HP promises Unix improvements

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There are some very good reasons to run Unix rather than Linux.

HP sells a Unix flavor (HP-UX) which is tuned to exploit HP's proprietary chips and hardware. Other companies that do this (proprietary Unix flavors for proprietary hardware) include Sun (Solaris), IBM (AIX), SGI (IRIX, support ends at the end of this year) and others. Operating systems like Linux or BSD are ported to variant hardware but are not tuned for the specific hardware unless there is a benefit to whomever is porting it (applications, hardware sales/usage, skills, etc.)

They can not GPL the code as that would require all the contributors to agree to this and the entity that they license Unix from (Novell, which owns Unix). Further, Unix is a specification that requires license fees, and companies expect support for the hardware that they get from the mentioned manufacturers.

There are other licenses besides GPL, also. COmpanies like IronPort and Nokia use BSD based OSs, thus avoiding some of the requirements put forth to comply with the GPL.

Posted by: B.O.F.H.   Posted on: 12/02/06 You are currently: a Guest | Members login | Terms of Use

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