by Brennan Stehling

Recently my new iBook arrived with a copy of MacOS X and I immediately dug in to find out what it could do for me. As a member of the BSD faithful I want to have access to the fundamental tools that I find with the other major BSD platforms, like a web and database server, compilers and network utilities. I also want a command-line interface since I feel I can achieve greater control over a system in that way.

But beyond the existing BSD environment I also want a graphical environment that is a consistent and, well, graphical. I want a good web browser (not Netscape 4.x), a media player, games, and applications for editing multimedia content. While systems like FreeBSD provide an excellent server platform, the graphical side has never been a walk in the park. With MacOS X I am hoping to have my cake and eat it too. Is that possible? Grab a fork and let's dig in.

Preparing OS X for a BSD User
Getting the system installed and configured with an internet connection and preparing the Dock.

Getting Tools, and Pulling Teeth
Since I did not get the Developer CD I had to resort to finding the C compiler for OS X from an alternate source.

Applications for the New OS
There are some nice applications for OS X and more are on the way. The ones that are here now are very nice.

Problems with MacOS X
Even with a new iBook and a fresh revision of OS X I still have some problems. I expect these issues will be resolved soon, but I have a workaround or two.

Final Thoughts for this New Breed
The new OS X is flashy and fun and powerful. And there are other ways to describe it and the vision Apple has for the future.

Preparing OS X for a BSD User >>

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