PASE and UNIX-like features on IBM i

Table of contents

PASE (Portable Application Solutions Environment)

PASE is an environment, a set of shared libraries that enable some Unix functions like binaries to run natively which allows the execution of AIX applications directly on the IBM i.

IBM i architecture.webp

Prerequisites

LPP (Licensed Program Product):

5770SS1 (option 33)

5733SC1 (option 1)

Unix-like

*A Unix-like operating system, often referred to as UN*X or nix, behaves similarly to a Unix system, however, there is no official technical standard defining this term, leading to varying opinions on how closely an operating system resembles Unix. While IBM i does not directly run Unix or Linux, it offers some Unix-like capabilities through these key technologies :

PASE (Portable Application Solutions Environment), a runtime environment that allows AIX applications to run on IBM i.
Qshell, a Unix-like command line interface and scripting environment.
Open source technologies commonly found on Unix/Linux systems, including languages like Apache, Git, Node.js, PHP and Python.

<aside> 💡

UNIX originally was called UNICS (Uniplexed Information and Computing Service)

</aside>

Shell on 5250

Command	Environment Type	Usage	Interactive	Shell
`STRQSH`	IBM i native Unix-like shell	Unix-like command shell	Yes	qsh (Q shell)
`CALL QP2TERM`	PASE terminal (AIX runtime)	Korn shell terminal	Yes	sh (Korn shell)
`CALL QP2SHELL`	PASE command executor	Run PASE cmd/app from CL	No	sh (Korn shell)