Everything we could run before in XDarwin - icky looking and slow - we can run now in OSX X11 (try saying that 3 times fast) - aqua looking and fast.
All unixie applications with a GUI will now work. Most of it is simply "cool" stuff, for which you can get Mac OS X equivilents. However, for some stuff like OpenOffice, XChat (irc client), developer tools and lots of hard-core appications, the time won't have to be taken to port the interface to run on X.
<strong>Being a Mac guy I'm kind of new to all this UNIX stuff. What new doors does X11 open to us? What cool stuff can I run now that I couldn't?</strong><hr></blockquote>
Plus I bought Elements 2.0 and it's user-friendly. What can GIMP do that PhotoShop/Elements can't? And I might ask the same question of OpenOffice, since I have Office X.
SO what's everyone here using Apple's shiny new X11 system for these days?
It seems to me most open-source stuff is a complicated, slow, buggy version of commercial software that people use for moral reasons, not practical ones (besides price.) I'm anti-M$ of course, but not the point of memorizing obscure commands, weird app quirks, etc.
Every now and then it seems good things come along from Open Source for Joe Twelve Pack (as Homer said) end users, like Mozilla, Chimera, Safari, VLC, SaMBa, and GNU Chess. I mean all the stuff behind OS X is great, like BSD, Mach, etc. That indirectly benefits end users. But what cool new apps can I run in X11 that are just completely new and don't have equivalents in MacOS X? I mean I don't install beta software for no reason. Does X11 muck around with OS X's innards and change anything in X libraries?
<strong>Plus I bought Elements 2.0 and it's user-friendly. What can GIMP do that PhotoShop/Elements can't? And I might ask the same question of OpenOffice, since I have Office X.
SO what's everyone here using Apple's shiny new X11 system for these days?
It seems to me most open-source stuff is a complicated, slow, buggy version of commercial software that people use for moral reasons, not practical ones (besides price.) I'm anti-M$ of course, but not the point of memorizing obscure commands, weird app quirks, etc.
Every now and then it seems good things come along from Open Source for Joe Twelve Pack (as Homer said) end users, like Mozilla, Chimera, Safari, VLC, SaMBa, and GNU Chess. I mean all the stuff behind OS X is great, like BSD, Mach, etc. That indirectly benefits end users. But what cool new apps can I run in X11 that are just completely new and don't have equivalents in MacOS X? I mean I don't install beta software for no reason. Does X11 muck around with OS X's innards and change anything in X libraries?</strong><hr></blockquote>
What you are forgetting is that photoshop cost a hell of a lot of money whereas the gimp doesnt. Once you get used to the gimps interface you can everything you can in photoshop.
The only competcated thing about OpenSOurce apps is getting them installed, depending on the app there no more harder to learnthan dreamweaver, photoshop etc.Plus the whole idea of OpenSource is to get patches out straight away and not having to wait 6 months or so for yet another expensive upgrade. this is why opensource has taken off because end users wont put up with being held to ransom by software companies.
As for the mucking around with the system X libaries run along side the system so if you accidently delete an X11 lib or something its only X11 that gets infected.
The only thing to remember when compiling a programme from source is to get the source from a reliable source, as some unauthorised mirrors have modified versions of said programme that can contain trojans! the only floor in opensource software.
I never knew about this X11 feature, not that I would use it.
The Gimp by the way really suxs IMHO, I really never understood how it could be compared with Photoshop, yes it is similar in very few ways but thats it.
[quote]Once you get used to the gimps interface you can everything you can in photoshop. <hr></blockquote>
Actually you can't GIMP has no CMYK support.The real glory of the X11 apps are high end scientific and math software, such as GRASS that will be coming to OS X. Actually GRASS is already here, but a lot more will be coming.
Comments
All unixie applications with a GUI will now work. Most of it is simply "cool" stuff, for which you can get Mac OS X equivilents. However, for some stuff like OpenOffice, XChat (irc client), developer tools and lots of hard-core appications, the time won't have to be taken to port the interface to run on X.
Barto
<strong>Being a Mac guy I'm kind of new to all this UNIX stuff. What new doors does X11 open to us? What cool stuff can I run now that I couldn't?</strong><hr></blockquote>
the Gimp = Free Photoshop
<strong>
the Gimp = Free Photoshop</strong><hr></blockquote>
Not by a mile.
SO what's everyone here using Apple's shiny new X11 system for these days?
It seems to me most open-source stuff is a complicated, slow, buggy version of commercial software that people use for moral reasons, not practical ones (besides price.) I'm anti-M$ of course, but not the point of memorizing obscure commands, weird app quirks, etc.
Every now and then it seems good things come along from Open Source for Joe Twelve Pack (as Homer said) end users, like Mozilla, Chimera, Safari, VLC, SaMBa, and GNU Chess.
<strong>Plus I bought Elements 2.0 and it's user-friendly. What can GIMP do that PhotoShop/Elements can't? And I might ask the same question of OpenOffice, since I have Office X.
SO what's everyone here using Apple's shiny new X11 system for these days?
It seems to me most open-source stuff is a complicated, slow, buggy version of commercial software that people use for moral reasons, not practical ones (besides price.) I'm anti-M$ of course, but not the point of memorizing obscure commands, weird app quirks, etc.
Every now and then it seems good things come along from Open Source for Joe Twelve Pack (as Homer said) end users, like Mozilla, Chimera, Safari, VLC, SaMBa, and GNU Chess.
What you are forgetting is that photoshop cost a hell of a lot of money whereas the gimp doesnt. Once you get used to the gimps interface you can everything you can in photoshop.
The only competcated thing about OpenSOurce apps is getting them installed, depending on the app there no more harder to learnthan dreamweaver, photoshop etc.Plus the whole idea of OpenSource is to get patches out straight away and not having to wait 6 months or so for yet another expensive upgrade. this is why opensource has taken off because end users wont put up with being held to ransom by software companies.
As for the mucking around with the system X libaries run along side the system so if you accidently delete an X11 lib or something its only X11 that gets infected.
The only thing to remember when compiling a programme from source is to get the source from a reliable source, as some unauthorised mirrors have modified versions of said programme that can contain trojans! the only floor in opensource software.
The Gimp by the way really suxs IMHO, I really never understood how it could be compared with Photoshop, yes it is similar in very few ways but thats it.
Actually you can't GIMP has no CMYK support.The real glory of the X11 apps are high end scientific and math software, such as GRASS that will be coming to OS X. Actually GRASS is already here, but a lot more will be coming.