MacOS

"OSX" and "OS X" redirect here. For other uses, see OSX (disambiguation).

For the Ugandan school nicknamed "Macos", see Makerere College School.

This article is about the current Apple operating system for Mac computers. For the previous operating
system up to Mac OS 9, see Classic Mac OS. For an overview of all Mac operating systems from Apple,
see Mac operating systems.

macOS (/ˌmækoʊˈɛs/;[7] previously OS X and originally Mac OS X) is a Unix operating system[8]

developed and marketed by Apple Inc. since 2001. It is the primary operating system for Apple's Mac
computers. Within the market of desktop and laptop computers it is the second most widely used
desktop OS, after Microsoft Windows and ahead of ChromeOS.

macOS
MacOS wordmark (2017).svg

MacOS Ventura Desktop.png

macOS Ventura, the latest release of macOS

Developer
Apple Inc.

Written in
CC++[1]Objective-CSwift[2]assembly language

OS family
MacUnix

Working state
Current

Source model
Proprietary (with open source components)

Initial release
March 24, 2001; 21 years ago

Latest release
13.1[3] (22C65)[4] (December 13, 2022; 32 days ago) [±]

Latest preview
13.2 beta 2[5] (22D5038i)[6] (January 10, 2023; 4 days ago) [±]

Platforms
ARM64 (11.0–)

x86-64 (10.4.7–)

IA-32 (10.4.4–10.6.8)

PowerPC (10.0–10.5.8)

Kernel type
Hybrid (XNU)

Default

user interface
Aqua (Graphical)

License
Commercial software, proprietary software

Preceded by
Classic Mac OS, NeXTSTEP

Official website
apple.com/macos

Support status
Supported
macOS succeeded the classic Mac OS, a Mac operating system with nine releases from 1984 to 1999.
During this time, Apple cofounder Steve Jobs had left Apple and started another company, NeXT,
developing the NeXTSTEP platform that would later be acquired by Apple to form the basis of macOS.

The first desktop version, Mac OS X 10.0, was released in March 2001, with its first update, 10.1, arriving
later that year. All releases from Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard[9] and after are UNIX 03 certified,[10] with an
exception for OS X 10.7 Lion.[11] Apple's other operating systems (iOS, iPadOS, watchOS, tvOS, audioOS)
are derivatives of macOS.

A prominent part of macOS's original brand identity was the use of Roman numeral X, pronounced "ten"
as in Mac OS X and also the iPhone X, as well as code naming each release after species of big cats, or
places within California.[12] Apple shortened the name to "OS X" in 2011 and then changed it to
"macOS" in 2016 to align with the branding of Apple's other operating systems, iOS, watchOS, and tvOS.
After sixteen distinct versions of macOS 10, macOS Big Sur was presented as version 11 in 2020, macOS
Monterey was presented as version 12 in 2021, and macOS Ventura was presented as version 13 in
2022.

MacOS has supported three major processor architectures, beginning with PowerPC-based Macs in
1999. In 2006, Apple transitioned to the Intel architecture with a line of Macs using Intel Core
processors. In 2020, Apple began the Apple silicon transition, using self-designed, 64-bit ARM-based
Apple M series processors on the latest Macintosh computers.

CentOS
CentOS (/ˈsɛntɒs/, from Community Enterprise Operating System; also known as CentOS Linux)[5][6] is a
Linux distribution that provides a free and open-source community-supported computing platform,
functionally compatible with its upstream source, Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL).[7][8] In January
2014, CentOS announced the official joining with Red Hat while staying independent from RHEL,[9]
under a new CentOS governing board.[10][11]
Developer
The CentOS Project

(affiliated with Red Hat)

OS family
Linux (Unix-like)

Working state
Discontinued

Source model
Open source

Initial release
14 May 2004; 18 years ago[1]

Final release
8.5.2111[2] (16 November 2021; 13 months ago) [±]

7.9-2009[3] (12 November 2020; 2 years ago) [±]

Marketing target
Servers, desktop computers, workstations, supercomputers

Update method
Release Candidate

Package manager
dnf (command line); PackageKit (graphical); .rpm (binaries format)

Platforms
x86-64, ARM64, and ppc64le[a]

Kernel type
Monolithic (Linux kernel)
Default

user interface
Bash, GNOME Shell[4]

License
GNU GPL and other licenses

Succeeded by
AlmaLinux, Rocky Linux

Official website
centos.org

The first CentOS release in May 2004, numbered as CentOS version 2, was forked from RHEL version
2.1AS.[1] Since version 8, CentOS officially supports the x86-64, ARM64, and POWER8 architectures, and
releases up to version 6 also supported the IA-32 architecture. As of December 2015, AltArch releases of
CentOS 7 are available for the IA-32 architecture, Power ISA, and for the ARMv7hl and AArch64 variants
of the ARM architecture.[12][13] CentOS 8 was released on 24 September 2019.[14]

In December 2020, Red Hat unilaterally terminated CentOS development.[15][16][17][18] In response,

CentOS founder Gregory Kurtzer created the Rocky Linux project as a successor to the original mission of
CentOS.[19] In March 2021, Cloud Linux (makers of CloudLinux OS) released a new RHEL derivative
called AlmaLinux.[20]

CentOS Linux was discontinued at the end of 2021 in favor of CentOS Stream, a distribution positioned
upstream of RHEL.[21]
Microsoft Windows
Windows is a group of several proprietary graphical operating system families developed and marketed
by Microsoft. Each family caters to a certain sector of the computing industry. For example, Windows NT
for consumers, Windows Server for servers, and Windows IoT for embedded systems. Defunct Windows
families include Windows 9x, Windows Mobile, and Windows Phone.

Windows
Windows logo and wordmark - 2021.svg

Developer
Microsoft

Source model
Closed-source

Source-available (through Shared Source Initiative)

Initial release
November 20, 1985; 37 years ago

Latest release
22H2 (10.0.22621.1105) (January 10, 2023; 4 days ago[1]) [±]

Latest preview
Release Preview Channel

22H2 (10.0.22621.1105) (January 10, 2023; 4 days ago[2][3]) [±]

Beta Channel

22H2 (10.0.22623.1095) (January 5, 2023; 9 days ago[4]) [±]

Dev Channel

10.0.25276.1000 (January 12, 2023; 2 days ago[5]) [±]

Marketing target
Personal computing

Available in
110 languages

Update method
Windows Update

Microsoft Store

Windows Server Update Services (WSUS)

Package manager
Windows Installer (.msi, .msix, .msp), Microsoft Store (.appx, .appxbundle),[6] Windows Package
Manager

Platforms
IA-32, x86-64, ARM, ARM64

Previously: 16-bit x86, DEC Alpha, MIPS, PowerPC, Itanium

Kernel type
Windows NT family: Hybrid

Windows Embedded Compact/Windows CE: Hybrid

Windows 9x and earlier: Monolithic (MS-DOS)

Default

user interface
Windows shell

License
Proprietary commercial software
Official website
microsoft.com/windows

The first version of Windows was released on November 20, 1985, as a graphical operating system shell
for MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces (GUIs).[7]

Windows is the most popular desktop operating system in the world, with 75% market share as of April
2022, according to StatCounter.[8] However, Windows is not the most used operating system when
including both mobile and desktop OSes, due to Android's massive growth.[9]

As of September 2022, the most recent version of Windows is Windows 11 for consumer PCs and
tablets, Windows 11 Enterprise for corporations, and Windows Server 2022 for servers.

Linux
Linux (/ˈliːnʊks/ (listen) LEE-nuuks or /ˈlɪnʊks/ LIN-uuks)[11] is a family of open-source Unix-like
operating systems based on the Linux kernel,[12] an operating system kernel first released on
September 17, 1991, by Linus Torvalds.[13][14][15] Linux is typically packaged as a Linux distribution,
which includes the kernel and supporting system software and libraries, many of which are provided by
the GNU Project. Many Linux distributions use the word "Linux" in their name, but the Free Software
Foundation uses the name "GNU/Linux" to emphasize the importance of GNU software, causing some
controversy.[16][17]

Linux
Tux the penguin

Tux the penguin, the mascot of Linux[1]

Developer
Community contributors,

Linus Torvalds

Written in
C, assembly languages, and others

OS family
Unix-like

Working state
Current

Source model
Open source

Initial release
September 17, 1991; 31 years ago

Repository
git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux.git/

Marketing target
Cloud computing, embedded devices, mainframe computers, mobile devices, personal computers,
servers, supercomputers

Available in
Multilingual

Platforms
Alpha, ARC, ARM, C-Sky, Hexagon, IA-64, LoongArch, m68k, Microblaze, MIPS, Nios II, OpenRISC, PA-
RISC, PowerPC, RISC-V, s390, SuperH, SPARC, x86, Xtensa

Kernel type
Monolithic

Userland

GNU[a], BusyBox[b]

Default

user interface
Unix shell (CLI)

Most distributions include a desktop environment (GUI)

License
GPLv2[9][c])

Articles in the series

Linux kernel

Linux distribution
Popular Linux distributions[18][19][20] include Debian, Fedora Linux, and Ubuntu, the latter of which
itself consists of many different distributions and modifications, including Lubuntu and Xubuntu.
Commercial distributions include Red Hat Enterprise Linux and SUSE Linux Enterprise. Desktop Linux
distributions include a windowing system such as X11 or Wayland, and a desktop environment such as
GNOME or KDE Plasma. Distributions intended for servers may omit graphics altogether, or include a
solution stack such as LAMP. Because Linux is freely redistributable, anyone may create a distribution for
any purpose.[21]

Linux was originally developed for personal computers based on the Intel x86 architecture, but has since
been ported to more platforms than any other operating system.[22] Because of the dominance of the
Linux-based Android on smartphones, Linux, including Android, has the largest installed base of all
general-purpose operating systems, as of May 2022.[23][24][25] Although Linux is, as of November
2022, used by only around 2.6 percent of desktop computers,[26] the Chromebook, which runs the
Linux kernel-based ChromeOS, dominates the US K–12 education market and represents nearly 20
percent of sub-$300 notebook sales in the US.[27] Linux is the leading operating system on servers (over
96.4% of the top 1 million web servers' operating systems are Linux),[28] leads other big iron systems
such as mainframe computers, and is used on all of the world's 500 fastest supercompters[d] (since
November 2017, having gradually displaced all competitors).[29][30][31]
Linux also runs on embedded systems, i.e. devices whose operating system is typically built into the
firmware and is highly tailored to the system. This includes routers, automation controls, smart home
devices, video game consoles,[32] televisions (Samsung and LG Smart TVs),[33][34][35] automobiles
(Tesla, Audi, Mercedes-Benz, Hyundai and Toyota),[36] and spacecraft (Falcon 9 rocket, Dragon crew
capsule and the Perseverance rover).[37][38]

Linux is one of the most prominent examples of free and open-source software collaboration. The
source code may be used, modified and distributed commercially or non-commercially by anyone under
the terms of its respective licenses, such as the GNU General Public License (GPL). The Linux kernel, for
example, is licensed under the GPLv2.[e]

ChromeOS
ChromeOS,[8] sometimes stylized as chromeOS and formerly styled as Chrome OS, is a Linux-based
operating system designed by Google. It is derived from the open-source ChromiumOS and uses the
Google Chrome web browser as its principal user interface.

ChromeOS
Google Chrome OS logo.png

Logo as of March 2022

A screenshot of Chrome OS r87.png

ChromeOS 87 Desktop

Developer
Google
Written in
C, C++, assembly, JavaScript, HTML5, Python, Rust

OS family
Linux (Unix-like)[1]

Working state
Preinstalled on Chromebooks, Chromeboxes, Chromebits, Chromebases

Source model
Closed-source with open-source components

Initial release
June 15, 2011; 11 years ago

Latest release
109.0.5414.94 (January 13, 2023; 0 days ago[2]) [±]

Latest preview
Beta

109.0.5414.41 (December 14, 2022; 30 days ago[3]) [±]

Dev

110.0.5464.21 (January 5, 2023; 8 days ago[4]) [±]

Repository
chromium.googlesource.com/codesearch/chromium/src/+/refs/heads/master-original/chromeos/

Update method
Rolling release

Package manager
Portage[a]
Platforms
ARM32, ARM64, IA-32, x86-64

Kernel type
Monolithic (Linux kernel)[6]

Userland
Aura Shell (Ash), Ozone (display manager); X11 apps can be enabled in recent ChromeOS

Default

user interface
Google Chrome

License
Proprietary[7]

Official website
www.google.com/chromebook/chrome-os/ Edit this at Wikidata

Google announced the project in July 2009, initially describing it as an operating system where
applications and user data would reside in the cloud. ChromeOS was used primarily to run web
applications.[9]

All ChromiumOS and ChromeOS versions support progressive web applications (such as Google Docs or
Microsoft Office 365), as well as web browser extensions (which can resemble native applications).
ChromeOS (but not ChromiumOS) from 2016 onwards can also run Android applications from the Play
Store.[10] Since 2018, ChromiumOS/ChromeOS version 69 onwards also support Linux applications,
which are executed in a lightweight virtual machine[11] with a Debian Linux environment.[12][13]

The operating system is now usually evaluated in conjunction with the hardware that runs it.