Resources for using and porting code to the Unix environment of z/OS
z/OS has had a POSIX-compliant Unix environment called Unix System Services (USS) since 1998. It contains the same basic infrastructure common to Unix platforms, like a common runtime library, a tree-based file system (zfs), a shell, some key languages - like C, Java, and Python, and an assortment of common Unix commands.
USS should be thought of as a base layer of enabling technology that other layers build upon. It shouldn't be thought of as a modern development environment. One of the primary opportunities for this project, and related projects like Zowe is to build out the pipelines, workflows, and infrastructure configurations that enable modern DevOPs.
There are several similarities and differences between z/OS and Unix or Linux platforms. Our things to know page lists several of these, and can be useful for new developers who need to understand the USS environment better, as well as experienced system programmers who need to know more about the open source world.
Getting started with open source in z/OS native (container-less) environment involves some key definition and configuration steps: