[ale] Tax Free Day goodies

[aaron]

On Wednesday 23 July 2003 19:50, Christopher Fowler wrote:
> I'm thinking of picking up an eMac at Microcenter on
> Tax Free Day to run OS X.  So I thought I'd ask some
> interoperability questions.  I am going to replace
> my current Linux desktop at home with this new box.
> 
> Before you fanboys go crazy, I plan on running the 
> desktop headless.  In fact all my boxes except for
> the desktop are headless under console management.
> 
> What I look for on the OS X box for interoperability
> is good emulation when I run SSH.  To run my
> Linux programs from the servers I'll use
> a lot of 'ssh -tCX <host> <program>'  That includes
> X redirection.  I'm hoping that since OS X has gcc
> I can port what I need over so the environment
> can be really seamless.  I'm looking for the goodness
> and multi-media ability of Mac hardware with the
> beauty of UNIX underneath.

I run OSeX about half my work week and like it. A lot. My perspective, though, 
is that of a desktop user focused on media production and presentation who 
also happens to know a little about *nix.

Under the hood it is FreeBSD (: thus the "A lot" :), so general network 
interop and configuration (etc.) are not a problem, and most standard shell 
and GNU tools are included or can be compiled for ppc use. However, the X 
redirection ideas are not so simple because the Mac "Aqua" interface is on 
the proprietary side of the system. It is definitely not X, and it is my 
understanding that it closely integrated with the system's graphics hardware.

Though I have not done so yet, it is possible to install one of 2 ports of 
Xwindows on OSeX Mac. One is the "official" release, now in Beta2, that can 
be freely downloaded from Apple.com. It basically runs X as a cooperative GUI 
system inside of the Aqua environment. The second is xDarwin, a slightly more 
independent release that runs as a hot switchable (either X or Aqua) 
alternate environment. I'm sure either of these ports would give you the 
re-direct capability that you are looking for, but ONLY for your X apps. I 
don't believe the view ports and interfaces of any of the Mac / Aqua based 
apps will export under either package.

> Does the eMac come with a Unix Ware license or
> do I need to buy that separate?

no idea. ask @ apple, maybe?

peace
aaron


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