Linked by Thom Holwerda on Fri 26th Dec 2008 11:58 UTC, submitted by probono
Most of you will know that the underlying core set of components of Mac OS X and the iPhone operating system are released under the Apple Public Source License, an FSF-approved open source license. Few of you, however, will have actually used Darwin in any other form than Mac OS X or the iPhone OS. Despite numerous projects attempting so, Darwin has never gained any significant traction apart from Apple's own interest. The PureDarwin project tries to rise from the ashes of the OpenDarwin project, and has just released a Christmas developer preview.
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Member since:
2005-11-11
Cloning an OS such as it remains compatible at the ABI is very difficult, and demanding. Not very exciting for open source developers, for sure. Such a task only makes sense for windows, given its huge user base and applications.
Mac OS X, from an OS POV, has nothing much to offer compared to linux or bsd or other unices. Its internals or architecture are not interesting compared to the other open source alternatives: the interesting bits of Mac OS X are the proprietary ones: quartz, cocoa, the applications, maybe the development tools (instruments and the likes). There is a reason why Apple, given its history of secrecy, has given away the kernel: it is useless for anyone but Apple.
What would something like open darwin have to offer that bsd or linux cannot ?