The Digital Research Initiative
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Part Two

UNIX vs. DOS

The DOS (the operating system of PC compatibles) and UNIX operating systems are very similar, especially since DOS was largely based on UNIX. However, there are some basic differences between DOS and UNIX, as listed below:

In addition to these differences, there are several differences in the commands and functionality of the two operating systems, as explained in the table below:
DOS Command Purpose UNIX Counterpart
attrib +h/-h This command either "hides" (+h) or "uncovers" (-h) files from directory lists. Rename the file so that it begins with a period. (For example: mv file .file)
cd dirname The cd command moves the user to a specific directory. If the cd command is typed alone in DOS, there is no move, but if cd is typed in UNIX, the user returns to their home directory. cd dirname
chkdsk Checks the disk for logical problems, then lists the amount of free and used space on the disk. Only System Administrators deal with logical problems. To learn about disk space, use df
copy/xcopy dirname\filename Allows you to copy files. cp dirname/filename
del/erase filename Erases files from the disk. rm filename
dir Lists the files in the current directory. ls
help command name Displays information about the specified command. man command name
rename oldfilename Renames a file. In UNIX, it can also be used to move the file to a different directory. mv oldfilename newfilename
For a more complete listing of UNIX commands, refer to a UNIX guide, such as UNIX for Dummies.

Many of the differences between DOS and UNIX are a result of different "computer cultures." UNIX is often the OS for computers which have many simultaneous users (such as email servers) or for network computing. DOS is used for PCs, that generally only have one user at a time and do not run programs that are not on the local hard drive. Also, UNIX systems generally have a System Administrator who handles disk maintenance and other technical issues. Therefore, DOS users are ultimately more responsible for and in control of their environment, and "alone" than most UNIX users.


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