infoTECH Feature

January 17, 2014

Linux Continues to Turn to OSX for its Fill of Apps

Perhaps one of the most well-known dichotomies in the computing world is the enmity between Linux and Windows users. This is also reflected in the negligence that Linux developers have when attempting to port Windows programs into their operating system distributions. It seems almost as if though every effort possible is put to make Linux as different from Windows as possible. If there's one OS that Linux users find solace in, it's Apple (News - Alert)'s famous OS X. This not only has to do with the familiar “different than Windows” attitude, but also in similarities found between the two operating systems themselves.

Recently, it seems as if though a project to bring Apple OS X applications to the Linux ecosystem, known as the “Darling” project, has been revived. The project has been everything but abandoned for several months, then some activity sprung up on GitHub. The website for the project also has a new URL – DarlingHQ.Org.

Darling's “translation” layer has been designed to run many default OS X tools and apps, like Midnight Commander and other simpler GUI-based applications that use the assistance of GNUstep to generate their interfaces. If this project continues on its tracks, we might see cross-compatibility between many of OS X's programs and Linux's applications. Granted, it would definitely work wonders to make Linux more appealing to a larger number of people who are frustrated with the inconsistencies that Microsoft (News - Alert) has presented with the release of Windows 8. Although the operating system's sales aren't completely dismal, there's a growing sentiment that Microsoft is undermining the desires of its customer base and instead appealing to its own judgment.

To say the least, if Microsoft brushes off this effort and underestimates the open source Linux community, it may end up suffering great losses in market share to an operating system that's completely free to use.




Edited by Ryan Sartor
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