Working with Unix : Introduction

Unix is an operating system that runs on a full range of computers, from microcomputers up to very powerful supercomputers. It is not restricted to machines made by any specific manufacturer. Consequently, Unix is used on a great many computers. OUCS provide a general user service on linux.ox.ac.uk . Many departments around the University have workstations and multi-user machines that use the Unix operating system.

Unix is a very flexible operating system and this, coupled with its wide availability over a range of machines, is a big advantage. However, this also means that no two Unix machines will necessarily be set up identically. There will be differences in the way Unix machines operate, especially between the different 'flavours' of Unix provided by different manufacturers.

This Guide is intended as a general introduction to Unix and will describe features that should be common to all Unix systems. Two aspects that definitely vary between machines are the electronic mail system and the general text editor.

This Guide does not explain specific methods for logging in to a Unix machine; the documentation for specific systems should be consulted for this information. The examples included here assume that login has been successful, and the general Unix prompt of % is used throughout.