Questions from a Linux user considering a Macbook

[Kyle O'Donnell]

I just picked up my macbook on the weekend and I was going to run
Linux instead of OSX, but I figured I would give OSX a try for a
while.

I've been running a UNIX based (Linux/Free/OpenBSD) desktop as my
primary machine for over a decade and I was reluctant at first, but
after only 3 days I am ... wouldn't say converted, but very impressed.

I find myself using X11 less and less and native osx apps more.  There
seem to be a number of equivalent tools available natively.

Don't forget about macports, which brings bsd style ports to osx (if
you are not familiar, ports ==apt-get||yum)



On 2/20/09, Aaron Vegh <aaronvegh-Re5JQEeQqe8AvxtiuMwx3w at public.gmane.org> wrote:
> 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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