Re: [ba-ohs-talk] Fwd: Linux at Sun: The Big Push
Kevin Keck wrote: (01)
> on 2002/02/20 3:25 AM, Murray Altheim at m.altheim@open.ac.uk wrote:
[...]
>>My understanding of the reasons that this hasn't occurred is that
>>there are licensing issues on the Mach kernel used to create OS X,
>>and that Steve Jobs isn't particularly interested in making that
>>transition.
>
> No, there are no licensing issues with the Mach kernel--in fact, Apple
> freely distributes an x86 version of Darwin (the Mach/BSD core of OS X).
>
> I believe the licensing issues that would exist are with the PDF-based
> rendering engine (Quartz) behind Aqua, which required Apple secure a license
> from Adobe. But I think the only real impediment is that Apple simply
> doesn't want to make it available on other platforms.
>
> And personally, I don't see why this should be such a big issue. You can
> install X-windows and Gnome on OS X, so you can run all the Linux apps
> essentially the same as with PPC Linux. If Gnome and KDE are converging on a
> compatibility layer(?) then I would hope that layer could be made to work
> with Aqua, but until then the standard for compatibility remains X, and Aqua
> on x86 wouldn't really change that. (02)
The fact that they distribute an x86 version doesn't indicate that
there aren't licensing issues of moving from BSD to linux at the core
of OS X. I guess I'm just not interested in having to deal with one
more set of variables underneath my daily functioning, with moving
from x86 linux to PPC linux being enough of a barrier. (03)
> The bad news:
> - There have been some bugs, and Apple seems to have been slow to fix them.
> - A Java3D port is still not out, and rumor is it won't be until Q2.
> - Apple says they will support Java 1.4, but won't say when.
>
> Of course, how much this is Apple's fault and how much it's Sun's is hard to
> say, unless you know someone close to it who'll give up the dirt... (04)
Well, I stopped working at Sun a few weeks ago, but my guess is that
Sun doesn't consider the Apple/Macintosh market large enough to spend
the money on right now. All of silicon valley is trying to figure
out how to save money right now, and being forced to justify each
and every expenditure. Had we been talking two or three years ago
this situation might be different. (05)
Murray (06)
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Murray Altheim <mailto:m.altheim @ open.ac.uk>
Knowledge Media Institute
The Open University, Milton Keynes, Bucks, MK7 6AA, UK (07)
In the evening
The rice leaves in the garden
Rustle in the autumn wind
That blows through my reed hut. -- Minamoto no Tsunenobu (08)