# phpman > perldoc > Perl::OSType

## NAME
    [Perl::OSType](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/perldoc/Perl%3A%3AOSType/markdown) - Map Perl operating system names to generic types

## VERSION
    version 1.010

## SYNOPSIS
      use [Perl::OSType](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/perldoc/Perl%3A%3AOSType/markdown) ':all';

      $current_type = os_type();
      $other_type = os_type('dragonfly'); # gives 'Unix'

## DESCRIPTION
    Modules that provide OS-specific behaviors often need to know if the current operating system
    matches a more generic type of operating systems. For example, 'linux' is a type of 'Unix'
    operating system and so is 'freebsd'.

    This module provides a mapping between an operating system name as given by $^O and a more
    generic type. The initial version is based on the OS type mappings provided in [Module::Build](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/perldoc/Module%3A%3ABuild/markdown) and
    [ExtUtils::CBuilder](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/perldoc/ExtUtils%3A%3ACBuilder/markdown). (Thus, Microsoft operating systems are given the type 'Windows' rather than
    'Win32'.)

## USAGE
    No functions are exported by default. The export tag ":all" will export all functions listed
    below.

  os_type()
      $os_type = os_type();
      $os_type = os_type('MSWin32');

    Returns a single, generic OS type for a given operating system name. With no arguments, returns
    the OS type for the current value of $^O. If the operating system is not recognized, the
    function will return the empty string.

  is_os_type()
      $is_windows = is_os_type('Windows');
      $is_unix    = is_os_type('Unix', 'dragonfly');

    Given an OS type and OS name, returns true or false if the OS name is of the given type. As with
    "os_type", it will use the current operating system as a default if no OS name is provided.

## SEE ALSO
    *   [Devel::CheckOS](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/perldoc/Devel%3A%3ACheckOS/markdown)

## SUPPORT
  Bugs / Feature Requests
    Please report any bugs or feature requests through the issue tracker at
    <<https://github.com/Perl-Toolchain-Gang/Perl-OSType/issues>>. You will be notified automatically
    of any progress on your issue.

### Source Code
    This is open source software. The code repository is available for public review and
    contribution under the terms of the license.

    <<https://github.com/Perl-Toolchain-Gang/Perl-OSType>>

      git clone <https://github.com/Perl-Toolchain-Gang/Perl-OSType.git>

## AUTHOR
    David Golden <<dagolden@cpan.org>>

## CONTRIBUTORS
    *   Chris 'BinGOs' Williams <<chris@bingosnet.co.uk>>

    *   David Golden <<xdg@xdg.me>>

    *   Graham Ollis <<plicease@cpan.org>>

    *   Jonas B. Nielsen <<jonasbn@hoarfrost.local>>

    *   Owain G. Ainsworth <<oga@nicotinebsd.org>>

    *   Paul Green <<Paul.Green@stratus.com>>

    *   Piotr Roszatycki <<piotr.roszatycki@gmail.com>>

## COPYRIGHT AND LICENSE
    This software is copyright (c) 2016 by David Golden.

    This is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the same terms as the Perl
    5 programming language system itself.