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OS X is now macOS and gets support for Siri, auto unlock

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Re: OS X is now macOS and gets support for Siri, auto unlock

#111
post #80

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What about the GPLv3 prevents them from using GNU user space tools?

The GPLv3 has clauses in it that opens up a new load of legal questions for Apple that they'd rather avoid. I just wish that Apple would move to using less encumbered shell that is actively being developed, like pdksh or zsh.

If Microsoft is willing to ship GNU tools as a officially sanctioned extension to Windows, then Apple definitely has no valid excuse to avoid GPL v3.

Re: OS X is now macOS and gets support for Siri, auto unlock

#112

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You got to be a bit more specific. --- edit --- They all have their own version of the "GNU core utilities". BSD make instead of GNU make. less(1) is dual-licensed (I think) so everybody uses the same (OpenBSD has forked it recently though). FreeBSD's default shell is tcsh, OpenBSD uses a fork of pdksh. If you want bash then you have to install it from ports. Most of OS X's userland comes from FreeBSD (except for bas…

Sorry, I meant two things: License used for their tools and if they used any tools that aren't 'GNU specific' at all.

Most of it is BSD-style licensed, some (less and ssh for example) are dual-licensed, and very few are GPLv2 (the old versions of make, bash, and emacs; but also current git). vim is licensed under a custom GPLv2-style license.

A lot of GPLv2 code now uses GPLv3 (all the GNU tools obviously) and Apple (and others too) doesn't want to ship GPLv3 code.

Almost all of the userland comes from FreeBSD. Even stuff that Apple could take directly from OpenBSD for example.

Re: OS X is now macOS and gets support for Siri, auto unlock

#113
post #105
post #97

Seriously, did Apple fire their OSX / macOS team? Pretty much all new features are spinoffs of their iOS infrastructure (Siri, handover, etc.) and the main OS development and innovation seems to have stalled. Not even a feature like telling software that you're on a metered connection and it shouldn't run backups! Is there anyone at Apple still working on innovating / improving OS X? Like people that tried to bring i…

I would settle for fixing the bug where I have to restart Finder to rebuild the connection every time my NAS drive spins down. Also the combination of screensharing to a headless MacMini and then AirPlaying to an Apple TV produces some fairly loathsome results.

How about the bug where you need to force quit coreaudiod to restore sound to the speakers after resuming from sleep?

Re: OS X is now macOS and gets support for Siri, auto unlock

#114

I wonder why macOS, and not Mac OS? Do you have a mac or a Mac? Majority of posters here capitalize. Why glue an abbreviation to a product name?

To match iOS, tvOS and watchOS.

Also, I usually read "Mac OS" as Mac OS 9 and earlier. Ancient.

Re: OS X is now macOS and gets support for Siri, auto unlock

#115

It seems like more and more of the work on MacOS is dedicated to propping up iOS instead of simply making a great desktop OS. As someone who does not use or want Apple's mobile devices, it's been hard to get excited about these last few releases.

What does it not have that you want (and think a lot of other people also want)?

Re: OS X is now macOS and gets support for Siri, auto unlock

#116
post #105

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I would settle for fixing the bug where I have to restart Finder to rebuild the connection every time my NAS drive spins down. Also the combination of screensharing to a headless MacMini and then AirPlaying to an Apple TV produces some fairly loathsome results.

Oh that's a Finder bug? I was blaming Synology but I'm basing that on nothing.

Huh. I suppose it could be Synology? Either way it's hella annoying.

Re: OS X is now macOS and gets support for Siri, auto unlock

#117
post #68

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> They can't upgrade to recent GNU tools because of the GPLv3. They can but it is their choice not to use GPLv3 tools.

Doesn't SIP cause issues with the TiVoization clause? I guess I'm not an expert on this, but it's possible Apple wants to leave the possibility open of making SIP mandatory.

An OS with mandatory SIP will be the point I stop upgrading. I'm fine with optional features like this, but the instant it becomes mandatory and can't be bypassed I'm gone.

Re: OS X is now macOS and gets support for Siri, auto unlock

#118

It seems like more and more of the work on MacOS is dedicated to propping up iOS instead of simply making a great desktop OS. As someone who does not use or want Apple's mobile devices, it's been hard to get excited about these last few releases.

> As someone who does not use or want Apple's mobile devices

My guess is that most of Mac users do want/use Apple mobile devices, and that in fact the majority of their computing time is now on those devices so it makes sense that the team would focus heavily on the interface and overlap between iOS / MacOS.

Re: OS X is now macOS and gets support for Siri, auto unlock

#119

Copy/paste across iPhone and Mac is very useful. All the other features are Meh. I really don't want to be that guy talking to my Mac at work. I can't be sure that all my questions to Siri are not awkward to speak out. Would have been great to have a textual interface though. You know that Keyboard thingy that is always with a Mac?!

> Copy/paste across iPhone and Mac is very useful.

I don't use a Mac or an iPhone, but I applaud this sort of device harmony.

That said, I am worried that it would unnecessarily leverage the cloud. My guess is that instead of the two devices directly communicating with one another—that is, instead of leveraging the fact that they are probably on the same local network and should just work in concert—the clipboard data will be sent via a cloud intermediary. That is, it will be exfiltrated from the local network, sent through Apple, and then back into the local network.

If I am wrong about that, I am happy to hear it.

Re: OS X is now macOS and gets support for Siri, auto unlock

#120
post #105
post #97

Seriously, did Apple fire their OSX / macOS team? Pretty much all new features are spinoffs of their iOS infrastructure (Siri, handover, etc.) and the main OS development and innovation seems to have stalled. Not even a feature like telling software that you're on a metered connection and it shouldn't run backups! Is there anyone at Apple still working on innovating / improving OS X? Like people that tried to bring i…

I would settle for fixing the bug where I have to restart Finder to rebuild the connection every time my NAS drive spins down. Also the combination of screensharing to a headless MacMini and then AirPlaying to an Apple TV produces some fairly loathsome results.

It's a pain but autofs can help: http://blog.grapii.com/2015/06/keep-network-drives-mounted-o...
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