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MacOSX and XFree86 run side by side
proclus writes "XonX has announced interoperability between Xfree86 and MacOSX. Relatedly, Xfree86 now supports the Darwin platform and XFree86 binaries are available. Many thanks to Torrey Lyons, Gregory Robert Parker, and everyone else involved! Will this Aqua support be rolled into the next Xfree86 release? I think I'll have a look at some of those new fast Macs!"
As some others have pointed out, this announcement doesn't bring Aqua and X together, but Tenon has a neat product called Xtools which basically lets you run X programs seamlessly under Aqua. I'm using it now and it is pretty impressive.
-- Solaris Central - http://w
Will this Aqua support be rolled into the next Xfree86 release? I think I'll have a look at some of those new fast Macs!
This is NOT Aqua support! This is XFree86 running on Darwin! So, you can have X on your screen, or you can have Aqua on your screen. Either way, you're limited to programs compiled for what's on the screen.
"Will this Aqua support be rolled into the next Xfree86 release?"
:)
No. At least, I'd put a large amount of money on it being a *long* time before X is extended to cover Aqua. Look how long it's taken for display ghostscript to catch on (hint: it hasn't)
Maybe when X can do translucancy[1] properly.
[1] Trans-lunacy?
-Yarn - Rio Karma: Excellent
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$x='S24;r)>63/* h@<5+oZ)32"5cz';$me='phroggy'x$];
$x=~y+ -xz+\0-Tx+;print$_^chop$me for split'',$x;
tcd004
True Enlightenment
X-Windows running alongside (and inheriting the window widgets of) Aqua in MacOS X is about the only thing keeping me from using MacOS X on a regular basis. i can't wait to compile and install this new patch to see how close i can get to seamlessly using UNIX and Mac applications side by side.
despite how much i hated Aqua and many of the changes of MacOS X at first, it's definitely grown on me as of late, and my "wishlist" is mostly comprised of nit-picky features (but damn how i wish i could put the 'dock' on the right side of the screen like i did in NeXTStep). once i can run X applications in a satisfactory manner, i will have absolutely no need for my Linux box (except, perhaps, as a toy).
i won't be able to install this for at least a week however, as my Mac is too important for "real" work to start installing new patches to a beta OS. but i'm dying to know: does anybody have a screenshot of this particular implementation running on their OSX box? i'd love to see how well it integrates into Aqua.
..and serious "Kudos" to all the people involved in this project. after my current contract is done, perhaps i'll take some time out to help them with the code.
- j
Until Linux reaches the ability to be a powerful desktop system that's easy for almost anyone to use efficiently, Macs may come to fill that void in the business sector. Apple has made a series of incredibly smart moves over recent years (the iMac - a computer for the general masses, the G4 - a slower clock speed, but 128 bit channeling making it capable of handling significantly more non-dependant data than say of 32 bit chip of a clock speed twice as fast), and a few other things to boot. They've adopted less expensive RAM, all the systems within a series use identical parts (a wonderful dream for any IT pro), and, well, they're just getting to be a lot better than they were, though I think I've said that.
This interoperability with X makes it a great value for large corporations with *nix (especially Linux) servers. I think that over the years, Apple will make its Macintosh series have a comeback. GO APPLE!
Oh yeah, to make the subject makes sense, what OS is currently most-used as a workplace desktop? M$ Windoze...what would be displaced? Figure it out...
Note: I have NO affiliation with Apple Computing - I don't even use one of their computers regularly. However, I still believe from what I've seen lately that they do have a good shot a taking back market share...
Like Karma doesn't matter...
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