Xenix

Xenix is a discontinued line of Unix operating systems developed and sold by Microsoft. It was based on AT&T's Unix System V. Microsoft acquired the rights to license and distribute Unix from AT&T in 1979. Xenix was first released in 1980 for microcomputers. It was a significant step in bringing Unix to the Intel x86 architecture, which was becoming increasingly popular for business and personal computing.

Over time, Microsoft released several versions of Xenix for different hardware platforms, including the IBM PC, IBM AT, and various microcomputer systems from companies like Tandy and SCO. Xenix was known for its multitasking and multi-user capabilities, making it suitable for small business environments. It supported a range of applications and provided a command-line interface.

In 1987, Microsoft sold its Xenix business to The Santa Cruz Operation (SCO), which continued to develop and market it as SCO Xenix. SCO would later develop its own Unixware operating system. Xenix played a crucial role in the early adoption of Unix on microcomputers and paved the way for later Unix-like systems on the x86 platform. Its development and eventual transfer to SCO marked a transition in the Unix landscape for personal computers.