[clug] Macbook linux

[Andrew Janke]

> I never understood this - OSX seems to have such a half arsed gnu
> installation that you need to jump through so many hoops just to get a
> simple usable system up. I found Cygwin (on windows) simpler to set up
> and with a more authentic GNU experience (wmaker anyone?)

Oh?  Not so in my experience.   (I cross compile on both XP + Cygwin
and OSX, 10.3/10.4 on G4/Intel)

I suspect that OSX might give long term GNU/linux more grief than BSD
users..  (remembers back to the dim dark days of past of BSD on my Mac
SE and then SE/30 Fwoooor!  Power!).

Still if you want a "crossover" type system I would reccommend OSX
over Windows. Why?

   * OpenGL is "amusing" to compile into GNU apps natively in Cygwin.
       (this is a biggie for me -- I write medical visualisation code
from time to time)

   * Cygwin is nigh on dead in the water in Vista.

   * OSX seems to be better supported by automake/autoconf to cygwin. (IMHO)

   * Running services such as SSH/apache2/etc under cygwin are "possible".

   * Running services such as ssh/apache2/etc under OSX are easy.

   * Integrating with a Unix world is "harder" under XP/Cygwin (NFS/LDAP/etc)

As for "hard" to get the GNU toolchain into OSX, I tend to take the
path of least resistance.  Just download either Fink or DarwinPorts,
add /sw or /opt/local to your .bashrc and then install things to your
hearts content.

Still I am sure we will agree to disagree.  Just thought I might
present an alternate viewpoint.



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