Is there any OS similar to AIX around but free?
What degree of similarity are you looking for? What are your requirements?
- If you are looking for a learning platform, any UNIX will be similar.
- If you are looking for binary compatibility, I think that you may be out of luck.
IMHO there is no such thing. If you want to learn UNIX tools like "vi", "ssh" and so on any other X-ish OS might suffice. 90+ percent might be identical. However, when it comes the the nitty gritty AIX is very different to the other Unixes. Even where parts of the code are identical (e.g. LVM that can be used with Linux) the commands differ to a large extent.
Hint: AIX license is sold with hardware usually. An AIX workstation might be available from $bay for little money and this machine would probably entitle you to use AIX on it.
if(Know Answer){
printf ("Is AIX is a free software ?\n");
}
else
printf ("What is the price of this OS ?\n");
}
AIX = free?
A = No.
# ~ 1k (US / GBP) per licenced machine.
Actually, AIX is a free item when you buy a IBM machine, it's not sold separately. Anyone know eConfig tool from IBM can make such config list to find out.
For learning purpose, a 9114-275 will cost you less than $600, I've seen some one selling for less than $300, which can run AIX6.1 without any problem. Just no VM. Or just go back to 44p-170/270, less than $200 now, it's no problem for 5.3.
No similar OS or simulator to AIX.