Solved Guidance for Windows/Linux User new to FreeBSD

[zirias@]

Obviously Microsoft cares a lot more about compatibility between major versions though than Apple does.

Apple didn't even have a problem with OS-X being an entirely new OS with no backwards compatibility whatsoever, so, yes.

I don't know how much Apple cares for API stability between Releases of OS-X, no experience on that platform, but they certainly don't do the "extreme" thing Microsoft does, which amounts to attempting to stay compatible even with application software doing both undocumented and plain wrong (according to docs) things. For that reason, you find tons of silly cruft in Windows APIs, I just gave one example I remember

 

[astyle]

Under Apple it is common practice to delay the update on the newest release (which comes yearly) until all the major programs you need to work with have been updated to run under it.

So if Adobe has a blocker bug in Photoshop, that's enough for Apple to delay the next release, hmmm. Or Autodesk's Maya, for example. Or, dare I say, Microsoft's own Office? Yeah, I know it runs in a browser these days, but I still remember Office 2007 had a variant for Macs. Are you saying that if Office 2007 had a blocker bug, Apple would have delayed its next release back then?

 

[zirias@]

So if Adobe has a blocker bug in Photoshop, that's enough for Apple to delay the next release, hmmm. Or Autodesk's Maya, for example. Or, dare I say, Microsoft's own Office? Yeah, I know it runs in a browser these days, but I still remember Office 2007 had a variant for Macs. Are you saying that if Office 2007 had a blocker bug, Apple would have delayed its next release back then?

He was most likely refering to a sysadmin/user "common practice".

 

[hardworkingnewbie]

Apple didn't even have a problem with OS-X being an entirely new OS with no backwards compatibility whatsoever, so, yes.

I am talking about OS X and its own lifetime so far. Remember, OS X is not the new kid on the block, but 21 years old. Apple shunned a lot of things which where possible in the past of OS X. Also they are tightening access to certain areas of the kernel more and more.

 

[bsduck]

Backwards compatibility is quite bad in MacOS world. It's not rare for recent programs, both proprietary and open source, not to run on a 5 years old MacOS, while they still run on a 10 years old Windows. Often you can't upgrade the system to a recent enough MacOS either because your hardware isn't supported anymore, while a modern Linux distribution works fine on the same hardware and can run the latest software. I used to have a 2006 iMac and the latest MacOS supporting it is 10.7 (2011-2012). That 15 years old machine is still in use and runs modern software, including KDE Plasma, on Linux.

 

[grahamperrin]

… if Office 2007 had a blocker bug, Apple would have delayed its next release back then?

Possibly.

 

[Jose]

Well, yes. But please note that this statement listed on kernel.org, so the official mission statement for the Linux kernel about that matter.

Absolutely! I didn't mean to imply it is not the official Linux kernel stance.

Basically Greg K-H has this arrogant GNOME attitude, namely "we do know better what you really need than you do." And wants Linux to be the Hotel California of hardware drivers. Drivers need to check in, but never can checkout...

Arrogance is a good way to describe it.