Guest post by Darling, the project to bring macOS binaries to Linux, is still active. After a period of inactivity, the project has picked up speed, according to phoronix.com.
Darling is still progressing but in its latest state can not run any macOS GUI applications but rather only basic command-line apps with both 32-bit and 64-bit capabilities. From the Darling Shell there is support for working with DMG images and even using Apple’s Xcode toolchain for compiling basic “Hello World!” type applications for macOS and running from a Linux system.
Oh gawd, it is the “GNU/Linux just needs more apps” thing again. Ok, I understand that it might need them, but there are more immediate problems at hand in GNU/Linux land. For example, GNU/Linux getting worse battery life compared to Windows. Not doing switchable graphics. The fact most GPU drivers are awful because GPU vendors have quit trying to hack modern features of the newest OpenGL into X.org.
So, while I appreciate the guy’s effort and I do believe he is going to have moderate success, don’t expect that making some OS X apps work on Ubuntu or Mint will make GNU/Linux break the eternal 1-2% market share it is trapped in ever since RedHat realised there is no money to be made from selling support to desktop customers and handed the keys of the desktop to the community.
Edited 2016-11-14 00:24 UTC
Well, things are otherwise looking good for Linux on the Desktop.
https://www.netmarketshare.com/report.aspx?qprid=11&qpaf=&qpcustom=L…
1 Linux-desktop for every 3 macs. Not bad. Of course, in these tablet,phablet, phlablop* times, the desktop OS is increasingly irrelevant.
* combined smartphone-tablet-laptop
Edited 2016-11-14 00:53 UTC
And this is where people point out that phones, tablets, and phablets are not direct replacements for desktops because bla bla bla bla…
The desktop isn’t dying any time soon, deal with it.
Edited 2016-11-14 16:35 UTC
I did not say the desktop was irrelevant. I said desktop OS was increasingly irrelevant.
The article was about apples, but you sure had to talk about oranges…
I welcome this development not for running any macOS GUI apps on Linux, but just to be able to cross compile programs under Linux for macOS. Cross compiling to Windows is easy, but up until now cross compiling to macOS is a nightmare and I gave up on it.
Many Mac users have complained about the stagnation of the platform in recent years, most of whom don’t want to move to Windows but will have to if they want their apps.
If a platform like this can get off the ground and provide binary compatibility, Mac users (especially pros) can keep their apps on generic hardware that actually gets updated.
I get the feeling that Darling would have fewer moving parts than wine.
If nothing else, it shouldn’t need the big, complex DirectX-to-OpenGL translation layer.
I’m hopeful that Darling will eventually provide a second option for games that got a Mac port but will never get a native Linux port (or got a bad port)… just in case they don’t get along with Wine.
I would have preferred some kernel support for D3D in Linux (which seemed like it might come a few years back), but this would be an acceptable second
If they actually get to a point that GUI apps can run, this could be incredibly beneficial. If for no other reason, it would be possible to run Mac apps on a fast computer! The latest macs are so limited on upgradability, RAM, disk space, and CPU power that building a relatively cheap system running this could really blow out a traditional mac for many things. Imagine an 8 core AMD FX 8370 even…. compared to the ultrabook chips in many macs, this is a blowout.
If they actually get to a point where enough GUI apps will run, how long do you think it’ll take Apple’s lawyers to attack? I give it thirty seconds.
I doubt that, seeing gnustep is quite safe, despite being mature and closely tracking macOS. It cannot be used to run macOS applications on non-macOS but it is useful in porting.
Wishing the Best to the Darling Project. God Speed.
I order lots of Wine for my Darlings!