Of OS X and Linux

[MetalForAHead]

I've been hearing bits and pieces about running apps built for one UNIX platform on another with a fair amount of ease, so I've been wondering, will we see more mainstream apps ported to Linux, instead of having to rely on Wine/WineX (which work well, but native applications are better)?

 

[DaHitman]

Its quite possible... all UNIX's share a VERY LARGE portion of the same API's... the only MAIN difference between making a program on OSX and Linux is the GUI Layer..

Thats why its pretty effortless to compile and run any Linux program on OSX... however since the OSX GUI is propetary its not quite as easy to port OSX programs to Linux.. .but a developer could make their application modular enough so they could plug in a different set of GUI interfaces and it would not be very hard at all.

 

[MetalForAHead]

Thank you, sir. If only another Loki will pop up...

 

[n0cmonkey]

<< Its quite possible... all UNIX's share a VERY LARGE portion of the same API's... the only MAIN difference between making a program on OSX and Linux is the GUI Layer.. >>



http://www.osxgnu.org. There is xonx which will let you run XF86 on Mac OS X, and in rootless mode there is not much separation between Mac OS X's gui and X. I personally run it for the xterms.



<< Thats why its pretty effortless to compile and run any Linux program on OSX... >>



For several programs there are slight modifications you have to make. Some of them are stupid. This is Apple's fault. Oh well

 

[MetalForAHead]

I can't believe I didn't realize this, but you said the GUI was the only major difference. Games don't use the GUI. So that means (from what I gather) that games made for OS X would be pretty easily run on Linux. Good stuff.

 

[MGMorden]

Games don't use a GUI, but they do use an API. Unless Apple went totally OpenGL on OSX then games are gonna be hard to port over as well. Personally I'd be moreso looking towards the Windows software still for native ports. A Developer isn't going to worry too much about how strictly easy it is to port a title, but rather whether or not they can make money off of it. If so, then they'll do it. Neverwinter Nights will be coming out for Linux (absolutely gonna rock). Whether or not that will move the Linux gaming scene when Quake 3 couldn't is another matter. it would be nice to see a Linux version of Warcraft 3 but I doubt that'll happen.

 

[MetalForAHead]

I know about NWN, but I'm unsure if it can live up to the Baldur's Gate series, which are really the only games I care about. But I suppose it will have to suffice.

 

[n0cmonkey]

<< I can't believe I didn't realize this, but you said the GUI was the only major difference. Games don't use the GUI. So that means (from what I gather) that games made for OS X would be pretty easily run on Linux. Good stuff. >>



Just to add to what MGMorden said (since he knows more about it than me anyhow ), remember OS X is on the PPC platform, so binary compatibility would also only be on the PPC platform. As far as everything else goes, ok