[OT] File type on UNIX

Jonathan M Davis jmdavisProg at gmx.com
Mon Sep 20 10:59:35 PDT 2010


On Monday, September 20, 2010 10:43:36 Jérôme M. Berger wrote:
> KennyTM~ wrote:
> > Your definition of Unix is wrong then. Unix *only* specifies the API
> > (system interface and headers) and the command-line utilities. You *are*
> > confusing Unix and the distro.
> > 
> > Ref: http://www.opengroup.org/onlinepubs/9699919799/
> 
> 	That's not UNIX, that's POSIX! And by that definition, Windows
> would be UNIX too...
> 
> 		Jerome

Actually, technically, for an OS to be unix, it not only has to follow the 
appropriate specification, but someone has to foot the bill for it be certified. 
So, most OSes which are essentially unix aren't technically unix - Linux being a 
prime example. Personally, I think that it's a bit silly, but that's the way it 
is (since Unix is trademarked).  Posix is a separate - albeit related - spec.

Most of the stuff which cares about file extensions or mime types is going to be 
GUI-related and that has pretty much nothing to do with either unix or posix. 
However, it is typical for Linux systems (and I assume BSD systems) to use the 
mime type primarily rather than the file extension. I had thought that Mac OS X 
was the same in that regard, but I guess not. I don't know though, since I don't 
use it.

- Jonathan M Davis


More information about the Digitalmars-d mailing list