I'm learning off Linux (Ubuntu) right now. I want to move up to Unix, but I don't want to rush like I did when it came to Windows --> to Linux. What is the best Unix OS that fits in pretty well with Ubuntu.

In other words is there kind of an equal Linux with Unix?

Also what do I need to really know about Unix?

Would it be good to do Virtual Box in Linux (Ubuntu) to play around with Unix when starting out?

I'm trying to break my need of a GUI, but I would still build a GUI upon Unix to understand it. I'm just not quite sure on this. I really want an understanding Unix before I make any kind of permanent switch.

Thank you this is not important.

First and foremost, Linux is not UNIX because it says so. The GNU system which Linux is a part of stands for "GNU's Not UNIX". They named GNU that to set it apart from the very expensive commercial UNIX distributions that were dominant at the time.

It's extremely similar. Folders and devices and networking works the same way. Not all the utilities are quite the same, configuration is different, and the kernel's features are still changing as its developers experiment.

On the other hand -- not even all UNIX is alike. It's really not that different.

What do you really need to know about Unix? I'd start with the Bourne shell and the concepts underlying it(directories, files, and so forth). That will be handy no matter where you go in UNIX and LINUX. You can boot an OS in virtualbox, install another hard drive and dual-boot, boot a Linux livecd for an environment that's hard to mess up -- it's a CD, you can't delete something by accident. Lots of ways.

BTW: if you'd like to learn something about what UNIX actually is, you could start here: What is UNIX ?
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What should I know when it comes to Linux vs. Unix? How far of a leap is it to really move from Linux to Unix?

Linux (Ubuntu) = Unix (fill in the blank), most likely not going to get a perfect match, but I want something that kind of relates to Ubuntu rather than starting out from pure scratch. If this is even possible.

What are common mistakes or misconceptions when it comes to a beginner taking on Unix?

or even...

What pisses off Unix members the most?

I can't think of anything else like Ubuntu. It's not even like most Linux.

The rest of those questions are too vague to give useful answers to unfortunately.

How the many, many different kinds of UNIX and Linux are alike is the environment they provide to application programmers. The Bourne shell and a clutter of standard utilities to use with it. The open() close() socket() system calls. Standard input and output streams for processes. Device files under /dev/. The standard C library. Filesystems with a root at / and other partitions mounted wherever appropriate instead of drive letters, etc, etc, etc.

How you manage these systems, though, can be very different.

Would Ubuntu be a bad choice if I plan on moving to Unix? Could I just install Unix and have it running in some sort of environment?

Can I just take a CD and download Unix then set it up? If so where do I end up on start?

I guess I should be asking. Could I just dive right into Unix and play around with it?

There is no "UNIX" to download. UNIX is to operating systems what the IEEE is to electrical sockets. It's a definition, not an actual thing. If an OS has certain features provided in a certain way, it can be certified as a UNIX one.

UNIX includes BSD, Solaris, OSX, IRIX, QNX, HP-UX, AIX, and hosts of others. Many of these can't run on a standard PC.