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What Are the Key Differences Between HP-UX And Linux Operating Systems?The HP-UX operating system was developed by Hewlett-Packard in 1983. It is a proprietary UNIX-based operating system that was designed to operate on HP hardware and enterprise workloads. The Linux operating system was developed by Linus Torvalds in 1991. It is an open-source platform known for flexibility, cost-effectiveness, and compatibility. HP-UX has offered stability and support for mission-critical applications, while Linux provides advantages like active community support, multiple distributions, frequent updates, and seamless integration with modern technologies. Over time, several businesses are now migrating from HP-UX to Linux for enhanced scalability, agility, and compatibility with other technologies.
ArticlesHP-UX and Linux are two popular names in the landscape of operating systems (OS), and they both have histories and unique characteristics. HP-UX is a proprietary Unix operating system developed by Hewlett-Packard, which is well-known for its reliability in enterprise infrastructure. In comparison, Linux is an open-source platform and is widely known for its flexibility and community support.
Both operating systems are immensely popular in the modern computing environment and are rooted in UNIX. This blog explores the in-depth comparison of HP-UX vs Linux operating systems and their characteristics, challenges, and mitigation methods that businesses encounter while operating on them.
This is an in-depth comparison for IT experts, architects, and system administrators who are still running their HP-UX operating systems on outdated PA-RISC servers and are looking for options to stabilize their workloads due to hardware obsolescence or move them to Linux for long-term modernization.
Why this is important: According to Market Growth Reports, traditional UNIX platforms, including HP-UX, have a declining share of 9% of the server market, while Linux powers more than half of global servers and dominates modern cloud workloads. This shift directly impacts supportability, skills availability, and long-term risks.
Before moving further, here is a brief overview of HP-UX vs Linux operating systems comparison:
| Feature | HP-UX | Linux |
|---|---|---|
| License | Proprietary of HP | Open-Source |
| Hardware Compatibility | Limited to HP hardware | Runs on a wide range of hardware |
| Costs | Very Expensive | Cost-effective |
| File System | Supports VxFS | Supports multiple file systems like ext4, XFS, and more. |
| Performance | Optimized for enterprise workloads only | Flexible for different applications |
| Support | Vendor support only | Active community support |
The UNIX operating system was previously known as UNICS (UNiplexed Information and Computing Service). It was developed at AT&T’s Bell Labs in 1969 by the late Dennis Richie and Ken Thompson. They were two distinguished scientists and researchers who collaborated on a project with Generic Electric and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to design an interactive timesharing system called Multics.
UNIX introduced many exceptional concepts, such as a hierarchical file system, multi-ser capabilities, and multitasking. Over the years, it has evolved, and many of its versions have been released, such as BSD (Berkeley Software Distribution) and System V, which are now used in several latest OSs.
HP-UX is a proprietary operating system from Hewlett-Packard whose design is based on UNIX System V. It was especially designed for HP computer systems and their targeted servers. It is considered to be part of five commercial OSs that have versions certified to UNIX 03 standards of The Open Group. The very first HP-UX version was released in 1983, and it had a monolithic kernel along with dynamically loadable modules.
The HP-UX operating system 11i has CFS (Clustered File System) functionality, which enables its shared drive abilities. HP Service Guard is its clustering solution that is developed to provide security to all critical applications. It monitors node health and immediately responds to any vulnerabilities detected, which helps in reducing downtime. Also, HP Global Workload Management optimizes the distribution of workload while incorporating it with Instant Capacity on Demand, which enables businesses to pay for installed resources during a half-an-hour break to accommodate peak demands.
The HP UX operating system also supports system-level virtualization using hardware partitioning, including HP Integrity Virtual Machines (HPVM). This way, HPVM can host a wide range of operating systems, such as OpenVMS, Linux, HP-UX 11i v3, or Windows Server. The architecture of HP-UX not only improves resource utilization but also offers flexibility in managing workloads across various ecosystems.
Some of the exceptional features of HP-UX operating system are:
The Linux operating system, developed by Linus Torvalds in 1991, is very similar to UNIX OS. It is a package of Linux Distribution and is popular for its flexibility, reliability, security, and customization properties. It allows businesses to customize it according to their requirements. It has huge active community support as it shares its constant developments and wide range of resources that are available to all.
Some of the popular Linux Distributions are Fedora, Ubuntu, and Debian. The Linux operating system uses a Monolithic kernel, which was basically written in assembly and C language. These kernels are mostly used in personal computers, servers, mobile devices, embedded systems, and more.
Today, Linux powers more than half of global servers and continues to grow as the default platform for cloud, containers, and high-performance computing. According to the Market Growth Report, the Linux OS market is expected to reach USD 48,385.96 million (or USD 48.39 billion) by 2034.
In-depth comparison of HP-UX vs Linux operating system:
| S.No. | HP-UX Operating System | Linux Operating System |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Developed by HP Enterprise. | It was developed by Linus Torvalds. |
| 2 | It was released in 1983. | It was released in 1991. |
| 3 | Its target systems are mostly servers only. | It mostly targets PCs, servers, supercomputers, mobile devices, mainframe computers, and mobile devices. |
| 4 | The computer architectures it supports are mostly HP hardware like PA-RISC systems and IA-64. | The computer architecture it supports are IA-32, x86-64, PowerPC, ARM, and SPARC. |
| 5 | Monolithic kernel type with loadable modules. | Monolithic kernel type. |
| 6 | SysV/POSIX are the native APIs. | LINUX/POSIX are the native APIs. |
| 7 | HP-UX supports the following file systems: CIFS, NFS, VxFS, CDFS, EVFS, and HFS. | FAT, ext2, ext3, ext4, UDF, btrfs, ReiserFS, ISO 9660, and NFS are the file systems supported by Linux operating system. |
| 8 | Its package management is Swinstall or SD | Its package management depends on distribution. |
| 9 | The non-native APIs are not supported through its subsystems. | The non-native APIs supported through its subsystems are Mono, Java, Win16 and Win32. |
| 10 | Its update management is SWA (HP-UX Software Assistant). | Its update management depends on the distribution. |
| 11 | It has a Proprietary license. | It has a preferred license of GNU GPLv2 (kernel). |
HP-UX is a legacy application used for enterprise computing for a long time, but it is gradually becoming problematic for businesses. The aging HP PA-RISC hardware is increasingly becoming expensive due to the scarcity of parts available. There are also many other reasons, such as limited vendor support, the decline in skilled personnel with knowledge of legacy systems, rising maintenance costs, and HP’s announcement to end the HP-UX support. These factors have contributed to HP-UX to Linux migration. Linux operating systems are a better alternative option due to their flexibility, cost-effectiveness, and scalability.
The data from the Computer Weekly report shows that UNIX/RISC and Itanium server shipments have declined by more than 50% in recent years, while Linux adoption continues to grow across cloud and on‑premises environments.
Linux is a popular open-source operating system with many advantages. Therefore, many businesses are now looking for HP-UX to Linux migration. Here are some of the benefits of this migration.
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When comparing HP-UX and Linux operating systems, it can be said that both have a strong UNIX history and have been widely used in industries for decades. While HP-UX is widely known for its stability in certain environments, Linux is popular for its flexibility and cost-effectiveness.
Businesses are continuously evolving due to the need for innovation, and legacy systems act as a hindrance. Organizations that are still relying on such legacy applications are looking to modernize their infrastructure. Through migration, they are looking for more flexible and cost-effective means to enhance their business efficiency.
It is a tough choice for decision makers as HP-UX offers a tightly integrated, vendor-controlled stack with predictable behavior, but these offerings come with limited hardware choice and rising costs. Whereas Linux offers broad hardware and cloud compatibility, rich ecosystem tooling (containers, Kubernetes, DevOps pipelines), and more flexible licensing. Therefore, organizations need to choose which option is best suited for their business needs and will bring more growth opportunities.
The Linux operating system was developed by Linus Torvalds in 1991 and is an open-source operating system.
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