You can have as much overhead as you want. Item #1: Smaller overhead? At the login window on any OS X machine, type in ‘>console’ and hit return.

“To do what Linux can do with Mac OS X (see: with smaller overhead), you need Mac OS X Server, an OS *tuned* to be server, something that Linux is inherantly tuned by default.” For routing, they have a cost advantage over shareware MacOS solutions, but the native route is proportionally easier on the Mac user.

MacOS runs rather well on Mac hardware, and will provide services such as Appletalk and Filemaker databases with much less fuss than a free UNIX. OTOH, for the server task, they will both face competition from MacOS. What speaks in favour of Linux is that it might be easier to set up than NetBSD, whereas NetBSD, in virtue of being a BSD, might seem more familiar to the experienced OSX user. Oh, and if you don’t want to go the Linux route, the NetBSD Live CD might be worth checking out. Still, what kind of engineering is even required here? Linux sources can be recompiled, Macs can boot off CD, so there is not so much work involved in getting Knoppix or something like that running on a Mac, save a few days of recompilation and different drivers bundled. They might be interested in putting their old systems to use. I think of Linux as a human programmer work harness, like a harness for workhorseĪ lot of Mac users have older Macs which won’t run OSX well, if at all. while those companies reap more profit than most of these people all combined will ever earn in their daily jobs combined. But I should also mention that I think Linux is a bum deal in my personal opinion - a bunch of programmers _giving_ their services to IBM, Redhat, and etc. It reinforces the fact that Apple has been very open about their system hw. However, I will say that I think it is a good thing that Linux is supported on Mac. They could have gotten a much cheaper x86 windows or linux box if they wanted to taste linux. The daily Mac user has no interest in fighting the machine. Mac users will upgrade to whatever the latest thing that shipped on their late model machine, because it “just works”. Linux cannot even begin to achieve the level of refinement for everyday tasks, refinement that is inherent in MacOSX’s design. Why would someone use Linux instead of MacOSX? I could see it with hobbyists, but not with daily Mac users. MacOSX does everything Linux can do, plus alot more.

Mac os like linux distro