UNIX for Dummies Questions & Answers

Hello everyone. This is an awesome forum. Glad to have joined!

I use Linux mostly, even for Desktop usage. I just love everything about it, all the way down to how the font looks while browsing. Its just so sleek and sexy.

But I also boot Windows for those programs I just need that only run on it. But the whole thing is just so sloppy.. :/

Anyways,
I am curious about Unix operating systems. I have been getting really interested in them and I don't have much experience with them at all... The only one I have experience with is Solaris.
Now that being said, is Solaris a Unix operating System or Unix-like?

So I am interested in learning of some Unix operating systems that run on an x86, x86_64 bit processors.
The more and more I research them, they mostly all only run on processors that the company that made the OS created. Like sparc, mips, etc.

The only ones I have found so far that run on x86 processors are:
Solaris
BSD's
SCO OpenServer (This one has really caught my attention recently! So awesome! and a KDE gui!!)


Any others that I don't know of yet? Besides linux, and OSX86 of coarse..



I appreciate the help.
Take care!

Solaris is a Unix. Not x86_64, but HP-UX went from PA-Risc processors to Intel Itanium (which was originally its own design, granted).

What hardware do you have (not just the processor)?

Well I have many systems.. Why is the hardware important, may I ask?

My most used is of coarse my laptop.
A cheaper Compaq Presario CQ56
2gb ram
500gb HDD
Intel Celeron 900

many custom servers, all with different hardware, but all having Intel processors.
all have dual xeons.
a lot of different specs,
Mostly supermicro motherboards,
anywhere from 500GB to 2TB HDD space.

Plus ALL my systems run different OS's mainly..
I have four that run CentOS looking forward to upgrading to either Red Hat Enterprise Linux if I manage to spend that much on them, or ill see how the new AcendOS and GoOSe Enterprise Linux Server distros look when they come out.
I have other boxes that run SuSE Linux Enterprise Server, Mandriva Enterprise Linux, Elastix, OpenBSD, FreeNAS, OpenIndiana, Zerowall, pfSense, and Solaris.
looking forward to running others as well...
I just love different systems.


Looking to get an old Sparc server from the now novell acquired Sun Microsystems. They sell for extremely cheap second hand on eBay. So I would like to get a couple of those for a solaris rack. Anyone heard of the new SmartOS from Joyent? Amazing set up.. Amazing! I may just dedicate them to that! But well see.

So I guess you could add that to the list. Sparc processors. But like I said I would want to mainly focus on x86 processors if possible.


@Scrutinizer
Thanks. that's cool to know.
Isn't HP-UX discontinued? I think that was the first Unix system I looked into. I thought they discontinued that in favour of switching their focus to Linux.
I don't have a Itanium processor unfortunately but I think it would be nice to have at least one machine with one IA. I will look into getting on on eBay as well if I manage to find one cheap enough.



So is there any others ??

Thanks for everything so far.

SCO will run on almost all Compaq machines, Search HP's web site for drivers and the Compaq EFS (extended feature supplement)
The Intel ICH7 through ICH10 Raid controllers are not supported.
You can check the Approved Hardware list here SCO |

awesome.
Thanks.
Thats really cool, cuz I would love to play around with OpenServer before employing it to a serious server environment.
I wonder if I could dual boot it though... :/
I bet that will be a complicated one...

That being said, does that include UnixWare? Whats peoples thoughts on that?
Also am I missing any besides UnixWare and OpenServer?

Openserver 5 series are 32 bit and based on Unix System 5 version 3.2.
Unixware is based on Unix system 5 version 4.0
Openserver 6.0 is the Openserver 5 series user interface with the Unixware kernel.
Dual boot with what? Easy with an operating system that does not use the same partition id. The SCO (5 series and older) boot loader will allow booting another partition, if that OS will boot while its partition is not active.
You can install SCO temporarily using the 60 day license.