Linux vs MacOSX

zojas · Posted: Tue Apr 20, 2004 1:07 pm Post subject:

the actual kernel in OS X is a mach microkernel with a BSD compatibility component. If you try to write any code which uses the system itself (like looking up process information) you quickly find yourself having to do native mach system calls.
(see the code for OS X's 'ps' for example).

at apple.com you can sign up for a free developer account. then you can check out the source code to pretty much everything which doesn't have a gui from their cvs server. it's all available under apple's open source license, which the fsf now lists as being a Free Software license.

there are people that run the OS with just the programs that have the source available (Darwin). and Darwin runs on ppc or x86.
_________________
http://www.desertsol.com/~kevin/ppc

Ian Henderson · n00b Joined: 31 Mar 2004 Posts: 9

Has anybody here used the Apple developer tools? Cocoa and Objective-C are the best combo I've found for developing applications. I was a 100% linux user before I discovered this; now I'm only a 50% linux user. ^_^

ebrostig · Posted: Wed Apr 21, 2004 7:28 pm Post subject:

It's just amazing that people volontarily uses a propriatary product like OSX

Erik
_________________
'Yes, Firefox is indeed greater than women. Can women block pops up for you? No. Can Firefox show you naked women? Yes.'

Athas · Posted: Wed Apr 21, 2004 7:57 pm Post subject:

ebrostig · Posted: Thu Apr 22, 2004 2:34 pm Post subject:

Athas · Posted: Thu Apr 22, 2004 3:13 pm Post subject:

zojas · Posted: Thu Apr 22, 2004 3:43 pm Post subject:

I'm a fan of apple, but I do believe that if one of us hard-core geeky types set up a nice gentoo box and a nice user environment for a noob, they could use it easily. now administering it would be another issue, but that's what us geeky types are for.

since I'm posting anyway, I'll go ahead and say I like OS X because it's convenient. a lot of things I like to do on computers are easy to do in OS X (from a desktop standpoint). now server type stuff, I'm not at all interested in OS X for that.
_________________
http://www.desertsol.com/~kevin/ppc

regeya · Posted: Thu Apr 22, 2004 4:48 pm Post subject:

I think I can sum up most the detractors' posts here: Lies, Damn Lies, and FUD. :wink:

I'te pretty clear reading most the replies here that we've had people ignorant of the facts replying, but that hasn't stopped anyone, of course.

Apple copying from GNOME? PUH-LEEEEZE! Could we turn off the GNOME Zealot B.S. Machine for a second? OS X, the desktop edition, can't function as well as a server as Linux? What part of "workstation O.S." is so hard to understand? OS X is FreeBSD? Um, sorry, no.

It's simple: OS X is a good (not excellent) workstation OS, lightyears ahead of previous MacOSes in stability but not perfect. OS X Server is okay, but I wouldn't use it for anything more than what I use it for now, which is a small office. Does that make it bad? Nope.

Just as I wouldn't hand a graphic designer a Gentoo box with GNOME installed (eww) I wouldn't inflict OS X on an uber-l33t d00d with extreme stability needs. I might not even recommend Linux, for that matter. :wink:

The point? OS X can be great or a flaming pile of crap, depending on your needs. Do you need Photoshop, Illustrator, etc. and need to work in a Mac-only environment? If so, you're going to love OS X. I'm typing this in a Safari window right now, come to that. If you want a machine to keep 10 terminals open along with Emacs and run an anonymous FTP server, Web server, and a few other services besides, you're going to hate OS X with a passion.

EDIT: in response to ebrostig's comment about people volontarily[sic] using proprietary software: some of us believe in the freedom to use whatever the hell you want to use, provided you have the right to use it. :wink:

bzImage · n00b Joined: 14 Oct 2002 Posts: 35

mugget · Posted: Mon Jun 14, 2004 8:19 pm Post subject:

yes in OS X you can change themes and the system font.

ShapeShifter for themes and also from Unsanity, Silk, for changing the fonts. -> http://unsanity.com/haxies/silk.

i don't know how i'd live without being able to change the theme...

_________________
G'Day mate

Given M. Sur · Posted: Mon Jun 14, 2004 8:28 pm Post subject:

bzImage · n00b Joined: 14 Oct 2002 Posts: 35

mugget · Posted: Tue Jun 15, 2004 5:10 am Post subject:

yes, Desktop Manager is great. i've used that a bit. very nice, especially with the cube transition effect.

CodeTek Virtual Desktop i've found offers nothing that DM can't do (except maybe for pre-Panther compatibility

) and it costs money as well!

_________________
G'Day mate

truekaiser · l33t Joined: 05 Mar 2004 Posts: 810

so for the themeing and the font changeing with mulitple desktops the choice boils down to if you want to pay for a program that does it or install a freeware app(mac os and windows) or if you want these things to come built in(linux).

mugget · Posted: Tue Jun 15, 2004 8:10 am Post subject:

Given M. Sur · Posted: Tue Jun 15, 2004 8:15 am Post subject:

placeholder · Advocate Joined: 07 Feb 2004 Posts: 2500

To me Mac OSX has way too much eye candy. Small amounts are nice and they make a comfortable atmosphere, but when it comes down to it it's annoying to have almost every part of the GUI having an animation.

Mac OSX also sounds annoying to me mainly because you have to activate the root account and there are the ever annoying "admins". The higher-up group on my system is called the elites, because to me it just sounds better. I don't know why I hate the idea of an admin thing so much, I suppose maybe it's because of my Windows days. lol

bzImage · n00b Joined: 14 Oct 2002 Posts: 35

mugget · Posted: Tue Jun 15, 2004 11:08 pm Post subject:

he he.

yeah, the Happy Meal.

i was also just thinking... in Gentoo you have to add in anything you want yourself. nothing is included really... so what's the difference if in OS X you have to get some third party apps for virtual desktop or whatever? linux users are so used to adding functionality themselves that you'd think that doing the same in OS X wouldn't be such a big deal.
_________________
G'Day mate

sindre · Guru Joined: 01 Nov 2002 Posts: 315 Location: Norway

Linux not being suitable for ppc, must be the most undocumented fud I've heared since the sco case. Linus himself uses a ppc-box afaik.

Match · Posted: Wed Jun 16, 2004 6:29 am Post subject:

My plan in the future: get a PowerMac and dual-boot OSX with Gentoo. Best of both worlds. As people have already said, it all comes down to preference. Yes. even for those who prefer Windows (though that's 99% of the time through ignorance it seems

)

ralph · Advocate Joined: 02 Mar 2003 Posts: 2001 Location: Hamburg

screwjack · n00b Joined: 26 Jul 2003 Posts: 16 Location: san diego, ca

craftyc · Guru Joined: 23 May 2002 Posts: 443 Location: Behind You.