UNIX Filesystems: Evolution, Design, and Implementation

UNIX Evolution and Standardization

This chapter introduces UNIX from a historical perspective, showing how the various UNIX versions have evolved over the years since the very first implementation in 1969 to the present day. The chapter also traces the history of the different attempts at standardization that have produced widely adopted standards such as POSIX and the Single UNIX Specification.

The material presented here is not intended to document all of the UNIX variants, but rather describes the early UNIX implementations along with those companies and bodies that have had a major impact on the direction and evolution of UNIX.