Slashdot Mirror
Mac OS X replacing Linux at Tokyo University
TekkaDon writes "At least 1,150 desktop and server PCs running Linux will be replaced with Mac OS X computers at the University of Tokyo next year, as reported by Asahi (Japanese), and echoed by MacRumors.com. 'Ease of maintenance and software installation were cited among the reasons for the switch.' I wonder if Keitaro and Naru will get iMacs at Hinata as well."
OS X certainly has plenty of shared libraries, but there might be a grain of truth to the "simply not used" idea. The library set included with the core OS is remarkably rich, so in many/most cases there really isn't a need to install more support for the program [heh, this is reminding me of Ken Olsen's comparison of Unix and VMS, but now OS X is the "it's all there" OS....]. When libraries do need to be installed, they tend to be things like codecs that in turn talk to an existing framework (QT in that case), so the damage is more or less localized and insulated.
Also, the Mac tends to have a "this kind of document is handled by this program" approach, and there does seem to be a bit more "call program X" than "hook into library Y" than you typically see on other platforms. Funny, that, since it's a mindset that Unix started with and kind of drifted away from.
This is all broad generalization, of course. I'm sure that if we all work diligently, OS X can have as messy a depencency hell as any other OS. But for now, most everyone seems to be content to keep breakage on Apple's OS release schedule.
Shared libraries have evolved into entities called frameworks. A framework is a directory that conforms to a particular structure. It contains Mach-O shared binaries, header files, resources, and documentation. QuickTime is a framework, for example.
Third party developers are welcome to create and ship frameworks, but their use is discouraged. Disk space and RAM are cheaper than the labor involved in maintaining shared code.
theres a little thing called ROI that most people just don't take into consideration...
See the Virgina Tech G5 Super Cluster for a good example of that...
Really, I always had the impression that there were lots of mac lovers in Japan. They have a MacWorld over there every year I believe.
He who knows not and knows he knows not is a wise man. He who knows not and knows not he knows not is a fool.
Umm... rdesktop == remotedesktop
I use it. It is nice and all but it does not compare with the tools I have in Linux (and other Unices) so far.
For me to update 1 or 10,000 machines all I need to do is drop an RPM in a folder.... done.
*If the clients are turned on they will automatically update.
*If they are off (and I don't mean "sleeping") they will automatically be turned on and update and then shutdown.
*If they are laptops they will update as soon as they connect to the LAN.
*I can install system upgrades (not just applications) without disturbing the users.
*I can install custom applications and custom applications to all machines or just to certain subsets.
*All of this is logged so I know which machines have what and when they got it.
*All the nasty RPM dependencies are automatically resolved per machine.
Can remotedesktop do the above?
When Mac OS X gets tools like http://freshmeat.net/projects/autoupdate/
I just might consider expanding its role where I work.
-DU-...etc...
"Don't sweat the technique."