[wplug] OS X on Linux?

Sun Jul 22 17:48:25 EDT 2007

After a year (I think I hit a year a couple days ago, at least) on Ubuntu
and 1.5 months being forced (for my job) to use OS X, I get more of a "just
works" feeling from Ubuntu.  I'm starting to understand why KDE users argue
against GNOME's hiding of features.  Now, I like GNOME's level of hiding
stuff, but Aqua is annoying me to no end.

I love having apt-get on Ubuntu, and that's there and working by default.
On OS X, you need to go get Fink or Darwin Ports (I went with Fink because
it's Apt, and I don't know Portage) to install some stuff (unless you want
to build from source yourself, which "average joe end user" doesn't, and I
usually don't either unless I just *really* want the newest features...like
going from Feisty's version of Rubrica to the newest), like irssi.  Yeah,
there's X-Chat for OS X, but there's setup involved before it'll let me
connect to #linuxchix (have to add the server, for example, before I can
choose it, while irssi, I just /server).  Package manager always pwns having
to hunt the internet for a suitable program.

Then there was having to hunt down the OS X DVDs to install X11 (yay for my
boss having no idea that it came with DVDs) before I could install the GIMP
(please note that she got a Mac instead of a Dell w/ Ubuntu because "Macs
are good for graphics and I NEED Photoshop"...and I installed the GIMP
because A) she doesn't have Photoshop B) I'm the one who does the graphics
on that computer and I *hate* Photoshop) or Inkscape.  I could get OOo on
there just fine before the X11 bit thanks to NeoOffice, so if there was a
GIMP for Aqua, that'd definitely help.

It seems to me there's more useful things installed by default in Ubuntu
than on OS X, in general.  OOo and the GIMP are there already.  Garageband
is probably the only thing that Ubuntu doesn't by default have a match for.
Of course, there could be other things on the Mac that I've never touched.
Oh, iTunes doesn't handle scrobbling for last.fm natively (need to download
iScrobble), but Rhythmbox does.  iCal, Mail, and Address Book all fit under
"Evolution" (though I can't stand that program...too Outlook-like, and too
integrated).

The printer worked out of the box for printing, but only for printing.  I
didn't ask if she'd installed drivers, I just assumed they were there since
it could print, but it couldn't scan, so for a while I thought it was a
4-in-1 only on Windows (and Linux...it doesn't say it's Linux compatible,
but it's an HP, so it is).  After I figured I'd try reinstalling the HP
Printer drivers, then I figured out it needed the extra stuff to scan.
XSane would've detected it automatically.

Then there's the random times that OS X just goes haywire and I have to
reboot to make it behave.  Ubuntu doesn't do that.

I don't think comparing installation of the OS would be fitting in this,
really, since you can buy pre-installed Linux computers as well. I have 3
computers (1 9 years old, 1 5 years old, and 1 1 year old) running Ubuntu
(not pre-installed).  The 2 newer ones had 3D acceleration out of the box
(the oldest is too old to do 3D AFAIK, so I never tried...there's not enough
RAM to try Beryl anyway [192MB]).  Sound, video, hibernate...everything
works by default.

About hardware:  Apple has worse laptop keyboards than anyone, including
Dell.  Lenovo and HP (only certain models) have the best.  Gateway is
passable.  Apple has the worst desktop keyboards too.  Yeah, still worse
than Dell.  This HP keyboard I'm typing on right now from 2002 is alright,
but still a rubber dome keyboard.  It seems the more recent it is, the worse
it is.  I hooked up a 1997-ish IBM keyboard to the MacBook at work, and even
though it's still rubber dome, it's an improvement.  Real keys, yay!  The
touchpad on the MacBook is a PITA too.  It's slow, even at high speed.
Sometimes the cursor (whether mouse or touchpad) stops working.  I think
that's an OS X thing, though.  It's not cool having the cursor get stuck.

On 7/22/07, n schembr <nschembr at yahoo.com> wrote:
>
> I'm not awake yet, so I'm going to start a war.....:)
>
> This is all about a unix environment that works.  After 10 years working
> on linux systems I've gotten to the point that I just want it to work.   I
> can see why so many people want to run OSx.
>
> Ubuntu has taken the lead with a Desktop System that just works.  I hope
> that canonical gets into the hardware business.  It would be fun to see them
> team with Wal-Mart, Toshiba, Sony or Hp on a laptop or embedded device. Yes,
> Wal-Mart,
> http://money.cnn.com/2007/07/12/news/companies/walmart_electronics/index.htm
>
> I hope that with Apple's push into the the cell phone market that they
> will open up the platform and start sell  OSX  for Commodity  Hardware.
>
> Mac Hardware sells for a premium  in a commodity  market, but it all works
> out of the box.  The Mac book pro will  be one of the first laptop with 4
> core.  I can see myself shelling out the 2G to replace my aging Toshiba.
>
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message ----
> From: Mackenzie Morgan <macoafi at gmail.com>
> To: General user list <wplug at wplug.org>
> Sent: Sunday, July 22, 2007 1:26:01 AM
> Subject: Re: [wplug] OS X on Linux?
>
> But when it runs on x86 anyway, why bother simulating PPC?
>
> On 7/21/07, Jason Freshwater <jdfreshwater at gmail.com > wrote:
> >
> > I know that you can use Pear PC to try and get OSX to run without the
> > hacks.  I have yet to try it though.  It simulates the motorola chip
> > sets.
> > On Sat, 2007-07-21 at 06:58 -0700, n schembr wrote:
> > > I think you could use qemu but I did not find anything with a quick
> > > google.
> > > osx86 is the hacked version of osx.
> > >
> > > http://wiki.osx86project.org/wiki/index.php/Vmware_how_to
> > >
> > > ----- Original Message ----
> > > From: Zach <netrek at gmail.com>
> > > To: General user list <wplug at wplug.org>
> > > Sent: Friday, July 20, 2007 7:41:46 PM
> > > Subject: [wplug] OS X on Linux?
> > >
> > > I was wondering if there is a way to run OS X applications on Linux?
> > > With virtualization or something. I've read about it but never done
> > > it. There is a game client I wish to try but it's for Mac OS X.
> > >
> > > Zach
> > > _______________________________________________
> > > wplug mailing list
> > > wplug at wplug.org
> > > http://www.wplug.org/mailman/listinfo/wplug
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > _______________________________________________
> > > wplug mailing list
> > > wplug at wplug.org
> > > http://www.wplug.org/mailman/listinfo/wplug
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > wplug mailing list
> > wplug at wplug.org
> > http://www.wplug.org/mailman/listinfo/wplug
> >
>
>
>
> --
> Mackenzie Morgan
> Linux User #432169
> ACM Member #3445683
> http://ubuntulinuxtipstricks.blogspot.com <-my blog of Ubuntu stuff
> apt-get moo _______________________________________________
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> wplug at wplug.org
> http://www.wplug.org/mailman/listinfo/wplug
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>
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>

-- 
Mackenzie Morgan
Linux User #432169
ACM Member #3445683
http://ubuntulinuxtipstricks.blogspot.com <-my blog of Ubuntu stuff
apt-get moo
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