---
name: "Perl::OSType"
section: "3p"
platform: "openbsd"
package: "man"
version: "8.0-current-20261101"
release: "OpenBSD 8.0-current (2026-11-01)"
platforms: ["openbsd"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/Perl::OSType"
---

# Perl::OSType(3p)

Map Perl operating system names to generic types

## NAME

Perl::OSType - Map Perl operating system names to generic types

## VERSION

version 1.010

## SYNOPSIS

```
  use Perl::OSType ':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 and ExtUtils::CBuilder.  (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

## 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.