There are a number of Unix-like operating systems based on or descended from the Berkeley Software Distribution (BSD) series of Unix variants. The three most notable descendants in current use are FreeBSD, OpenBSD, and NetBSD, which are all derived from 386BSD and 4.4BSD-Lite,
by various routes. Both NetBSD and FreeBSD started life in 1993,
initially derived from 386BSD, but in 1994 migrating to a 4.4BSD-Lite
code base. OpenBSD was forked in 1995 from NetBSD. Other notable derivatives include DragonFly BSD, which was forked from FreeBSD 4.8, and Apple Inc.'s Mac OS X, with its Darwin base including a large amount of code derived from FreeBSD.
Most of the current BSD operating systems are open source and available for download, free of charge, under the BSD License, the most notable exception being Mac OS X. They also generally use a monolithic kernel architecture, apart from Mac OS X and DragonFly BSD which feature hybrid kernels. The various open source BSD projects generally develop the kernel and userland programs and libraries together, the source code being managed using a single central source repository.
In the past, BSD was also used as a basis for several proprietary versions of UNIX, such as Sun's SunOS, Sequent's Dynix, NeXT's NeXTSTEP, DEC's Ultrix and OSF/1 AXP (now Tru64 UNIX).
Of these, only the last is still currently supported in its original
form. Parts of NeXT's software became the foundation for Mac OS X, among the most commercially successful BSD variants in the general market.
NEW YORK, NY – July 2, 2008 – Xandros, Inc., the leading provider of
custom OEM Linux solutions, next-generation Linux desktop and server
products, and advanced cross-platform Windows-Linux management tools,
today announced the acquisition of Linspire, developer of the CNR
software distribution facility, and the Linspire and Freespire Linux
desktop operating systems. The combination of the technologies,
expertise, and market presence of the two companies supports Xandros'
mission to become a powerful one-stop Linux solutions company. With
this acquisition, Xandros further enhances its ability to meet the
needs of a growing number of Linux and mobile users for one-click
software delivery to update and enhance their devices; for energizing
ever larger third party applications development; and for providing
access and delivery to users of applications and content from digital
warehouses that increase value and user experience.
Berkeley Software Distribution (BSD, sometimes called Berkeley Unix) is the Unix operating system derivative developed and distributed by the Computer Systems Research Group of the University of California, Berkeley, from 1977 to 1995.
