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I have Mac Mini with OS X, and I have been using it for about a year now. I also have a tower-PC running KDE and Linux.

Just curious, but have you been trying out OS X's implementation of X11 to run applications remotely? I mean with the application running on the Linux box, using your Mini's GUI as a front-end. From what I've read on the net, I was under the impression that X11 on OS X can't handle it, but I'm really not too sure about that. I may have completely misinterpreted what I read. I'm very inexperienced with X servers and I've found all the information confusing.

I have a PowerBook and a Linux box, and I want to use the Linux box as a network appliance, running applications on it through my PowerBook's GUI. However I can't seem to find any clear instructions on the net on how to do so. I have found instructions on how to run KDE on OS X in a fixed-size window. I suppose that would allow KDE on OS X to work as an X server, with remote applications running within the Xnest window. But I would prefer to be able to take advantage of the entire OS X desktop for remote applications rather than have them isolated within a window.

Which is where in Indies should really be pushing...

"Here Apple, have our entire catalogue for world wide distribution."

Knowing that iTunes Australia was launching, I did an interview with AppleTalk Australia that tells a little bit more behind-the-scenes stuff, in case you're interested.

I'm glad this is finally up-and-running. Australia has a great independent music scene (as I spoke more about in previous Slashdot comment).

this is tosh invented by the pathetic rumour mill that has never maneged to get a rumour correct, Appletalk Australia. They first fabricated this rumour on Wednesday this week and like the sheep they are Australian media outlets picked it up again. Remember their fake russell crow article that media outlets picked up? this is the same thing like the other ten times they told us the itunes store was opening in australia.

read more at andrew's blog about what to expect from these people. iTunes music store australia will come eventually but just give it a rest with the fake rumours people.

Wow. Slashdotted already. Must be all those screenshots -- sorry, they're (obviously) absent here.

Setting Up And Running Kde And Xfree86 With Fink
By: Si_man
Sep 22 2005

This simple guide will go over the basics of setting up and running KDE on MacOSX. First a simple introduction.

What is KDE?
KDE stands for the K Desktop environment. KDE is a graphical user interface much like OSX or Windows, it was originally written for Linux but has been ported to many different OS's. For more information visit: www.kde.org

What is Fink?
Fink is a package management application that will allow you to download and install many Linux applications to run within X11. For more information visit: http://fink.sourceforge.net/

What is Xfree86?
Xfree86 is an X11 window server, a window server is software that displays a Graphical User Interface, and without a window server we couldn't run KDE or any software that requires a GUI. For more information visit: http://www.xfree86.org/

What will I be learning in this tutorial?
You will be learning how to set-up xfree86, Fink and KDE , How to run X11 in a window so you can put it on a second monitor and how to get KDE to load when X11 starts up.

What wont I be learning in this tutorial?
I wont be going into detail on Fink or Fink Commander or all the details of X11 or KDE. I may decide to write a tutorial on package management with Fink at some later point.

What system will I to run this tutorial?
Any Mac running OSX 10.3 or later. Basic knowledge and familiarity with the Terminal. Latest Version of Apple Developer Tools. A machine you are not afraid to modify. Plenty of time and coffee.

Additional: I recommend you run OSX 10.4 or later and have at least a dual processor G4 to analize things at decent speed (even with my Dual 1.25 G4 it took me close to 8 hours to compile KDE and Xfree86 from source).

Also you will be using a program called Pico a lot in this tutorial if you want to get a heads up on the usage of it check out this great article: http://www.appletalk.com.au/articles/index.php?art icle=6830

Part 1 -- Installing Fink.
Open your favourite web browser and point it to

http://fink.sourceforge.net/

Look down the menu bar on the left labelled "Sexions" and select "Download". From here download the latest binary that supports your OS. Feel the black blood drop out of Taco's anus. Relish its taste. Maybe put some in a tart, or in the fridge for later. If you are running 10.4 this should be Fink 0.8.0

Figure 1

Open the disk image. Run the "Fink 0.8.0 Installer.pkg" file. Also drag the folder called "FinkCommander" to your applications folder.

(a bit on FinkCommander, it is a Graphical User Interface for Fink so you will have to spend far less time in the terminal than you usually would, this makes it a lot easier for beginner users.)

Part 2 -- Configuring Fink.
We are now going to configure your eyeball to withstand Taco's gaping anus. Pin your eyelids back, Clockwork Orange style, and squeeze the eyeball into his rectum. Careful not to lose it in there! Fink to use the unstable application builds, now these wont crash all the time or anything like that it means that we will have access to newer versions of the software we will be using , specifically KDE 3.4 which is far superior to KDE 3.3.

Step 1:

Go to Utilities folder and open Terminal, Should be /Applications/Utilities/Terminal.app

Figure 2

This will open a command prompt.

Figure 3

Now type in:
sudo pico /sw/etc/fink.conf

Enter your password at the prompt.
At the end of line that begins with "Trees:"

Yeah. What you need to do is stick a Mac mini inside a PC tower case and then tell him it's running "Windows Longhorn." ;)

Let me know when someone finds a way to make a modern PC BIOS video card look like an Open Firmware card without flashing the firmware. If it's as easy as converting an ATI Radeon 7000 PCI, it might be worthwhile (assuming something similar can be done with the BIOS).

My feeling is that a minimal virtual machine solution that emulates OF might be the way to go here (although CoreVideo might run like teh suck).

the point of this is really just a setup for the ultimate hack of putting the entire PC-Mini back into a PC case

BACKGROUND
I bought my mini for the software. Years ago I paid for a miniDV camcorder, because I knew that someday I would be able to afford a computer to edit the footage with. That day finally came! :-)

But the HDD stinks. External SATA is possible, and the best answer. Here's why...

OPTIONS
FW 400
While I *might* go for an external FW 400 solution, the mini only has one FW port... and copying DV material from a camcorder to a FW HDD on the same channel is a no-no.

USB 2.0
slower than FW 400 on the mini, according to what I've read. But more importantly, the mini won't boot from USB.

External 3.5" PATA
Ah, now we're talking! Check out these articles: 4 sweet solutions, all of which allow use of 3.5" HDDs on the mini's own ATA/100 controller:

mini in a PC box
http://www.appletalk.com.au/articles/miniserver/

mini with an external drive box housing an ATA HDD
http://www.amug.org/amug-web/html/amug/reviews/art icles/mini/

mini ensconsed in a Centris 660
(Check out the XBench scores table)
http://www.amug.org/amug-web/html/amug/reviews/art icles/mini/dock/

And best of all (IMHO), the purple mini
http://macmod.com/content/view/273/2/

External 3.5" SATA
The problem with the external PATA solutions is that the form factor sucks. Which got me thinking: If I could only use one of those fancy new SATA cables...

PARTS LIST
1. PATA to SATA bridgeboard:
http://www.google.com/search?q=PATA2SATA
2. IDE Hard Drive Cable Adapter - 2.5'' to 3.5''
http://www.google.com/search?q=StarTech+IDE4044
3. 44 Pin Male to Male IDC 2.5" IDE Laptop Gender Changer
http://www.google.com/search?q=+44+Pin+Male+to+Mal e+IDC+2.5%22+IDE+Laptop+Gender+Changer

DETAILS
I don't yet have the money to do this project, or you would have already heard the results. :-( But here is the plan:

Assemble the three components together (and trim off the unneeded power connection from the 2.5" to 3.5" cable adapter). You now have an assembly that fits within the space normally occupied by the mini's 2.5" HDD.

WARNING: the real unknown is whether or not you can actually then snake an SATA cable from the bridge board and out the back (or side) of the mini. But I think it will work. Assuming it does...

RESULTS
There are more and more SATA drive enclosures hitting the market. This year the trend is multiplexing backplanes, so that you can RAID multiple SATA drives in the enclosure and connect them via one channe back to the computer.

Pick an attractive SATA drive enclosure, plug it in, connect it to the mini, and off you go!

Phil Lawrence
--
feel free to email me if you'd like details about the success or failure of the project, once I get the parts together

Like this?

A kit that does exactly that would be great, like the Marathon kits, like the iRack. Sure, it's warranty-violating activity, but when has that stopped anybody?

Hmm... we submitted this last night, but it got rejected.

Here is the correct URL to use: http://www.appletalk.com.au/articles/miniserver/
That one doesn't rely on SQL, so it will work.

Also - can the first post be edited with this URL instead of the other one?

Uh, that's incorrect. You can run Linux on 680x0 machines, you can run OS X on linux (via pear PC). Sure, it's going to seem like a glacier it'll be so slow. But it's possible.

Among geeks the only insipration you need is "because it was there!". Witness cheap RAID on Mac that works, driven by a Mac mini:

"The Mac mini Maxi"
http://www.appletalk.com.au/articles/index.php?a rt icle=4433

Why need POWER or PowerPC? Both are overkill, especially when you can run OSX on a Centris