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In case you are wondering: QNX is a commercial Unix-like real-time operating system owned by BlackBerry, aimed primarily at the embedded systems market. From h

by fauria 2y ago

In case you are wondering: QNX is a commercial Unix-like real-time operating system owned by BlackBerry, aimed primarily at the embedded systems market. From https://www.sealevel.com/2023/01/02/what-is-qnx https://www.sealevel.com/2023/01/02/what-is-qnx

fulafel 2y ago
The "unix-like" characterisation seems it might be be from the Wikipedia QNX article and repeated by a lot of web content. But it doesn't seem really accurate to me and it's not used by their own web site or documentation. It seems quite opposite to Unix in a lot of ways even though it has some API compatibility.
- fauria 2y ago
  You should update the Wikipedia article in that case.
- bitwize 2y ago
  It's got a POSIX API layer, but it's about as "unix-like" as Haiku.
- bregma 2y ago
  How does it seem like the opposite? It's POSIX.
  - fulafel 2y ago
    Check out eg this paper about the OS: https://cseweb.ucsd.edu/~voelker/cse221/papers/qnx-paper92.pdf https://cseweb.ucsd.edu/~voelker/cse221/papers/qnx-paper92.p... Yes it has some source-level Unix compatible app-facing interfaces, but we don't call the Steam OS/Deck a Windows-like either. (eg Windows NT was also POSIX certified)
    - bregma 2y ago
      I'd definitely call the Steam Deck unix-like, although GNU/Linux is less POSIX-conformant than QNX is. Source-level and command-level compatibility is what makes something "unix-like". Paying a hefty annual license fee to the Open Group is what makes your OS "Unix". I don't believe there is any benefit to BlackBerry paying such a fee so they can slap their logo on their web site since the US DoD is not a target market for them. Nevertheless, arguing that something is not "unix-like" just because it's very much like Unix is, well, odd.
- Lammy 2y ago
  Perhaps Wikipedia by way of the old QNX FAQ? https://web.archive.org/web/20080424102623/https://www.bitctrl.de/qnx/qnx_faq.shtml#L3 https://web.archive.org/web/20080424102623/https://www.bitct... “In the early 80's they began work on a small message passing kernel based OS that had some user interface similarities to UNIX.” “They called their product QUNIX, reportedly because it was a "Quick UNIX". They named their company Quantum Software Systems Limited. The QUNIX name lasted a year or two until they received notice from AT&T; that a change would be appropriate. Always ready for a challenge, they changed the spelling to QNX® without changing the pronunciation.”

by fauria 2y ago

fulafel 2y ago

The "unix-like" characterisation seems it might be be from the Wikipedia QNX article and repeated by a lot of web content. But it doesn't seem really accurate to me and it's not used by their own web site or documentation. It seems quite opposite to Unix in a lot of ways even though it has some API compatibility.

fauria 2y ago
You should update the Wikipedia article in that case.
bitwize 2y ago
It's got a POSIX API layer, but it's about as "unix-like" as Haiku.
bregma 2y ago
How does it seem like the opposite? It's POSIX.
- fulafel 2y ago
  Check out eg this paper about the OS: https://cseweb.ucsd.edu/~voelker/cse221/papers/qnx-paper92.pdf https://cseweb.ucsd.edu/~voelker/cse221/papers/qnx-paper92.p... Yes it has some source-level Unix compatible app-facing interfaces, but we don't call the Steam OS/Deck a Windows-like either. (eg Windows NT was also POSIX certified)
  - bregma 2y ago
    I'd definitely call the Steam Deck unix-like, although GNU/Linux is less POSIX-conformant than QNX is. Source-level and command-level compatibility is what makes something "unix-like". Paying a hefty annual license fee to the Open Group is what makes your OS "Unix". I don't believe there is any benefit to BlackBerry paying such a fee so they can slap their logo on their web site since the US DoD is not a target market for them. Nevertheless, arguing that something is not "unix-like" just because it's very much like Unix is, well, odd.
Lammy 2y ago
Perhaps Wikipedia by way of the old QNX FAQ? https://web.archive.org/web/20080424102623/https://www.bitctrl.de/qnx/qnx_faq.shtml#L3 https://web.archive.org/web/20080424102623/https://www.bitct... “In the early 80's they began work on a small message passing kernel based OS that had some user interface similarities to UNIX.” “They called their product QUNIX, reportedly because it was a "Quick UNIX". They named their company Quantum Software Systems Limited. The QUNIX name lasted a year or two until they received notice from AT&T; that a change would be appropriate. Always ready for a challenge, they changed the spelling to QNX® without changing the pronunciation.”