[ILUG] [OT] Linux +Macs & Rhapsody

[Twomey_Mark at emc.com]

If your are asking about MacOS X Server (Which supersedes the now defunct
Rhapsody Os roadmap).
I've seen it in action and it's damn impressive.
I wouldn't consider it as Enterprise class (Yet) but a single G3 server will
handle 25 Clients with ease.
It's quite stable as it runs on the Darwin architecture (FreeBSD and Mach
2.5), An admin I spoke to said he has yet to see it crash.
The apps are stable and the usual server stuff is included, The OS X
graphical version of Apache is quite impressive and you shouldn't find any
lack of functionality over the command line version.
A terminal can be launched from the Apple menu if you require one. and will
accept the usual Unix commands and switches.
I believe that some Linux command line apps can be compiled for OS X Server
using the C compiler included in WebObjects, note however that anything
requires X-Server (Tk etc) will not run. This is down to the fact that Apple
refuse to allow you to replace or interfere with the UI.
The interface is a bit bizarre to a Mac user when first seen. It's more like
OpenSTEP\NeXTSTEP than MacOS. It's easy to use however and the should not
present too much of a learning curve.
MacOS 8.x applications can be run on the machine using the BlueBox
(Classic), though it's advised that you don't use the server this way.
The thing I was really impressed with however WebObjects, it's a great
applications server/web server (I know what the reports are saying about the
current CGI bug, but I've been told that the conditions that exploit the bug
are only caused by specific benchmarking software, though it's not
impossible for the bug to crash the system it's highly improbable that
something in the real world would simulate the exact same circumstances,
Apple however have a fix in the works for the current version and will
eradicate the bug in future releases.), WebObjects also provides some
excellent Frameworks for web based applications development in a number of
different programming languages (Java, Objective C,WebScript).
Overall from what I have seen it's fast (Given the proper hardware
resources), contains Unix style stability and offers a rich set of
development tools and server utilities.
While it does contain really excellent ideas, that have great implementation
(The NetBooting  facility is a Sysadmins dream), it does have some
noticeable flaws and can feel ever so slightly rough in places. As a 1st
release however it's an achievement that the geeks at Apple should be proud
of, especially after the Os "wilderness years" of  Copland and Gerswin.
It's a decent buy now, but as soon as they ship OS X Client for the desktop
and begin to implement the many technologies that they have perfected since
it's release, it will be a great buy in the future.
Though unlike the zero price point that Linux/FreeBSD etc offers, the
inclusion of WebObjects makes it a very competitive upgrade especially when
you look at the price of NT.    
So in short...it's good now....it will be great later.

Regards,
	 Mark.

> -----Original Message-----
> From:	sdempsey [SMTP:sdempsey at iol.ie]
> Sent:	Saturday, June 05, 1999 3:02 PM
> To:	ilug at linux.ie
> Subject:	Re: [ILUG] [OT] linux +Macs & Rhapsody
> 
> Don't worry , not another touchy e-mail.
> Just wondering if anybody on the list is running Rhapsody and if 
> so what do they make of it in terms on networking performance ,
> stability
> apps , look and feel etc....
> 
> 	...shane D
> 
> Paul Curtayne wrote:
> > 
> > Before any other touchy email, can I just say that it never occurred
> > to me that my expression of lack of knowledge of Macs would be taken
> > as a slight on Mac lovers, or that it would start a prefernces 'war'?
> > 
> > Sorry about this.
> > 
> -- 
> ##########sdempsey at iol.ie sdempsey at emhain.wit.ie########
> ####...shane D  http://emhain.wit.ie/~p98ac15###########
> It may be that your whole purpose in life is simply to serve as a
> warning to others.
> 
> -- 
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