Difference between Linux and Solaris

In this article, you will learn the difference between the Linux and Solaris Operating Systems. But before discussing the differences, you must know about the Linux and Solaris Operating Systems.

What is Linux Operating System?

The Linux operating system is one of the famous versions of the UNIX operating system based on the Linux Kernel. In 1991, it was designed by Linus Torvalds. It is a free and open-source OS under the General Public License. Over the years, it has been the fastest-growing OS among the industries due to its low dependency, high modularity, and wide distributions. Linux terminology includes a bootloader, an init-program, a kernel, a system library, and a system utility. It is also known for its open-source support and flexibility.

Initially, it was designed and developed for PCs. It has now found its way into various other platforms, including servers, mainframe computers, supercomputers, etc. It is now widely used in embedded devices such as televisions, game consoles, digital video recorders, routers, automation controls, smartwatches, etc. The most successful application of Linux is Android, which is built on the Linux kernel and runs on smartphones and tablets. As a result of Android, Linux has the most installed base of any general-purpose operating system. It is generally packaged in a Linux distribution.

The Kernel Layer and the User Layer are the two primary elements or layers of the Linux architecture. Each Linux distribution is different and has its own set of interfaces. You may select distribution according to your requirements.

Advantages and disadvantages of Linux Operating System

There are various advantages and disadvantages of the Linux operating system. Some advantages and disadvantages of the Linux operating system are as follows;

Advantages

1. It is an open-source operating system, which implies that anybody may view the source code and modify it according to their needs. You may install Linux on as many systems as you want without paying for a license. When compared to Windows or Mac, these are paid operating systems.
2. There is a wide variety of text editors available on Linux. Most text editors are freely available and can be used without any problems. If you are a programmer, you may use any free software packages available in the market, including Vim, Atom, Visual Studio Code, Sublime text editor, etc.
3. If you are a Windows user, you have probably seen the system reboot while installing or uninstalling software or when the system gets slow. But, you don't require restarting your system in the case of Linux.
4. If you use Linux OS, you don't require installing anti-virus software on your system. Linux is less likely to be infected with viruses. The reason for high virus protection is that Linux has many open-source developers who constantly watch virus-related issues.
5. The Linux command prompt is very powerful. You may perform many operations via the CLI if you are a developer. You may also install many repositories and packages with the help of CLI.
6. If you have limited disk space in the system, you may run Linux. There is no need for extra disk space to operate Linux for a longer time.

Disadvantages

1. Some hardware drivers are not present for Linux, which is one of the problems that most Linux users face. Hardware companies prefer to build drivers for Windows or Mac OS as they have more users than Linux.
2. Many applications that run on Windows or Apple OS don't run on Linux. If you require access to specific programs for your work, you should check to see if they are available on Linux. One example of software that isn't available for Linux users is Microsoft apps.
3. If you have an issue with the operating system, finding a solution can be difficult. Getting started with Windows is simple, but understanding Linux is more complex for new users.
4. Most games are designed for Windows rather than Linux. The Windows OS is widely used worldwide. That's why the developer has more interest in windows.

What is Solaris Operating System?

Solaris is the UNIX-based operating system. It was initially developed by Sun Microsystems first released in 1992. It has initially licensed software and must obtain licenses to install it on systems. In 2010, Oracle acquired sun microsystems, and it was renamed Oracle Solaris. Oracle discontinues the open-source Solaris. Solaris was written in the C and C++ programming languages. Solaris has been designed to work with the SPARC and Power PC systems.

Oracle is offering a free 90-day trial version of the software. You would have to buy a license from Oracle to utilize Solaris as a development platform if you wanted to keep using the software after the free trial period ended.

Oracle Solaris is considered simple to update cloud installations. It has been used for legacy apps on the cloud by offering the highest security and performance. Over time, Oracle has added new capabilities and additions to Solaris, including the service management facility, kernel zones, and other services.

Features of Oracle Solaris

There are various features of Oracle Solaris. Some features of the Oracle Solaris are as follows:

1. The operating system is quite secure and matured with two decades of active development.
2. Oracle offers great enterprise support, which is both commendable and beneficial.
3. The ZFS file system is highly dependable and has a faster read and write performance.
4. It allows you to run famous legacy apps on any current system.
5. It is designed primarily for commercial and large-scale applications.

Main Differences between the Linux and Solaris Operating System

Here, you will learn the main differences between Linux and the Solaris Operating System. Various main differences between the Linux and the Solaris Operating System are as follows:

1. Linux was designed and released in the year 1991 by Linus Torvalds. On the other hand, Solaris was initially developed by Sun Microsystems, which was firstly released in 1992.
2. Linux is the platform-independent operating system. On the other hand, Solaris is not accessible for all platforms; however, it is available for several architectures.
3. Red Hat mainly provides Linux OS support. On the other hand, Solaris OS support is provided by Oracle.
4. Linux is used for mobile phones and embedded devices. On the other hand, Solaris OS is used for service management.
5. Linux OS has a decent throughput. On the other hand, Solaris OS has an excellent throughput.
6. Linux OS provides less stability. On the other hand, Solaris OS provides high stability.
7. Linux has various distributions according to the use. On the other hand, Solaris has no such distributions.
8. Linux provides strong administrative capabilities. On the other hand, Solaris has an excellent administrator capability to install and administer the system easily.
9. Linux OS is developed using the C language. On the other hand, Solaris OS is developed using both C and C++ languages.
10. Linux is a free and open-source OS. On the other hand, Solaris OS was purchased after Oracle acquired Sun Microsoft.

Head-to-head comparison between the Linux and Solaris Operating System

Here, you will learn the head-to-head comparisons between the Linux and Solaris Operating Systems. There are differences between the Linux, and Solaris Operating Systems are as follows:

Conclusion

Linux and Solaris are both operating systems. These are UNIX-like operating systems with virtual memory, paging, system calls, processes, kernels, buffers, caches, resource controls, mapped files, multiprocessor support, CPU scheduling and support, and other features in common with UNIX. Linux and Solaris each have their own set of command-line options. It would be simple to utilize another if you are familiar with one.

Linux is widely used due to its open-source nature. It is a free OS that is widely distributed. Linux is simple to download and install on systems according to the requirement. Solaris uses licensed software, which must be obtained from Oracle before it can be installed on systems. The number of licenses you buy is the same as the number of computers you need to set up. Solaris is mostly used due to security and performance features. It is simple, secure cloud-friendly, and cloud-ready because it works well with management tools to run infrastructure in the cloud quickly and efficiently.