Questions from a Linux user considering a Macbook

[Aaron Vegh]

Hey Marc,
I'm a Mac super-freak, so I could probably take a stab at your  
questions.
>
> - general compatibility of X-based apps and the leading X server.  
> Would I be able to compile and run, eg. gvim, without an X-server?  
> Would running gvim be slow because I have to run and X server just  
> to use it?

I'm not familiar with gvim, but there are GUI vim apps for OS X.  
Here's an example: http://code.google.com/p/macvim/

> - fink; its compatibility and package support. Is it a sufficient  
> analogue of APT? In particular, for example can I use fink to  
> install boost/boost-dev, gvim, and/or GLPK? Does it work like apt  
> and resolves dependencies & downloads binaries (no compilation  
> required)? Is installing free / open-source stuff as easy and  
> painless as it is on say Debian and Ubuntu?

There is fink for OS X, but the community prefers Darwin Ports for  
running *NIX applications on OS X. http://darwinports.com/
>
> - suppose I download the source of a random non-X open source  
> project intended to compile+run on a Linux machine. How likely is it  
> that it will build on MacOS X? Will pretty much any piece of source  
> code that has Linux system calls fail to compile in MacOS X? I  
> assume the worst but maybe you can be the bringer of good news!

In some cases, yes, in others no. It depends on the program's  
dependencies: simple C-based applications that only rely on standard  
libraries have no trouble; in other cases where they rely on specific  
dev libs to compile you'd have to do more work. Overall though, the  
environment is nearly identical to Linux; you'll be comfortable and  
productive on the command line right away.

> - do the mac books come (only) with Intel chips now? Are they 64-bit  
> processors?

Every current Mac uses Intel's Core 2 Duo processor, so it's all  
Intel, all 64-bit. Well, except for the high-end Mac Pros; they use 8- 
core chips, but that's a different story.

> - in the worst case if MacOS X will slow me down then maybe I'll  
> dual-boot the thing. Do you know of anybody who has a Mac/Linux dual- 
> boot? Have you done it? In general, is this hard to setup or  
> cumbersome to maintain?

You can use Apple's Boot Camp to boot Linux or Windows. VMWare is what  
I use, however, and it works very well.

http://wiki.onmac.net/index.php/Triple_Boot_via_BootCamp
http://www.vmware.com/products/fusion/

>
> - As a Linux user is there any reason you would recommend against  
> buying a Macbook (other than the "proprietary is evil" argument)?

To my mind it's the perfect platform. It's the only hardware that will  
(legitimately) let you run Mac OS X, while also letting you run Linux  
and Windows easily and quickly.

I love Linux, so I'm not going to say anything negative about it. In  
my own practice I consider it an excellent choice for commodity  
hardware and server tasks. For my own productivity on the desktop, you  
can't beat the MacBook Pro. :-)

Cheers,
Aaron.

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