On 3/26/02 8:44 AM, "Jim Freeze" <jim / freeze.org> wrote: > It is still not clear in my mind the distinction where OSX begins > and FreeBSD ends. I know that Apple has modified bsd somewhat and > are running their own window manager, Quartz (I'm not sure if they are using > an xserver.) When I tried to follow your instructions to install ruby, > the process stopped when gcc was not installed. So, I am starting out > from ground zero here. I need to find out how to install a development > environment on this mac. And I would prefer to get ports installed and > not apt-get or any rpm port (my bias). > > Do you know of an osx resource that speaks the bsd lingo? Let me answer your questions out of order. There should be a separate grey "Developers Tools" disk packaged with the OS disks. Those tools are also supposed to be pre-installed on the new Macs. It sounds like yours weren't so find that disk and install them. As others have pointed out, you can also DL them but it's a 217.9 MB DL. You still want to join ADC at Apple's developer site because there are a few upgrades that didn't make it onto the disk. With the Developers Tools come lots of docs including one that gives a good overview of how Mac OSX differs from FreeBSD. The big issues are: It uses a different window server by default; It uses the NetInfo database rather than .xxxrc files for a lot of configuration (except it uses the .xxxrc files in single user mode); It runs Mach in the same address space as BSD and does some things with Mach that BSD does with it's own code; and it has a different driver model. Userland also has a bunch more stuff inherited from NeXT. Window servers are a weird area because a lot of people run Quartz and XFree86 at the same time. GT and Tk/Tcl have been ported to Quartz but some of the other GUI Kits haven't been. Meanwhile, XFree86 has a rootless mode that lets it share the desktop with Quartz. With the right window manager, it can even run it's windows interleaved with Quartz windows. OroborosX is a good window manager that knows how to do this. But all that's for later. Right now you *need* the Tools CD. -- When I was a boy I was told that anybody could become President. Now I'm beginning to believe it. -Clarence Darrow, lawyer and author (1857-1938)