UNIX for Dummies Questions & Answers

Okay, I'm trying to get this new job and I was told they use Unix based systems, so I'm trying to learn as much as possible. I'm fairly knowledgable about computers and have heard about Unix many times before, but I am not at all familar with it.

So here comes the dumb questions:

What exactly is Unix? (Defination?)

What can it be used for?

What is Solaris?

What is Linux?

What are some basics that I need to know?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

well seeing as im a n00b to UNIX to i can only answer a couple of your questions..


UNIX is basically the OS for mac os X like DOS is to windows however..its better LINUX is a free upgraded version of UNIX so there almost the same thing.. UNIX can be ussed for many things as a text editor and organizer you can print from UNIX and you can see many things like who has accesed your account and even host mini chats over it. some basics for UNIX you probaly should know are the 4 text editors ( for lack of a better term) they are vi, emacs , ed and pico. They all come with there own cool little things. i like using pico for typing anyways also you should know that the command rm can be used to delete or rename

EX: rm test1 (deletes file test1)
or rm test1 test2 (renames test1 to test 2)
to move around in UNIX you can use the cd command for example to move to your bin directory you could type

cd bin. opening files you should be familer with, to open a file just type open filename
as for all your other questions i do not know the answer to, hope that helps good luck

So if Unix it to mac os x, as dos is to windows, how do I access unix from mac os x?

applications to utilitys to terminal that is how you get the shell prompt

Please check out our FAQ section it has answers/referances to all of those types of questions.

Hang on a minute! I think we need to correct some of the information above . . . .

First, Linux is certainly not an "upgraded version" of Unix. It is free, and it is close to Unix (close enough learning Linux teaches you most of what you need to know about Unix). But even Linus Torvalds, the guy who wrote it, would never claim it is an upgraded version. Job postings for Unix are generally talking about the commerical OSes like Solaris, AIX, HP/UX which are older, more stable, more scalable than Linux, and also incredibly expensive.

Second, Unix is not to MacOS what Dos is to Windows. It is true MacOS uses a kernel based on one particular varaiant of Unix. However it is not owned or created by apple, and Unix itself is a much more complicated and "bigger" OS than MacOS as opposed to just a little stub to build off of like Dos was.

Also, rm test1 test 2 does NOT change a filename, it deletes both files test1 and test2! Look out before you wipe out your stuff by using the wrong command. The one you actually want is mv, not rm.

Finally, if you really don't know the answers to those questions you really aren't qualified to get a job working on Unix. Unless it is a very entry-level job like an internship where they intend to give you the training to handle it. If not you probably should look elsewhere. I'm not trying to be mean, just trying to help you avoid getting into a situation where you'll be totally over your head and miserable. If you are interested in Unix, try downloading one of the free Linux versions and working with that for a few weeks to see if it is something you like enough to pursue. That will be the best way to learn and also to decide if a Unix job is something for you.

The main problem with using unix is that just knowing the OS is not enough...

1) You have to know a bit of programming, in one if not a few different programming languages.

2) You have to know about the 3rd party software your company will use for backups/performance management etc...

3) You have to know the proprietary version of UNIX that your company uses which has subtle differences from one version to the next... ie HPUX/Solaris/IBM all handle devices differently.

4) You have to know a bit about networking/disk management/hardware/software/patching/installation of packages

5) and a lot more...


Of course it depends upon your job and how large your company is and how they breakdown the roles of responsibility.


There is a lot more to know than merely "knowing UNIX"...