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dot_nix · Jul 9, 2003, 02:39 AM

Hi,

I have recently started using X11 in OS X and I have used a few applications along with it. Mainly X CD-Roast and OpenOffice.org.

I have heard of fink and I am thinking of using it soon. However I had a question regarding X11. I have read that X11 is OS independent and hardware independent so this means that I could go ahead and download any X11 software I find in sourceforge.net and use it. Is that correct or does this specific software need to be ported to Mac OS X?

Any info and comment is greatly appreciated. Thank you.

entrox · Jul 9, 2003, 03:46 AM

Yes, it is correct that X11 is a (mostly) platform-independent protocol.

No, you still have to port the software to run on a) PPC and b) Darwin (assuming it's written in a low-level language like C or C++).

Ludovic Hirlimann · Jul 9, 2003, 04:04 AM

Originally posted by entrox:

No, you still have to port the software to run on a) PPC and b) Darwin (assuming it's written in a low-level language like C or C++).

High level langage is what youo meant.

Ludovic Hirlimann · Jul 9, 2003, 04:07 AM

Originally posted by dot_nix:
Hi,

I have recently started using X11 in OS X and I have used a few applications along with it. Mainly X CD-Roast and OpenOffice.org.

I have heard of fink and I am thinking of using it soon. However I had a question regarding X11. I have read that X11 is OS independent and hardware independent so this means that I could go ahead and download any X11 software I find in sourceforge.net and use it. Is that correct or does this specific software need to be ported to Mac OS X?

Any info and comment is greatly appreciated. Thank you.

Abiword will run natively (ie without X11), take the time to check it out.

X11 is windowin protocol atop a network protocol. If you have a linux x86 box, most of the sf software will run on it. With X11 you'll be able to have the application being display on your mac.

dot_nix · Jul 9, 2003, 05:24 AM

Originally posted by Ludovic Hirlimann:
Abiword will run natively (ie without X11), take the time to check it out.

X11 is windowin protocol atop a network protocol. If you have a linux x86 box, most of the sf software will run on it. With X11 you'll be able to have the application being display on your mac.

Thanks for all the help and it seems like I will be exploring X11 more indepth and try out many of the potential software outthere.

And what do you mean Abiword will run natively without X11? Do you mean it is native for OS X?

Thanks once again

MacGorilla · Jul 9, 2003, 07:18 AM

Abiword will run natively (ie without X11), take the time to check it out.

It does?? since when? got a download link?

Ludovic Hirlimann · Jul 9, 2003, 08:59 AM

Originally posted by MacGorilla:
It does?? since when? got a download link?

It's still very beta but if you checkout via cvs the abicocoa project from the abisource repository, you'll be able to compile it , and you'll be able to use it. (see http://macslash.org/journal.pl?op=display&uid=87).

It's not useable for production, but most of the porting work has been done.

Ludovic Hirlimann · Jul 9, 2003, 09:01 AM

Originally posted by dot_nix:

And what do you mean Abiword will run natively without X11? Do you mean it is native for OS X?

Thanks once again

Yes this is what I mean. It will be native.

entrox · Jul 9, 2003, 09:35 AM

Originally posted by Ludovic Hirlimann:
High level langage is what youo meant.

No it's not what I meant. C is a portable assembler, NOT a high level language.

Ludovic Hirlimann · Jul 9, 2003, 09:42 AM

Originally posted by entrox:
No it's not what I meant. C is a portable assembler, NOT a high level language.

What do you call a high level language then ?

entrox · Jul 9, 2003, 12:18 PM

Originally posted by Ludovic Hirlimann:
What do you call a high level language then ?

Common Lisp, Smalltalk, Haskell or any of the MLs. Java and ObjC qualify with exceptions. But pure C is not really much more than a nicer assembler.