linux API in panther

thuglife · June 29, 2003 10:17AM

Does anyone know how much linux Api code is in panther? Is this there because the updated to FreeBSD 5.0 or is this something Apple place in there to make it easy for people to port their linux stuff over to Panther and future releases? Also has anyone been able to verift how much better the SMB in panther is?

Thanks

fryke · June 29, 2003 12:28PM

You obviously aren't very clear about what you mean. There is no such thing as _one_ linux API. X11 support is there, and C as well as C++ applications can be compiled for Panther.

thuglife · June 29, 2003 12:53PM

Fryke, thanks for replying but you're not understanding what I mean.

X11 support is builting into panther rather than the have to download it like in jaguar. if you watch the keynote from last monday, on one of Steve's slides for list of new things in Panther included "linux API". I realize that you can compile C or C++ code for OS X or as a matter fact for just about any OS.

I know that FREEBSD has a built in emulator(well not so much as an emulator, more like a translator)to run Linux APP. What i wanted to know if what Steve was talikng about is a result of the upgrade to FREEBSD 5.0 or something Apple took it upon themselves to do?

kickaha · June 29, 2003 2:15PM

Fryke's correct.

The slide you mention says 'Linux APIs'. Plural.

Why? Because there's no such thing as *A* or *THE* Linux API. There are dozens of little APIs that together collectively provide a programming system called Linux.

Most of these are already in FreeBSD in one form or another (no big surprise, Linux was just Yet Another Unix Derivative, so it aped the big boys in many places), but some that people found useful weren't... so Apple is making sure that these APIs are available to those who want them.

That's all.

Furthermore, listen to Jobs' voiceover on that slide, and he says *Unix* APIs. Basically they're just making sure that MacOS X has as rich a Unix/Linux programming environment as someone coming from one of the other platforms would expect.

chucker · June 29, 2003 4:12PM

I think Steve Jobs referred to new API functions taken from Linux-like modern Unixes that were missing in Darwin: for example, "locale".

1337_5l4xx0r · June 29, 2003 4:36PM

Actually, i think he was referring to binary emulation support, which *BSD has had for ages. This means that software compiled on linux runs on BSD.

atomicham · June 29, 2003 6:45PM

Quote:

Originally posted by 1337_5L4Xx0R

Actually, i think he was referring to binary emulation support, which *BSD has had for ages. This means that software compiled on linux runs on BSD.

I am sure he did not mean binary support.

They have many new libraries (probably glibc, etc.) that many programs for linux link against. Really, all he meant by it is that it will be easier to port software that runs on linux to Mac OSX.

kickaha · June 29, 2003 9:00PM

Indeed, both he and the slide specifically said 'API'. That has nothing to do with binary emulation.

1337_5l4xx0r · June 30, 2003 5:00AM

My post just disappeared. Weird. Anyway, if true, I think a lot of developers may be coming to Macs soon...

Heck the boys at Ximian are already all over powerbooks and OSX.

thuglife · June 30, 2003 4:53PM

Now that we have linux thing settle, I guess. any mention on how much they have change the os to run 64bit or is it just going to remain 32bit for the time being?

kickaha · June 30, 2003 8:14PM

The work's been ongoing for at least nine months, but to be honest, I don't believe it's taken a *massive* amount of work... just a lot of tedious, boring, time-consuming detail checking.

If you ever meet an Apple engineer, you owe them a beer.

Or four.

linux API in panther

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