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Making Mac OS X Work Like X Windows?

Posted by Cliff on from the wouldn't-this-be-nice dept.

X Fiend asks: "Is it possible to configure Mac OS X's window manager to run in a client-server mode like X Windows? I'd like to use my (rather anemic) iBook as an X Terminal, with apps running on my (manly dual-processor) desktop machine, but I don't want to have to use X Windows to do it- I want to use Mac OS X's native window manager. Any ideas?"

1 of 110 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Yawn. Here ya go: by TiMac · · Score: 5, Informative
    Point a) is quite correct. Apple Remote Desktop is a (rather poor) OS X implementation of Apple Network Assistant 4, which served for years as the may to manage multiple Macs at once. Both ANA and ARD transmit a complete bitmap of the screen across the network, including the remote cursor, and its performance is not only tough on some networks, it is slow as a dog. It is great to be able to watch what is going on on the machine if you are away from it, but it is not nearly the same.

    Point b) is also very valid because it details what the intended purpose of different technologies is. Whereas X allows you to load JUST an application, such as eterm, on the remote machine, ARD forces the entire server screen buffer to be loaded...in its own window (blech!). X also lets you log into the server as any user and run programs, regardless of which user is currently logged into the GUI. ARD forces you to use the current user, and takes the machine over.

    mithras was right in his analysis of the technology. ARD is to be used in labs, large deployments, etc to manage multiple machines (install files, mass reboot, system status, monitoring, etc), but is hardly a client-server ideal setup like X.

    I had heard somewhere that rumors persist of the hooks still existing in OS X, but the APIs are secret. That's not fact though. I WISH Apple would produce a system like that, but I fear they will not. It might also be possible that because of how Display PDF works (creating a PDF for each screen element, then compositing them together), it is not possible to merely send the screen draw APIs. Maybe?

    But if you're like me, and you WANT this capability, Tell Apple!

    --