Switch to Apple?

[LuckyTaxi]

I would love to get my hands on an Apple, but money has been an issue.
Looks like I can spend up to $1400 on a new laptop come July so I'm looking up prices for
various laptops. We're a windows/linux shop and I would need the laptop for working at home.
I would rather get an intel-based laptop so i can dual boot XP and freebsd so i can run apache
and work on some stuff, while being able to use XP at work to do what I need to do there.

however, since this is a perfect opp for me to get an ibook, i wouldnt mind running Jaguar.
Can it run apache, mysql, php, and ssh? that's basically all i would need ... i think ... to work from home.

 

[MasterSamwise]

Jaguar uses linux under the hood so i would assume those functionalitys are avalible. However, I have never used Jaguar myself. Maybe someone else could shed some more light on the issue?

Or a google search in order?

MS

 

[LuckyTaxi]

nevermind ... found some answers

 

[Barnaby W. Füi]

Originally posted by: MasterSamwise
Jaguar uses linux under the hood so i would assume those functionalitys are avalible. However, I have never used Jaguar myself. Maybe someone else could shed some more light on the issue?

Or a google search in order?

MS

It uses BSD under the hood, not linux.

And yeah, all of those things mentioned should work fine.

 

[LuckyTaxi]

hmmmmmmmmmmmmm ... from that link i listed above, it seems jaguar has the latest and greatest versions of the programs i listed. however, i am running programs that require older versions of apache and php along with mysql. damn this sucks. i think i'll fire up another freebsd box and run apache2, php 4.3 and mysql 4 to see how my apps will work before i decide. nooooooooooooo ... so close to an apple.

BTW ... cdw has a 800mhz ibook with 14' screen for $1390 or so (prob cheaper since i work for a school).
isn't there a new version of MAC OS coming out soon?!

oh yea ... i wouldnt need OS X Server to run them would i?

 

[Barnaby W. Füi]

I'm sure you can install older versions, look around.

I believe it's called panther, 10.3. Not sure when it's due exactly..

Nope, don't need osx server.

BTW, apache is installed by default. Throw stuff in ~/Public or whatever it's called, go into sharing preferences, enable web sharing, and you're up and away.

 

[LuckyTaxi]

ok ... good news for me then.

btw ... currently looking on apple's site. to go wireless wut would i need?

An airport card AND an AirPort Extreme Base Station?

I will have to share this with a desktop at home running XP, which would run on CAT5.

I guess wut i really wanna know is how to integrate it. I currently have a cable modem plugged directly
into the desktop. Only two computers once i get the ibook. desktop will not be on wireless.

 

[oniq]

Originally posted by: lilcam
ok ... good news for me then.

btw ... currently looking on apple's site. to go wireless wut would i need?

An airport card AND an AirPort Extreme Base Station?

I will have to share this with a desktop at home running XP, which would run on CAT5.

I guess wut i really wanna know is how to integrate it. I currently have a cable modem plugged directly
into the desktop. Only two computers once i get the ibook. desktop will not be on wireless.

The Airport Extreme Base Station isn't a requirement. Apple would like you to buy it though =).. I'm using my iBook right now with Airport and a D-Link 614+ access point/wireless router. Works like a champ.

 

[drag]

From what I understand mostly everything Linux/Unix has been ported to work in OS X. You may have to play around with make files and experiment compiling stuff for some of the more esoteric applications and servers, but there is definately a full-fledged Unix running under all that pretty Aqua eye-candy. Be sure to get the developement tools and such, these are the compilers and other programming do-dads you'll probably be needing if you want to use the Unix aspects of the OS alot.

I am guessing that OS X server is just the same OS, just with maybe a slighty different kernel and plenty of extra services aviable during installation. The major difference I see between them is Apple's extra managment tools. Very nice stuff.


(extra stuff
Something interesting that most Apple users never notice is that if you are using 10.2 and above you can go 127.0.0.1:631 in your browser and call up the cups printer managment web tools. In 10.2 apple totally ditched it's previous printing settup for a pure Unix/Linux one.

 

[DeadMilkman]

OSX Server (unlimited) has only the following added

AppleShare (over TCP/IP) *unlimited
Apple's GUI app to administer most of what is built into the client....(just about all of it can be admin'd through the CLI)
A few apps to configure and manage workstations (if you want to)
NetInstall
MySQL (included)
LDAP functionality

Basically everything you would need to run a file/web/authentication server, without using a CLI

anyone who's just doing web or small file does not need server (unless they just like handing Apple money)
The only limit on the client that I know of is a connection limit on AppleShare filesharing. Filesharing on any other protocol "should" be unlimited iirc.

 

[gsiener]

About choosing a model laptop-
I'd recommend the 12" ibook over the 14", you don't actually get any added resolution, just a more stretched screen. There is talk that a new 15" powerbook will be released this month, in the new aluminum casing the 12" and 17" powerbook have. That's probably out of your price range, but it will make the price of current powerbooks go down, so keep that in mind.

Whatever you buy, make sure you check it out, and if you're thinking about a mac I'd recommend visiting the forums over at arstechnica. There is a very helpful mac forum that would be very helpful.

As for running older versions of apache, etc. You can recompile whatever you want just as you would in unix. Nothing's hardwired in, it can all be changed.

Good luck.

 

[chsh1ca]

Wow, I'm amazed at the amount of misinformation about MacOS X using Unix going around.

MacOS X uses the BSD Mach Kernel, but most of the rest of the OS is done by Apple. It's not just BSD with a GUI, there's a lot more to it than that.

It is only related to Linux in that some software can compile on both Linux and Mac OS X.

As far as I know, you can run Apache + PHP on Mac OSX. At that point though, you might want to consider installing YellowDog or Debian PPC on it, if you're looking for a PPC Linux Distribution.

 

[Sunner]

IIRC the CLI userland is mostly FreeBSD based?

 

[addragyn]

Lilcam you should find Fink and RDC useful.


http://fink.sourceforge.net/

http://www.microsoft.com/mac/products/rdc/