[Ti] (OT) OSX Linuxbaserad?

[David Remahl]

Lisbeth,

Both of his statements were incorrect. The Mac OS X kernel is NOT GNU  
licensed (it is BSD licensed). In fact, Mac OS X includes very little  
GNU code (because of the licensing issues). Had the kernel been GNU  
licensed, then it would have been problematic for Apple to keep parts  
of the operating system closed source.

Mac OS X is based on the BSD flavour of UNIX. The reference platform is  
FreeBSD (used to be NetBSD). There are many similarities between BSD  
and Linux but there are also many differences. BSD is a Unix system  
with very old roots (since the seventies) while Linux is "younger" and  
was founded in the nineties. Both are very mature operating systems by  
now.

Mac OS X is a bit different from other common BSD's in another way. It  
uses a Mach kernel, because of its NeXT heritage.

It should be noted that neither Mac OS X nor Linux are actually real  
Unices. But that is mainly because they haven't payed for the  
validation by the Open Group which owns the UNIX trademark.

One of the differences is that FreeBSD and Mac OS X both use ipfw as  
the firewall (which should be particularly interesting in this case). I  
believe the most common Linux firewall is ipchains.

/ Sincerely, David Remahl

On Tuesday, April 15, 2003, at 01:04 PM, Lisbeth Zachs wrote:

> I'm following an online course in basic knowledge of Firewall  
> handling. It covering mostly PC but Mac appeared with  a statement  
> that OSX was Linux based. When one of the fellow students questioned  
> that statement the tutor answered
> <quote>
> Jaguar (OS X) version kernal is under the GNU public license, so it's  
> fair to say the kernal is Linux based. </quote>
> I assume he is right to the fact that that the kernal is under GNU but  
> does that justify the conclusion that it is Linux based? I have simply  
> thought it as UNIX-based and I don't care either way I'm just a bit  
> surprised and would like to know if you agree with the tutor or not?  
> Thank you for your insights.
>
> Lisbeth in Gotheburg
> <http://homepage.mac.com/holisticum/Current_picturers/ 
> PhotoAlbum53.html> Spring 030331
> <http://www.got-a-mac.org> medlemssida för Got-a-Mac (Mug in  
> Gothenburg)