However, many unix programs that invoke a GUI will assume that an X11 windowing system, such as that found on SGIs, Linux, and every other flavor of unix I can think of, will be present.įor that reason, Apple distributes an X11 server in the form of X11.app.
I've put a lot more information about this on the Unix and OS X: The Absolute Essentials page.Īpple has its own windowing system called Quartz, so it doesn't need X11 for "OS X native" applications. When you launch that program, it opens a terminal session using one of four unix shells (bash by default, or tcsh or zsh or ksh if you should so choose). In /Applications/Utilities, you will find a program called Terminal.app. There is no reason you should need to install Linux or any other unix-like operating system (although you can if you want).
But almost all software that you can compile and run on Linux or other flavors of unix you can compile and run on Mac OS X's Darwin. In terms of the nuts and bolts, at the kernel level, it is rather different. Phenotypically, it is similar but not identical. Is it Linux, or do I have to install Linux?ĭarwin (and freeBSD, from which it is derived) is not the same as Linux, but is in essence a fellow traveler. More on OS X Darwin has been written here. There is no need to install Linux on your computer (although you can do so if you wish.) What you need either comes with OS X or can be added on comparatively easily. It is a variant of freeBSD unix but is now a fully mature "flavor" of unix in its own right (just as is irix, linux, solaris, etc).
More information on Mac OS X and Quartz are available at Wikipedia as well as from Apple.ĭarwin is the name given to the unix operating system (or "subsystem" as Apple calls it, to distinguish it from the GUI stuff that sits on top) that comprises Mac OS X. It is unique in the Unix world, however, in that it uses a windowing system (Quartz) that is completely new, PDF-based, and aesthetically much more pleasing than the standard X11 interface usually associated with unix and linux. The main difference, which is usually an advantage to users, is that it attempts to completely shield novice users from the command-line interface while making it freely available to those who want or need to use it (many Linux systems also attempt to do this now). OS X is Apple computer's current operating system, introduced in 2001. Here is an attempt to clear the muddied waters. If you are coming to OS X for the first time, things can be a little bit baffling. My Attempt at a Zero Assumptions Introduction