Macs

[Amedee Van Gasse (Ubuntu)]

On Wed, September 16, 2009 13:01, Odd wrote:
> Amedee Van Gasse (Ubuntu) wrote:
>> On Tue, September 15, 2009 23:44, Michael Haney wrote:
>>> On Tue, Sep 15, 2009 at 5:35 PM, David Sanders
>>> <dsuzukisanders at gmail.com>
>>> wrote:
>>>> And just for the record. UNIX != Linux, in case Unix compatibility
>>>> makes you think that MacOS X is in any way Linux "compatible".
>>>>
>>> I found that out a long time ago.  Their binary formats are completely
>>> different.
>>
>> I always thought that Unix compatible was more or less synonymous for
>> source-compatible, as in "write once, compile everywhere".
>
> That's true. There may be a few differences between the BSD branch
> of UNIX and the System V branch, but they are minor.
>
>> Of course the executable format is different, but if you could grab the
>> source of a Mac program (AND all of its dependencies), wouldn't it at
>> least in theory be possible to recompile from scratch? My gut feeling
>> tells me that this should at least be true for simple console
>> applications.
>
> For simple console applications, yes. But for more advanced
> stuff, that uses Apple's proprietary software layers, you're out
> of luck.

That's exactly why I wrote "if you COULD grab the source" (I'm not
claiming that you can, but for argument's sake, lets just assume that it
is possible).
I also wrote "AND all of the dependencies". I consider the Apple
proprietary software layers as dependencies.

Remember, this is sounder, the off-topic list, where we don't discuss real
things but explore the realms of the imaginable and unimaginable. *cue
Outer Limits theme*
:-)