# Unix A family of multitasking, multi-user operating systems created by [[wiki/Ken Thompson|Ken Thompson]] and [[wiki/Dennis Ritchie|Dennis Ritchie]] at [[wiki/Bell Labs|Bell Labs]] in 1969. Unix introduced foundational concepts — hierarchical file systems, pipes, shell scripting, the philosophy of small composable tools — that became the template for virtually all modern operating systems. Its descendants include Linux, macOS, Android, and iOS, meaning Unix-derived systems now run effectively every server and most devices on the planet. Unix's creation and propagation are traced in [[articles/Bell Labs and the Distributed Architecture of American Power|Bell Labs and the Distributed Architecture of American Power]].