UNIX Is an Operating System
To explain what UNIX is, this chapter first covers some very basic terms dealing with computer hardware and software and explains applications versus operating systems. If you already know all this, feel free to skip these next two sections on computer hardware and software generalities.
Computer Hardware in General
Computer hardware refers to physical elements that make up the computer—things you can touch. Most computers have a keyboard where you type, for example, and a monitor or screen where you view the computer’s output. The box where the computer is housed (its chassis) contains more hardware elements, such as one or more hard-disk drives that enable you to store data. You may have heard of disk drives with ...
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