Someone explain mac os X to me...

[slack]

From what I hear it's a beefed up version of FreeBSD, so could someone tell me how they are using linux, yet not offering it free and having an open source? Part of the agreement for the linux source to be used is that it stays free and the source must always be open. So... is mac os x built off of a linux source, or what?

Thanks,

Slack

[Tim Dorr Veteran]

first, linux != freeBSD. they're both linux clones, but separate in implementation. secondly, a LOT of OS X is not the original code, it's all Apple's stuff. So, what they want to do with it is their business.

Hope that helps to understand a bit...

[Dazzla Veteran]

Have a look here for more info:

http://www.apple.com/macosx/technologies/

[intensityx]

First off BSD in not Linux, it's UNIX. There is a difference.

The reason Apple doesn't have to release their source code has to do with the BSD licence, it doesn't require them to share all of their modifications.

They have however released the source for Darwin (BSD), which is the opensource variant that Mac OSX is based on, primarily for developers and so that the code can benefit from community development.

If you want more info go to http://developer.apple.com/darwin/projects...darwin/faq.html

[Tim Dorr Veteran]

Originally posted by intensityx

They have however released the source for Darwin (BSD), which is the opensource variant that Mac OSX is based on, primarily for developers and so that the code can benefit from community development.

i shoud also mention there IS an x86 version (hmm....), but it's just the CLI and nothing more...(although, it's a rather pretty CLI :D )

[SonicYouthXY]

Think of OS/X like a verions of Unix, instead of using Gnome, or KDE, it uses a propietary GUI called Aqua. And alonside Unix favorites like Perl, Python and TcL, it also uses ApplesScript and Java.

It's origins can be traced to Steve Jobs ownership of NeXT, a Unix derivitive operating system, a pretty good one from what I heard. When Jobs was brought back to Apple, he brought with him NeXT.

NeXT was the framework for OS/X. With the addition of Aqua, Java, AppleScript, OpenGL, and other open-source components (netwoking, audio, video, fonts, etc.)

Sonic.