What’s the difference between UNIX and Linux? And what is a kernel?

Question

I know Linux is an operating system but I see memes and posts about people arguing whether UNIX is an operating system or a kernel and stuff like that. So what separates the two? And what exactly is a kernel?

In: Technology

Answer 1

UNIX is a category of operating systems, more like a set of standards for those operating systems to meet to be nominally interoperable. Linux is a UNIX operating system. A kernel is the core of the operating system that talks to the hardware.