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MacOS
X Server |
MacOS X Server At its simplest, MacOS X Server is an enhanced version of OPENSTEP for Mach, an enterprise-level operating system which was acquired by Apple in the purchase of NeXT Computer. After Apple canceled the Copland project, which had aimed to bring a "modern" operating system to the Macintosh platform, the company started an external search for an operating system to replace the MacOS. Following a long search, including a very public courting of Be's BeOS, Apple decided to go with NeXT Computer and their OPENSTEP operating system. Following the purchase came the announcement of Rhapsody, a plan to transform OPENSTEP for Mach into the long awaited MacOS replacement. Not only would OPENSTEP for Mach be ported to Macintosh hardware, but the OPENSTEP UI would be replaced by an "advanced Mac look and feel" to address the needs of users and UI conventions of the MacOS. Many of the complex tasks which were handled by the command-line interface would be replaced by graphical elements where possible. Following a very public questioning of Apple's new scheme by Macintosh users in all fields, Apple decided to refocus their operating system future. In 1998, Apple concluded that the Rhapsody plan would not be adequate for either Apple's business model or their customer base. Giving in to developer and user input, Apple hatched MacOS X, which will replace the current MacOS as Apple's next generation consumer operating system. At the same time, Apple renamed the Rhapsody project for a number of reasons, including Mac user confidence and positioning. The new name, MacOS X Server, was supposed to assuage fears of current Mac users and help to position the new software as server software. Both former NeXT developers, and interested Apple developers were given copies of Rhapsody DR 2 in 1998. The software was supposed to make the transition from OPENSTEP for Mach to Rhapsody easier and better. However, following the release of DR 2, no further updates were delivered to the general developer community, and the community at large has become very bitter about it. Apple announced many dates for the release of MacOS X Server, including a guarantee of Fall, 1998, but nothing was ever released or disseminated until the 1999 MacWorld Expo. At the 1999 MacWorld Expo in San Francisco, Apple finally announced MacOS X Server for $999. While late (and what operating system isn't?!?) the announcement included much more than had previously been expected. MacOS X Server will be available in the United States "in the first quarter of 1999," and in Asia and Europe approximately April. On March 17, 1999, Steve Jobs called the media together to announce the availablility of MacOS X Server. Having listened to developers and other segments of the business community, Apple lowered the price for $999 to $499 per server. At the same meeting, Apple announced that the underpinnings of MacOS X Server, such as the Mach kernel and driver kit, would be open sourced in a new product called Darwin. |
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Pricing MacOS X Server ships with: The Apache Web Server The entire package will run you about $499, if you are buying through consumer channels. In recent weeks, this price has started to slip in retail streams. Another flavour of MacOS X Server is the $249 educational version, which is a full version of the software. And even another flavour of MacOS X Server is the $99 version available to developers. This version is not the same as the consumer version, and is limited in capability. It is, for all purposes, a developer's workstation. More on this below… |
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The package A shrink-wrapped MacOS X Server box comes with 4 CD's:
Commercial packages of MacOS X Server ship with unlimited client licenses, which means you can connect as many NetBoot, MacManager, Apple File Sharing, and UNIX services clients as your server can handle. And to clarify some odd notes floating around the Internet, the MacOS X Server license is for one (1) single server. You may not install MacOS X Server on multiple computers using the same software license. Doing so is a direct violation of your license agreement, and is illegal. The developer version of MacOS X Server ships with a five-client license, which means that you can only connect five (total) NetBoot, MacManager, and Apple File Sharing clients to your server. UNIX services are not restricted. |
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Basic features MacOS X Server is a much different beast than the current MacOS line. It will utilize a secure multi-user setup, which will allow different users to log into the same computer, but each user with individually configured access and privileges. This feature is a must for an office environment, and is one of the most lacking features of the current MacOS. MacOS X Server also comes equipped with a built-in command line environment. The command-line interface will definitely be seen when using MacOS X Server, though not as much as in the past with NeXTSTEP/OPENSTEP. Since MacOS X Server is based on many UNIX technologies, some of the software included with MacOS X Server may have to be tweaked using the command line interface. Apple has committed many resources and man hours to obviate the need for a CLI in many instances. However, Apple's stated goal of creating GUI tools/solutions to replace almost all of the common CLI tools is a long term goal for MacOS X, and not specifically one which is completely implemented in MacOS X Server. If you are weary of command-line interface administration or Unixisms, MacOS X Server may well not be for you. MacOS X Server also comes equipped with a built-in telnet terminal which will allows you access to the shell which is automatically spawned when you log in, and to remotely telnet into your own computer if you would prefer to manage files and permissions in a shell environment instead of the GUI. This is useful to UNIX system administrators who prefer shell-based administration. And MacOS X Server will be geared towards being a server. Apple has made numerous public announcements to this effect, and seems intent on having MacOS X Server as their towering server OS and MacOS X as their client/home user operating system, in much the same way as Microsoft for years has touted the power of WinNT and the ease of use of Win95/98. Another thing to note is that MacOS X Server does not have a "Finder." Instead, it is a sort of hybrid (some Finder elements, but mostly Worksapce Manager elements) interface which is used to perform normal desktop functions. It is not complete and many have issues with the engineering, but it is usable if you are familiar with some Workspace tricks and usage of command line UNIX. A more proper "Finder" will be introduced in MacOS X, and is being rewritten by Apple in Carbon. Carbon and this new "Finder" will be available in the second version of MacOS X Server, to be released later this year or early 2000. |
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Advanced features There is nothing timid about MacOS X Server. When Steve
Jobs rolled out the software at MacWorld San Francisco in
January, 1999, he focused on four pieces of software which
are crucial for the utility and marketing of this
platform:
MacOS X Server is not certified as POSIX since Apple has not put the time and resources into getting MacOS X Server certified. However, at the apparent bequest of Steve Jobs, Apple engineers have made sure that MacOS X Server is almost entirely POSIX compliant. In essence, the operating system is POSIX, but Apple will not take the time to certify it. According to numerous developers, MacOS X Server is a joy to work with in POSIX-compatibility. |
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CPU model support The line from Apple is that MacOS X Server will run on Power Macintosh G3 hardware alone. PowerBooks (G3 or not), iMacs, and G3-upgraded computers will not be officially supported. (That doesn't mean they won't work, however.) There is an option during the installation process of MacOS X Server which allows you to install the software onto non-PowerMac G3 hardware. In other words, you can try to install it, but if you have any problems, don't tell Apple because they won't give you any support since you installed on an upsupported machine. If you are interested in installing MacOS X Server on "unsupported" machines, please check out our Information Brief on installing onto unsupported machines. MacOS X Server also includes built-in hardware video acceleration of the IXMicro and ATI graphics cards which have shipped in recent PowerMac G3 models. However, there is no direct hardware acceleration under the BlueBox. |
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Peripheral support What we do know will be supported by MacOS X Server:
So, what does that mean? Well, it means:
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MacOS X Server - Intel? Apple had been working on an Intel version of MacOS X Server. As mentioned, MacOS X Server draws extensively from OPENSTEP, and OPENSTEP has deep roots on x86-based hardware. Apple had originally announced that they would develop and release PowerPC and Intel versions of MacOS X Server at roughly the same time. They had even created a page for Apple's supported list for Intel compatibles. However, MacOS X Server - Intel is currently on the cutting-room floor. While developers have their hands on a developer release of the software, the official word now is that Apple will not ship an Intel-based OS. This is a dramatically different positioning from only a short while ago when Jobs happily said that Rhapsody would be fine-tuned for IA-64. If you believe that MacOS X Server - Intel should live on, please share your opinions with Apple on this matter. If you do send Apple an e-mail, we would love to post it our site. Just cc: xclave@macnn.com. You can also check out the RhapTel website which is lobbying for the release and continued support of the Intel version of the software. |
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Modern OS features One of the most interesting aspects of MacOS X Server is the addition of "modern" features to the Macintosh platform. Such features as preemptive multitasking and full memory protection will be implemented seamlessly in MacOS X Server. Not only will this additional functionality benefit users, but it might also help to attract developers and network admins to this new modern, multiplatform, server OS. A big question mark for Apple's release will be symmetric multiprocessing. Sources say that Apple will not have SMP ready for MacOS X Server version 1, but will in MacOS X and in future versions of MacOS X Server. |
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Core Operating System The core operating system for MacOS X Server is remarkably different than that of the current MacOS. In fact, the current MacOS is considered by most computer purists to not really be an OS as much as a collection of self-actualizing APIs. Both the MacOS and Windows 95/98 (but not NT) manage much of the hardware operations in the machine, including (but not limited to) disk drivers, file access, graphics, networking, and memory. While this isn't a bad thing per se, it does mean that the operating system is spread thinner than need be. In a departure from the MacOS/Windows OS paradigm, MacOS X Server will utilize a kernel to handle all the low level functions that the layers on top of it will require, including file access, I/O, and VM. According to Apple, the kernel used for MacOS X Server is most equitable to Mach 2.5. On top of the Mach kernel lie all of the other "proper OS" functionality, including:
However, the driver kit for MacOS X Server, an OPENSTEP holdover, is "outdated." Many of the advanced features of shipping Power Macintosh computers, such as FireWire and USB, will not be supported by MacOS X Server. Such support will be made available when MacOS X Server and MacOS X share the same new and improved driver kit (IOKit). |
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File System Support Users who actually care what their file system is will love MacOS X Server. Known supported formats already include:
Other files systems, like FAT16, FAT32, and NTFS are all possibilities for support from outside sources. UDF, the DVD-ROM/DVD-RAM, format will not be supported. (As noted above, DVD drives can still be used, but will only work at reading CD-ROM discs.) While ISO-9000 is supported, Audio CDs are not. MacOS X Server will eject Audio CDs when you log in to MacOS X Server. A solution for this is to use OmniGroup's OmniCD, which is a CD player for MacOS X Server. However, you can only listen to Audio CDs through the physical headphone jack on the front of the CD player since the sound in MacOS X Server is not fully implemented. HFS and HFS+ support are merely for services, such as Apple File Sharing and NetBooting. While HFS+ introduced some advanced features into the file system, including some multi-user additions, MacOS X Server will not be able to start up of or install onto these drives. NFS support is there, but we have not been informed how good it is, or how robust the services. When you install MacOS X Server, it creates a UFS (oddly referred to as the MacOS X Server filesystem by Apple in both literature and in the MacOS 8.x utility "System Disk") partition on which the OS and all files are be stored. And as a logged in user, you can access UFS, HFS, and HFS+ volumes since they are all native filesystems. |
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Networking Networking in MacOS X Server will be considerably different than in the current MacOS. Another NeXTSTEP/OPENSTEP for Mach holdover - BSD 4.4 - will be the default networking stack. OT will however still be supported in the Blue Box, but will not be supported as a networking solution under the Yellow Box. To what extent OT will operate is still a question mark. BSD stands for Berkeley Standard Distribution, and is a powerful server/network-oriented UNIX with top notch security features. It is also extremely stable, and is regarded by many users as the best flavor of UNIX/Linux outside of Digital UNIX and some other high-end UNIXes. Most networking functions will be based on IP, AppleTalk, and AFP (Mac File Sharing). The networking speed under MacOS X Server rivals that of MacOS 8.5. One potential problem for Mac developers will be the transition from Open Transport's STREAMS architecture to BSD's socket architecture. Because of the change of networking schemes, much of the Mac community's developer code will be unusable with MacOS X Server and would require major rewrites. Only time will tell if Yellow Box programming will click with Mac developers. Unknown are many of the specifics of networking functionality, however. There is no built-in version of SMB (Server Messaging Blocks, or Windows File Sharing), though this can be solved using the free Samba (link coming…). IP Masquerading seems to be there in part, but has not yet been documented for use. DHCP is not built-in, either, but there are plenty of reports of using other DHCP packages, such as ISC's DHCP modules. You can see more about DHCP installation on StepWise. |
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Backwards Compatibility Just like the transition from 68k to PowerPC processors in Macs, the transition to this new OS will have some quirks. And just like the processor transition, Apple is doing everything it can to make the jump as painless and transparent as possible. In an effort to maintain backwards compatibility, Apple has designed the Blue Box - a virtual machine in which current MacOS applications can run. Current reports point to almost seamless operation for applications. The Blue Box, however, cannot access the serial ports or call other hardware, like the video card, directly so in some cases its utility is compromised. But Apple is working hard to make the Blue Box released with MacOS X Server 1.0 to be as full, stable, and complete as possible. Seamless operating, however, does not mean flawless operation. There have been many many reports of crashing BlueBoxes bringing down the whole server, due in no small part to the way the Blue Box has been engineered to work on top of the Mach kernel. As a tip, try not to use BlueBox for more than you really need to. And when you are finished, make sure to quit the BlueBox (Shutting down from inside the MacOS environment). However, Apple has made clear that the Blue Box for MacOS X Server is for convenience and not for productivity. While it will be bundled with MXS, it will not be a major focus of the operating system. Yellow Box, EOF, WO, and other technologies will be pushed over Blue Box. Developers looking to develop for MacOS X Server can either learn Yellow Box or wait to deploy on MacOS X via the Carbon libraries, which were released to developers in late February. As for OPENSTEP applications, Apple doesn't promise compatibility, but instead a minimal amount of work to transition applications to the fuller YellowBox. Applications will need to be recompiled and tweaked to work with MacOS X Server, in part because some resources have been relocated. However, many applications have been evolving along with Rhapsody/MacOS X Server and its developer releases. |
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Java Steve Jobs knows that a speedy, full implementation of the latest version of Java will make some people jump at the chance to use MacOS X. Jobs has promised that Apple is committed to make Java one of the top priorities for the MacOS X team. MacOS X Server will ship with Java 1.1.6, and many report a very speedy implementation. Many point to the work already done by Apple with the current MRJ implementation. Apple has also labored to give access to the Yellow Box APIs via Java in an effort to encourage more developers to create for the Yellow Box. In fact, many of the smaller MacOS X Server applications are written in YellowBox using Java. |
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MacOS X Server will ship with developer tools for the Yellow Bx. This will allow system administrators, developers, and anyone else using MacOS X Server to create solutions for use with MacOS X Server out of the box. Among developer tools included are gcc (C, C++, Obj-C) and WO dev tools. In line with Apple's positioning of MacOS X Server as a true server solution, MacOS X Server will ship not only with a copy of Apache, but also with a 30-day trial version of Helios GmbH's EtherShare package, including the EtherShare OPI, PDF HandShake, Print Preview, and (when available) PCShare 3 modules. This software will provide users with a multiplatform solution for a print server, mail server, and file server among other functionality. OpenBase, a highly acclaimed database product, will ship as MacOS X Server's shrink-wrapped database solution. OpenBase supports:
Want more? Stalker Software has announced that Communigate Pro v 2.8 will ship on the MacOS X Server third-party software CD. The software, in the words of its company, is "the ONLY and official mail server for this new platform." Among CommunigatePro's features:
Communigate Pro will ship fully functional on the CD, but will print "*This message was transferred with a trial version of CommuniGate(tm) Pro*" on all outgoing messages through the server. |
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Miscellaneous Some other notes about MacOS X Server:
Apple has also committed to MacOS X Server as a continuing product. There will be a MacOS X Server update around the same time MacOS X is released, which should be late this year or early 2000. If you would like to get more information about MacOS X Server directly from Apple, please visit their newly created MacOS X page. If you would like to develop for the platform, please follow the appropriate link from our links page. |
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All content - ©1998-1999 - Mark J. Hershenson
