[885895]

>unix-like

Not just unix-like, OS X is certified UNIX.

[oneeyedpigeon]

Yeah, I guess the author meant more like "very similar to Unixes (unices?) I've used before", which quite possibly means 'various Linux distros'. Aside from official certification, OSX is still sufficiently different to make this mistake forgivable, and not just in terms of the UI. The filesystem organisation is unusual, to say the least.

[simonh]

Maybe we should start calling Unix variants 'Linux-like'.

[collyw]

What does this atually mean (when compared to Linux, which is a UNIX clone)? That they have paid someone for a certificate? Is it more than that?

[pjmlp]

It means you can be sure that the APIs described here exist, with at least the set of specified arguments and behaviors.

http://www.opengroup.org/standards/unix

For example, http://pubs.opengroup.org/onlinepubs/9699919799/

However, just like C, any certified implementation is free to add extra behaviors and there are certain parts that are actually implementation specific, like how signal handlers behave in certain situations.

[ahoka]

Yes, it means that someone payed money for a useless certificate. Nothing more, nothing less.

BTW, Linux is UNIX too!

http://www.opengroup.org/openbrand/register/brand3596.htm https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inspur_K-UX

[pjmlp]

So all APIs provided by all Linux distributions fully support the POSIX specification to the smallest detail?

[ahoka]

Maybe after some nonsense like "export POSIXLY_CORRECT" and defining a few macros.

[pjmlp]

Which means it isn't actually a proper UNIX out of the box.

[ahoka]

Verdict: no true scotsman is true unix.

[tpush]

"POSIX_ME_HARDER"

[raverbashing]

Yes, the certificate is useless

Unfortunately some people will only sign big cheques if the given useless certificate is present

[simonh]

Hey, before you call certificates like that 'useless' just think of the thousands of government jobs that depend on them!