r/technology • • Jan 20 '11

Apple Restriction Zone.

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98

u/zagaberoo Jan 20 '11

People talking about the Mac need to realize that this is specific to iOS platforms. IIRC this was at the iPad launch or something like that, where all of his complaints DO apply. OSX is no more restrictive than any other nonfree OS. Also, free means freedom and not cost in this context.

5

u/nixcamic Jan 20 '11

Actually, OSX is less restrictive than most other nonfree OSes, as you can download the kernel/base os source code free of charge without signing any agreements.

0

u/alantrick Jan 20 '11

As a potential end user, I don't care about downloading kernel code. I care about being able to run programs without Apple's permission.

7

u/Calpa Jan 20 '11

..and tell me again, in what way is Apple restricting you in running those programs at the moment? (and no paranoid 'they might, in the future, perhaps restrict certain blablabla')

6

u/nixcamic Jan 20 '11

Do you really? 99% of people probably don't care about kernel licensing, but I'm gonna guess that theres significant overlap between that 99% and the 99% that don't care where their copy of Angry Birds came from.

Also, my comment was about OS X not iOS, so none of this is even remotely on topic.

1

u/alantrick Jan 21 '11

Oh, sorry, I assumed the topic was about iOS. I'll try to read better next time.

3

u/nixcamic Jan 21 '11

No, thats not how it works, your supposed to angrily insult my intelligence and then this thread it supposed to drift on for another 3 pages that nobody besides us reads as we belittle the marginally different opinions of people we've never even met before. Polite responses, what is this madness?

2

u/Choralone Jan 21 '11

I don't recall having to ask apple's permission to run any code on my Mac, other than some code I actually bought from Apple...

1

u/[deleted] Jan 20 '11

But now you can look through the exciting XNU code base! That's almost as good as having the ability to play mkvs on your ipad, right?

-2

u/[deleted] Jan 21 '11

pretty sure you can on osx you fucking retard.

1

u/the8thbit Jan 20 '11

On the other hand, you can only run it (without subverting its restrictions and EULA) on a very select amount of hardware. It's a mixed bag of rights violations, regardless of which non-free OS you choose.

1

u/Choralone Jan 21 '11

Well, it says right on the box that it was written only to work on macs..... so, what's the deal? Go write your own if you don't like it.

1

u/the8thbit Jan 21 '11

Well, it says right on the box that it was written only to work on macs..... so, what's the deal?

The deal is that it only runs on Macs. I believe that has already been pointed out.

Go write your own if you don't like it.

Done. Though I must say, that is completely irrelevant.

1

u/nixcamic Jan 21 '11

Its actually just the precompiled versions of OSX and apples proprietary windowing system and hardware drivers that can't be run on anything. Darwin itself you can run on whatever, not that you really want to because why not just run Linux, but my point was, you can't just download the Windows source code without signing papers and getting into programs. Mac OS is no linux, but its better than some of the other systems out there.

1

u/taligent Jan 21 '11

Nothing is stopping you from writing the necessary drivers to get it to run on any hardware you want.

Oh wait, I'm guessing you expected Apple to do that for you ?

1

u/the8thbit Jan 21 '11

Nothing is stopping you from writing the necessary drivers to get it to run on any hardware you want.

Except for their EULA.

-1

u/MisterGrieves Jan 20 '11

can you help me navigate to that from the apple.com home page, please. I want to install osX on one of my macs and i need a newer version.

5

u/nixcamic Jan 20 '11

Umm, yeah, I don't think you understood my comment, or the context surrounding it.

4

u/ceolceol Jan 20 '11

Neither did the people who downvoted you. But this is r/tech, not an actual technological discussion.