While reading a Windows 8.1 tips & tricks blog, I came across this conversation in the comment section where they were joking about the possibility of Linux being Batcomputer's choice of OS. Could it be true? A customized OS perhaps? Could the utility belt be running Java? I've searched for an answer which yielded nothing but some vague description of it being a supercomputer and that was it!
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50Of course not. He obviously used BSD, Bat Software Distribution.– user16696Mar 23, 2015 at 18:40
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8“Could the utility belt be running Java?” That's tangential to being on Linux or not. Java can run on Linux, Windows, OS X, and others.– Arturo Torres SánchezApr 10, 2015 at 19:21
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2@ArturoTorresSánchez I knew that. I mentioned it as a separate thing, since Java is a common language in electronic devices and such.– Renae LiderJun 12, 2015 at 2:49
3 Answers
I've found one in-universe and one out-of-universe instance of Batman using an actual computer (e.g. as opposed to a Hollywood computer with customised graphic interface)
1960's Batman
The 1960s Batman series used a modified Burroughs Corporation B205.
The Batcomputer in that case was running the CTOS/BTOS Operation System.
Comicbook Version - 1990s
The panel below shows that the BatComputer uses seven Cray T932 "plug-in units" to provide backup processing power.
In order to interface with his own BatComputer, Batman must be quite proficient in using Cray's own unix-based operating system; UNICOS
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1@bpvxxvqd - It's from Batman The Ultimate Guide To The Dark Knight, Page 42.– ValorumSep 27, 2020 at 17:39
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There have been two editions of this book. The "updated" edition has a black pattern underneath the batcomputer; i.stack.imgur.com/sizSS.jpg. The version above is simply an edited version of that.– ValorumSep 27, 2020 at 19:18
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Please What is the source of this image for batcomputer And who is its designer vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/casscain/images/3/32/…– bpvwvqdOct 16, 2020 at 22:35
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Expanding on the answer of @jrg and @Richard, I think we can safely assume that we should consider the question as referring to times beginning from 1980s, since that's when UNIX systems actually appeared on the mainstream user/corporate market. Obviously neither *n*x OS was an option earlier than this rough date due to movie/comix readers/watchers (not to mention creative staff's) perception of the whole computer science; we got mainly blinkenlichten in movies from pre-1980 era due to little recognition of actual computer operating systems' looks.
To sum up:
a) Since we can assume Batcomputer was a mainframe during 1980-1990 era, it's highly probable it was shipped with some custom UNIX clone, however it is not unheard of entirely machine-specific systems, especially with high-end machines. He certainly hasn't used Linux during that time, because Linux hasn't been created by Torvalds yet.
b) Beginning with ca. 1995, Batman used T932, a most powerful variant of T90 supercomputer, running UNICOS, which is in turn based on UNIX ("CRAY T90 systems run Cray Research's industry-leading UNICOS operating system based on UNIX system V"); we can safely consider he ended doing so somewhere about 2005, when it was obsoleted by Cray X1; thus he most probably wasn't using Linux for this time (even though Linux already existed).
c) Batman's Wayne Enterprise Mainframe (which is, most probably, used as the Batcomputer, since most of Batstuff is actually disguised as actual corporate property one or another) uses *n*x OS currently; see
Wayne Enterprise Mainframe:~ en$ nmap -v 192.168.23.10
with
username:path$
being the common command prompt of e.g. bash shell.
Since custom *n*x OSes are ATM the usual choice for supercomputers nowadays, mainly due to maintainability and security provided, it's quite obvious Batman would choose one for his Batcomputer. Hard to say if it's Linux or Unix/BSD clone due to lack of data - but saying it's a Unix-like OS is quite a good guess IMO.
(as as side note, I'd also assume it's a custom-tailored, highly personalized distribution - mostly because that's the way a power admin would go with his personal mainframe)
BTW:
The batman-adv kernel module has been part of the official Linux kernel since 2.6.38.
("B.A.T.M.A.N.", Wikipedia) chuckles
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2@MilesRout: Quite so. A major clue is that all UNIX timestamps are calculated from 00:00 on 1 Jan 1970. According to this timeline it originated in 1969 and was "widely available outside of Bell Labs" by 1975: unix.org/what_is_unix/history_timeline.html Apr 28, 2014 at 8:38
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1@MilesRout "beginning from 1980s, when UNIX systems actually appeared on the market" - I'm not saying that there weren't any UNIX before that date, only that they didn't contribute to a serious market share, quote: "During the late 1970s and 1980s, Unix developed into a standard operating system for academia." - first UNIX appeared ca. 1974; you're right it was available, you're wrong if you're trying to point my inacurracy, because there isn't one; being "wideliy available outside Bell Labs" doesn't mean anything, as it's the 7th ed, ca. 1979, that actually defined Unix in userspace.– user24069Apr 28, 2014 at 11:28
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1Unironically, nmap was put in that movie for this exact question! Sep 10, 2018 at 23:38
However, Batman does use nmap (bottom of the page).
Therefore, it is entirely likely and possible that he uses a Linux distro of some sort.
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15It's interesting though that even Batman forgets what services are running on his own network.– PeterApr 27, 2014 at 8:25
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17the command line on the screenshot is clearly *nx - the 'username:path$' prompt shown on the shot is *rather uncommon on Win boxes... with rather uncommon meaning you won't see it until somebody decides to intentionally change his prompt in WinDOS to mislead you– user24069Apr 27, 2014 at 16:41
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8This says "Wayne Enterprises Mainframe". Is that necessarily "Batman's computer"?– jpmc26Apr 27, 2014 at 19:34
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9@Lèsemajesté or it could be BeOS, running VMware, running virtualized Windows 8.1 running Cygwin with Wine cmd with prompt carefully disguised as *n*x one...– user24069Apr 28, 2014 at 11:30