note 1 : an arrow indicates an inheritance like a compatibility, it is not only a matter of source code.
Note 2 : this diagram shows complete systems and [micro]kernels like Mach, Linux, the Hurd... This is because sometimes kernel versions are more appropriate to see the evolution of the system.
Note 3 : I have now apage where I explain how I build this chart.
Some Home Pages :

Brian Kernighan  Dennis Ritchie  Ken Thompson  Bill Joy  Steve Jobs*  Linus Torvalds  Richard Stallman
You can also findhere some unix people.
You may be wondering "Why does Steve Jobs appear in this unix history?". Simply because he has made the best unix computer ever : a NeXTcube powered with NeXTSTEP operating system. And now :Mac OS X.
Some Unixes :
Here is a listing of the unixes that are present in my chart :
1BSD
2BSD
3BSD
4BSD
4.4BSD Lite 1
4.4BSD Lite 2
386 BSD
Acorn RISC iX
Acorn RISC Unix
AIX
AIX PS/2
AIX/370
AIX/6000
AIX/ESA
AIX/RT
AMiX
AOS Lite
AOS Reno
ArchBSD
ASV
Atari Unix
A/UX
BOS
BRL Unix
BSD Net/1
BSD Net/2
BSD/386
BSD/OS
CB Unix
Chorus
Chorus/MiX
Coherent
CTIX
CXOS
Darwin
Debian GNU/Hurd
DEC OSF/1 ACP
Digital Unix
DragonFly BSD
Dynix
Dynix/ptx
ekkoBSD
Eunice
FireFly BSD
FreeBSD
GNU
GNU-Darwin
GnuppixGNU/Hurd-L4
HPBSD
HP-UX
HP-UX BLS
IBM AOS
IBM IX/370
Interactive 386/ix
Interactive IS
IRIX
Linux
Lites
LSX
Mac OS X
Mac OS X Server
Mach
MERT
MicroBSD
Mini Unix
Minix
Minix-VMD
MIPS OS
MirBSD
Mk Linux
Monterey
more/BSD
mt Xinu
MVS/ESA OpenEdition
NetBSD
NeXTSTEP
NonStop-UX
Open Desktop
Open UNIX
OpenBSD
OpenServer
OpenSolaris
OPENSTEP
OS/390 OpenEdition
OS/390 Unix
OSF/1
PC/IX
Plan 9
PWB
PWB/UNIX
QNX
QNX RTOS
QNX/Neutrino
QUNIX
ReliantUnix
Rhapsody
RISC iX
RT
SCO UNIX
SCO UnixWare
SCO Xenix
SCO Xenix System V/386
Security-Enhanced Linux
Silver OS
Sinix
Sinix ReliantUnix
Solaris
SPIX
SunOS
Triance OS
Tru64 Unix
Trusted IRIX/B
Trusted Solaris
Trusted Xenix
TS
UCLA Locus
UCLA Secure Unix
Ultrix
Ultrix 32M
Ultrix-11
Unicos
Unicos/mk
Unicos/mp
Unicox-max
UNICS
UNIX 32V
UNIX Interactive
UNIX System III
UNIX System IV
UNIX System V
UNIX System V Release 2
UNIX System V Release 3
UNIX System V Release 4
UNIX System V/286
UNIX System V/386
UNIX Time-Sharing System
UnixWare
UNSW
USG
Venix
Xenix OS
Xinu
xMach
z/OS Unix System Services
Here is now some unixes that are not [yet] in my chart. Some web sites have listed them, likethis site orthis site. If you want to find more unixes, tryGoogle :-)ABCenix
ACIX
AD
Altos System V
ARIX
AurOS
BOS/X
C Executive
CLIX
Consensys Unix
Concentrix
ConvexOS
CPIX
Cromix
CX/UX
DC/OSx
Dell Unix
DG/UX
DISTRIX
DNIX
DomainOS
DRM System
DTIX
DVIX
ENIX
EP/IX
Esix SVR4
Eurix
FOR:PRO
FreeMiNT
FTX
Genix
HCR
Helios
HEP-UPX
HI-UX
IDRIS
INOS
LSX
LynxOS
MachTen
MacMach
MAXION/OS
MCS
Micronix
Microport SVR4
MicroPort Unix
MMOS
MP-RAS UNIX
MST UNIX
Munix
NachOS
NCR Unix
NDIX
News-OS
Oasis
ONIX
OPUS
OS 9
OS/MP
OSx
PC-BSD
PC/IX
PCUNIX
PNX
QNIX
Regulus
RT/EMT
RTUX
SORIX
Sphinx
SPP-UX
Stellix
SUNIX
Super-UX
System B
Thix
TI System V
TNIX
Topix
TOS
UHC Unix
Umax
UniPlus
Uniq
Unisis
Unity
UNOS
UTEK
UTS
UTX/32S
UX
UXP/DS
UZIX
VM/IX
VOLVIX
Xoftnix
Zeus
Some useful UNIX links :
The Creation of the UNIX Operating System from Lucent.The Unix Oral History Project from Bell Laboratories.An Oral History of Unix from Princeton.UNIX Past from The Open Group.The Unix Heritage Society by Warren Toomey.FreeBSD Release Information from FreeBSD.BSD History Chart from FreeBSD.Formal NetBSD Releases from NetBSD.AIX History from Release to Release from IBM.Darwin/Mac OS X: The Fifth BSD from Applelust.Sun History from SUN.The History of Solaris (PDF) fromUnixEd.The Story Behind the Solaris Operating Environment from SUN.HP-UX History from HP.Unix and Multics by Tom Van Vleck.Unix Start from the University of Georgia.Linux Kernel Archives andLinux HeadQuarters.20 Years of Berkeley Unix by Marshall Kirk McKusick.Operating System Technical Comparison from Milo.Chronology of Events in the History of Microcomputers by Ken Polsson.The BSD Family Tree from TriBUG.Grokline‘s UNIX Ownership History Project.ZwahlenDesign Unix History by Christian Zwahlen.
Histoire de l‘informatique : Unix (in french) by Serge Rossi.
Some links about some UNIX lawsuits :USL vs. BSDI documents fromDennis Ritchie.Liberal license for ancient UNIX sources from Caldera.SCO Files Lawsuit Against IBM from SCO.SCO Suspends Distribution of Linux Pending Intellectual Property Clarification from SCO.OSI Position Paper on the SCO-vs.-IBM Complaint from Open Source Initiative.A History of UNIX and UNIX Licences by Peter Salus.Novell Challenges SCO Position, Reiterates Support for Linux from Novell.Apple in court dispute over Unix from CNet.SCO Announces Immediate Termination of IBM‘s Right to Use and Distribute AIX Software and Files for Permanent Injunction from SCO.SCO Registers UNIX Copyrights and Offers UNIX License from SCO.Red Hat Takes Aim at Infringement Claims from Red Hat.SCO Announces Intellectual Property License for Linux from SCO.IBM‘s counterclaims from IBM.The SCO Group Announces Final Termination of IBM / Sequent‘s Contract to Use or License Dynix Software from SCO.SCO Turns It‘s Attention to SGI from Computer Business.To the Linux Community from SGI.OSDL releases position paper disputing SCO Linux claims from OSDL.Letter from SCO to IBMOpen Letter on Copyrights from SCO.SCO Announces New Initiatives to Enforce Intellectual Property Rights from SCO.Novell‘s Unique Legal Rights from Novell.SCO‘s Notice of Compliance with Court Order of December 12, 2003 (PDF) from SCO.Groklaw‘s New Group Project -- The Timeline Project.
Some links :
Non-Unix OS timeline by Patrick Mulvany.
My other links :
Computer Languages History.Unix Hierarchy (an old paper).NeXT History (in french).Windows History.Another Chart In The Wall.
Last update : september 19, 2005
Please send comment to蓃ic L関閚ez
The address of this page ishttp://www.levenez.com/unix/.
You can freely use this diagram for non-commercial purpose.
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