OpenDarwin 6.6.1 is announced, available immediately for both ppc and x86 architectures. OpenDarwin 6.6.1 is based on the Darwin 6.6 (which corresponds to Mac OS X 10.2.6) source release and licensed under the APSL. It includes additions and modifications from the OpenDarwin CVS Repository.
Cool…does anyone know how it works on x86? How is driver support and so on? app compatibility?
Thanks!
i’ve tried a couple of distributions lately including redhat and mandrake: really neat! i’d call that plug and play. but maybe i was lucky? it’s a pretty new pc too.
anyway i’m proud to say i live in munich. i’m looking forward to the consequences this step will have and the impact on linux development.
i’m a very happy mac user btw… 🙂
i love my mac and of course my linux/freebsd x86 machines. Anything to keep this “nix” steamroller going. I am glad they are developing this.
I don’t mean to be rude, but if you look at the article at the top, it does state “available immediately for both ppc and x86 architectures”.
Marc asked how well it works on x86. Of course it is available for x86. Did you read his comment?
I just want to know if it works in Virtual PC? Has anyone actually tried it????????????
Does it run on non-apple PPC systems? (PegasOS)?
I’ve successfully installed OpenDarwin 6.6.1 on an IBM ThinkPad T23 (PIII 1.3ghz sidestep) where it recognized the video and NIC. Seeing ‘Welcome to Macintosh’ while it boots was priceless. I’ve also installed it on a Shuttle SN41G (AMD XP 1800+ and NForce board). NIC was an issue but I had to build it from NVidia sources for the Redhat 9 that previously lived on that partition. Overall, Apple and the OpenDarwin folks are doing a great job but I should emphasize that installation does not equal usable system if your looking for UI pieces like Gnome or GNUstep or XFce. For that, you have to cobble together your own pieces from the Fink or DarwinPorts sources. Hoping they make it easier for x86 folks in the futur…
I don’t understand that NIC-NVIdia sentence???
Hi, I had read a while ago that Darwin wouldn’t run on an AMD based system.
Did someone other than DpM succesfully installed it on AMD?
Are there any screenshots around?
Is it harder than the average Linux distro to get it working?
regards
The NIC is built into the nforce chipset, which is made by Nvidia. Hence the Nvidia sources.
… of development on the x86 arch? its the base for an apple product. why not just use freeBSD or the like? i don’t mean to put them down or anything, i really don’t get this though.
check out http://darwinunderground.com/hardware/ for a list of reported x86 hardware that works. There are numerous AMD motherboards reported as working.
WRT specific AMD support, browse over to the OpenDarwin CVS trees: http://www.opendarwin.org/cgi-bin/cvsweb.cgi/
then navigate here: src/xnu/osfmk/i386/cpuid.c
The best way to know is grab the 6.6.1 ISO, burn it and boot your system to see if the install time kernel detects the CPU or panics. Luck!
Sorry about not being clear on the NVidia issue. Basically, as A.K.H points out, network and sound chips are built into the NForce chipset on the Shuttle SN41G. I had to download the sources from NVidia and build them even on a Redhat 9 install. Darwin and its x86 support from its community (OpenDarwin/GNU-Darwin) is still developing, however, it is tantalizing to consider its future as a strong alternative with time and proper effort on creating something insanely free.
This is the one thing I like about “The New Apple”(tm), it is “thinking differently”(tm) rather than taking the arrogant position of Microsoft.
Microsoft is out sledging opensource, where as Apple see the opensource community as a great bunch of people to work WITH to achieve a goal. It was yesturday when I was giving an eMac a try at the ANU Tech Apple Shop with Safari beta 2 and all I can say is, WOW! compared to Internet Explorer, it is lightening fast. I also gave Camino a try, and again, WOW, it is fast. The impression I always get when running Internet Explorer on Mac is that there is something wrong with IE’s host resolving code, it is almost similar to the slowness one gets when running Mozilla on FreeBSD (which from what I have heard is due to a coding issue in Mozilla NOT FreeBSD).
well, anyone knows about running mac apps or even Aqua on x86?