DEPARTMENT OF SYSTEMS ENGINEERING

UNIVERSITY OF LAGOS, AKOKA

UNIX OPERATING
SYSTEM

By operating system, we mean the suite of

programs which make the computer work. It is
a stable, multi-user, multi-tasking system for
servers, desktops and laptops.

GROUP 4
2/23/2010
 GROUP FOUR (4)

GROUP MEMBERS MATRIC NO.

IMOH EJAYETA .J. 070407021

OKWUDI EMMANUEL .C. 070407038

LAWAL BAYONLE .I. 070407023

ADEYEMO ANJOLA .O. 060407006

ODUKOYA .A. BABAJIDE 060704036

DUROJAIYE OMOTAYO 030704021

LECTURER
ENGR. (MRS) ABDULSALAM
INTRODUCTION

What is UNIX?

UNIX, in computer science is a powerful multiuser, multitasking operating system.

Considered a very powerful operating system, UNIX is written in the C language and can be
installed on virtually any computer.

UNIX was originally developed by Ken Thompson and Dennis Ritchie at AT&T Bell
Laboratories in 1969 for use on minicomputers. In the early 1970s, many universities,
research institutions, and companies began to expand on and improve UNIX. These efforts
resulted in two main versions: BSD UNIX, a version developed at the University of
California at Berkeley, and System V, developed by AT&T and its collaborators.

By operating system, we mean the suite of programs which make the computer work.
It is a stable, multi-user, multi-tasking system for servers, desktops and laptops.

UNIX systems also have a graphical user interface (GUI) similar to Microsoft
Windows which provides an easy to use environment. However, knowledge of UNIX is
required for operations which aren't covered by a graphical program, or for when there is no
windows interface available, for example, in a telnet session. The UNIX system has been
around for a long time, and many people may remember it as it existed in the previous
decades. Many IT professionals who encountered UNIX systems in the past found it
uncompromising. While its power was impressive, its command-line interface required
technical competence, its syntax was not intuitive, and its interface was unfriendly.

Moreover, in the UNIX system's early days, security was virtually nonexistent.
Subsequently, the UNIX system became the first operating system to suffer attacks mounted
over the nascent Internet. As the UNIX system matured, however, the organization of
security shifted from centralized to distributed authentication and authorization systems.

Today, these perceptions are only of historical interest. Now, a single Graphical User
Interface is shipped and supported by all major vendors has replaced command-line syntax,
and security systems, up to and including B1, provide appropriate controls over access to the
UNIX system.

TYPES OF UNIX

There are many different versions of UNIX, although they share common similarities. The
most popular varieties of UNIX are Sun Solaris, GNU/Linux, and MacOS X.
THE OPERATING SYSTEM

An Operating System (OS), in computer science is the basic software that controls a
computer. The operating system has three major functions:

 It coordinates and manipulates computer hardware, such as computer memory,

printers, disks, keyboard, mouse, and monitor
 it organizes files on a variety of storage media, such as floppy disk, hard drive,
compact disc, digital video disc, and tape
 it manages hardware errors and the loss of data.

HOW AN OPERATING SYSTEM WORKS

Operating systems control different computer processes, such as running a

spreadsheet program or accessing information from the computer's memory. One important
process is interpreting commands, enabling the user to communicate with the computer.
Some command interpreters are text oriented, requiring commands to be typed in or to be
selected via function keys on a keyboard. Other command interpreters use graphics and let
the user communicate by pointing and clicking on an icon, an on-screen picture that
represents a specific command. Beginners generally find graphically oriented interpreters
easier to use, but many experienced computer users prefer text-oriented command
interpreters.

Operating systems are either single-tasking or multitasking. The more primitive

single-tasking operating systems can run only one process at a time. For instance, when the
computer is printing a document, it cannot start another process or respond to new commands
until the printing is completed.

All modern operating systems are multitasking and can run several processes
simultaneously. In most computers, however, there is only one central processing unit (CPU;
the computational and control unit of the computer), so a multitasking OS creates the illusion
of several processes running simultaneously on the CPU. The most common mechanism used
to create this illusion is time-slice multitasking, whereby each process is run individually for
a fixed period of time. If the process is not completed within the allotted time, it is suspended
and another process is run. This exchanging of processes is called context switching. The OS
performs the “bookkeeping” that preserves a suspended process. It also has a mechanism,
called a scheduler, that determines which process will be run next. The scheduler runs short
processes quickly to minimize perceptible delay. The processes appear to run simultaneously
because the user's sense of time is much slower than the processing speed of the computer.

Operating systems can use a technique known as virtual memory to run processes that
require more main memory than is actually available. To implement this technique, space on
the hard drive is used to mimic the extra memory needed. Accessing the hard drive is more
time-consuming than accessing main memory, however, so performance of the computer
slows.
 THE UNIX OPERATING SYSTEM

The UNIX operating system runs on the bare hardware, it controls the hardware and
provides the system call interface to all programs. System call allows user programs to create
and manage processes, files and other resources. The UNIX operating system is made up of
three parts;

 the kernel,
 the shell
 the programs.

The Kernel and the Shell

As the shell of a nut provides a protective covering for the kernel inside, a UNIX shell
provides a protective outer covering. When you turn on, or “boot up,” a UNIX-based
computer, the program UNIX is loaded into the computer’s main memory, where it remains
until you shut down the computer. This program, called the kernel, performs many low-level
and system-level functions. The kernel is responsible for interpreting and sending basic
instructions to the computer’s processor. The kernel is also responsible for running and
scheduling processes and for carrying out all input and output. The kernel is the heart of a
UNIX system. There is one and only one kernel. As you might suspect from the critical
nature of the kernel’s responsibilities, the instructions to the kernel are complex and highly
technical. To protect the user from the complexity of the kernel, and to protect the kernel
from the shortcomings of the user, a protective shell is built around the kernel. The user
makes requests to a shell, which interprets them, and passes them on to the kernel. The
remainder of this section explains how this outer layer is built.

Once the kernel is loaded to memory, it is ready to carry out user requests. First, though, a
user must log in and make a request. For a user to log in, however, the kernel must know who
the user is and how to communicate with him. To do this, the kernel invokes two special
programs, getty and login. For every user port—usually referred to as a tty—the kernel
invokes the getty program. This process is called spawning. The getty program displays a
login prompt and continuously monitors the communication port for any type of input that it
assumes is a user name.

The kernel

The kernel of UNIX is the hub of the operating system: it allocates time and memory to
programs and handles the file store and communications in response to system calls. As an
illustration of the way that the shell and the kernel work together, suppose a user types rm
myfile (which has the effect of removing the file myfile). The shell searches the file store for
the file containing the program rm, and then requests the kernel, through system calls, to
execute the program rm on myfile. When the process rm myfile has finished running, the
shell then returns the UNIX prompt % to the user, indicating that it is waiting for further
commands.
The shell

The shell acts as an interface between the user and the kernel. It reads commands and
interpretes accordingly. The shell is used to interpret command lines, maintain variables, and
execute programs. The shell also is a programming language. By combining commands and
variable assignments with flow control and decision making, you have a powerful
programming tool. Using the shell as a programming language, you can automate recurring
tasks, write reports and you can even build and manipulate your own data files. UNIX
supports GUI but many programs do support shell because it is more powerful, faster to use
and easily extensible. When a user logs in, the login program checks the username and
password, and then starts another program called the shell. The shell is a command line
interpreter (CLI). It interprets the commands the user types in and arranges for them to be
carried out. The commands are themselves programs: when they terminate, the shell gives the
user another prompt (% on our systems).

The Functions of a Shell

It doesn’t matter which of the standard shells you choose, for all three have the same
purpose: to provide a user interface to UNIX. To provide this interface, all three offer the
same basic functions:

• Command line interpretation

• Program initiation
• Input-output redirection
• Pipeline connection
• Substitution of filenames
• Maintenance of variables
• Environment control
• Shell programming

History - The shell keeps a list of the commands you have typed in. If you need to repeat a
command, use the cursor keys to scroll up and down the list or type history for a list of
previous commands

Files and processes

Everything in UNIX is either a file or a process.

A process is an executing program identified by a unique PID (process identifier).

A file is a collection of data. They are created by users using text editors, running compilers
etc.
Examples of files:

• a document (report, essay etc.)

• the text of a program written in some high-level programming language
• instructions comprehensible directly to the machine and incomprehensible to a casual
user, for example, a collection of binary digits (an executable or binary file);
• a directory, containing information about its contents, which may be a mixture of
other directories (subdirectories) and ordinary files.

THE CREATION OF UNIX* OPERATING SYSTEM

After three decades of use, the UNIX computer operating system from Bell Labs is
still regarded as one of the most powerful, versatile, and flexible operating systems (OS) in
the computer world. Its popularity is due to many factors, including its ability to run a wide
variety of machines, from micros to supercomputers, and its portability -- all of which led to
its adoption by many manufacturers.

Like another legendary creature whose name also ends in 'x,' UNIX rose from the ashes of a
multi-organizational effort in the early 1960s to develop a dependable timesharing operating
system.

The joint effort was not successful, but a few survivors from Bell Labs tried again,
and what followed was a system that offers its users a work environment that has been
described as "of unusual simplicity, power, and elegance...."

The system also fostered a distinctive approach to software design -- solving a problem by
interconnecting simpler tools, rather than creating large monolithic application programs. Its
development and evolution led to a new philosophy of computing, and it has been a never-
ending source of both challenges and joy to programmers around the world

In 1996 Evans Group Technology carried out research among computer system buyers in the
United States and Europe.

When asked about the benefits of open systems based on the UNIX system, they key issues
of compatibility, flexibility and cost emerged.

The table below shows how respondents ranked the various benefits of Open Systems.

Benefits of Open Systems %

Flexibility 70%
Freedom to choose IT from different 67%
vendors
Products from different vendors work 66%
together
Access across multi-vendor 65%
environments
Protect investment in existing 61%
computer systems
Ability to use/share information 59%
anywhere in the world
Cost savings 55%
Interoperability/portability across 54%
various platforms
Organizational change not 49%
constrained by IT system
Cost of ownership 49%

TODAY’S UNIX SYSTEM

The key to the continuing growth of the UNIX system is the free-market demands
placed upon suppliers who produce and support software built to public standards. The "open
systems" approach is in bold contrast to other operating environments that lock in their
customers with high switching costs. UNIX system suppliers, on the other hand, must
constantly provide the highest quality systems in order to retain their customers. Those who
become dissatisfied with one UNIX system implementation retain the ability to easily move
to another UNIX system implementation.

The continuing success of the UNIX system should come as no surprise. No other
operating environment enjoys the support of every major system supplier. Mention the UNIX
system and IT professionals immediately think not only of the operating system itself, but
also of the large family of hardware and application software that the UNIX system supports.
In the IT marketplace, the UNIX system has been the catalyst for sweeping changes that have
empowered consumers to seek the best-of-breed without the arbitrary constraints imposed by
proprietary environments.

The market's pull for the UNIX system was amplified by other events as well. The
availability of relational database management systems, the shift to the client/server
architecture, and the introduction of low-cost UNIX system servers together set the stage for
business applications to flourish. For client/server systems, the networking strengths of the
UNIX system shine. Standardized relational database engines delivered on low-cost high-
performance UNIX system servers offered substantial cost savings over proprietary
alternatives.
INDUSTRIAL STRENGHT UNIX SYSTEM

Today's UNIX system is robust, scalable, and it continues to provide uniform access
to a wide variety of computing hardware. For these reasons the UNIX system continues to be
the operating system of choice for mission-critical systems. The UNIX system is the key
enabler for enterprises that wish to keep switching costs as low as possible. That is, the UNIX
system remains the only open alternative to locking in on a proprietary operating system.

Scalability is here today, enabling application to run on small-scale systems through to the
largest servers necessary. The UNIX system is available on hardware ranging from low-cost
PC-class servers on through parallel architectures that harness together 60 or more
processors. This range is wider and the choices of hardware more cost effective than any
other system. The UNIX system is the only option for Massively Parallel Processing (MPP).

A robust operating system is tough enough to perform successfully under a variety of

different operating conditions. By virtue of its worldwide deployment by an international
community of system vendors, the UNIX system has earned the reputation for robustness.

Uniform operating system services are at the heart of the standardized UNIX system. Many
enterprise systems are assembled with hardware from several different sources. Atop these
different hardware platforms, the UNIX operating system provides a uniform platform for
database management systems and application software.

The market for the UNIX system continues to expand. IDC estimates the market at
US$ 39 billion in 1996 and forecasts the market to be US$ 50 billion in the year 2000. In
addition, the installed base of the UNIX system has an estimated value of US$ 122 billion.
These market estimates lead to several conclusions about the UNIX system, as follows:

An annual market of US$ 39 billion is large enough to remain attractive to many suppliers
and to provide sufficient revenue to fund continuing high levels of investment in support and
product enhancement.

The UNIX system's growth rates, which appear modest in comparison to the unit shipment
growth of newer products, are anchored by an enormous installed base. High unit shipment
growth rates are typical of new entries in a marketplace.

In key benchmarks and mission-critical applications, the UNIX system consistently

performs better. The UNIX system is the dominant software platform for Relational
Database Management Systems. Investment in developing and enhancing UNIX system
products is significantly larger than in any other operating environment.
SINGLE UNIX SPECIFICATION

Today, The Open Group's UNIX 95 brand may be applied to any operating system
product that is guaranteed to meet the Single UNIX Specification. The Single UNIX
Specification is designed to give software developers a single set of APIs to be supported by
every UNIX system.

The most significant consequence of the Single UNIX Specification initiative is that it shifts
the focus of attention away from incompatible UNIX system product implementations on to
compliance with a single, agreed-upon set of APIs. If an operating system meets the
specification, and commonly available applications can run on it, then it can reliable viewed
as open.

So, the future looks as though it will be about a set of sturdy and dependable
specifications standing as a firm foundation upon which many competing product
implementations will be built. By developing a single specification for the UNIX system,
The Open Group and the computer industry have completed the foundation of open systems.

SUMMARY

The shell provides an interface between the user and the heart of UNIX—the kernel.
The shell takes command lines as input, makes filename and variable substitution, redirects
input and output, locates the executable file, and initiates programs. The shell maintains each
user’s environment variables. The shell also is a powerful programming language.

When the history of the information age is written, the extraordinary dynamics of the
UNIX system marketplace will be seen as playing an important role. The UNIX system was
developed at just the right time and place to be the critical enabler for a revolution in
information technology. Client/server architectures, the Internet, object databases,
heterogeneous transaction processing, and Web computing all emerged on the shoulders of
the UNIX system.

Most importantly, the UNIX system continues to be a driving force for innovation
because of its commitment to standards. When proprietary differences are set aside, and with
the wide implementation of the Single UNIX Specification they are set aside, suppliers
compete by adding value. This fundamental tenet is the reason that the UNIX system has
thrived - and will continue to thrive in the years to come. The continuing success of the
UNIX system should come as no surprise. No other operating environment enjoys the support
of every major system supplier. Mention the UNIX system and IT professionals immediately
think not only of the operating system itself, but also of the large family of application
software that the UNIX system supports. In the IT marketplace, the UNIX system has been
the catalyst for sweeping changes that have empowered consumers to seek the best-of-breed
without the arbitrary constraints imposed by proprietary environments.