From owner-freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG Wed Dec 8 20:49:22 2010 Return-Path: Delivered-To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Received: from mx1.freebsd.org (mx1.freebsd.org [IPv6:2001:4f8:fff6::34]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 25E9E1065BE2 for ; Wed, 8 Dec 2010 20:49:22 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from cswiger@mac.com) Received: from asmtpout026.mac.com (asmtpout026.mac.com [17.148.16.101]) by mx1.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 0D2448FC18 for ; Wed, 8 Dec 2010 20:49:21 +0000 (UTC) MIME-version: 1.0 Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT Content-type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Received: from cswiger1.apple.com ([17.209.4.71]) by asmtp026.mac.com (Sun Java(tm) System Messaging Server 6.3-7.04 (built Sep 26 2008; 64bit)) with ESMTPSA id <0LD4000X5N68BA50@asmtp026.mac.com> for freebsd-questions@freebsd.org; Wed, 08 Dec 2010 12:49:21 -0800 (PST) X-Proofpoint-Spam-Details: rule=notspam policy=default score=0 spamscore=0 ipscore=0 suspectscore=0 phishscore=0 bulkscore=0 adultscore=0 classifier=spam adjust=0 reason=mlx engine=6.0.2-1010190000 definitions=main-1012080125 X-Proofpoint-Virus-Version: vendor=fsecure engine=2.50.10432:5.2.15,1.0.148,0.0.0000 definitions=2010-12-08_10:2010-12-08, 2010-12-08, 1970-01-01 signatures=0 From: Chuck Swiger In-reply-to: <4CFFE698.5000900@emailrob.com> Date: Wed, 08 Dec 2010 12:49:20 -0800 Message-id: <07D5C58D-F23D-4AF9-B927-36BFF0697AF5@mac.com> References: <4CFFE698.5000900@emailrob.com> To: spellberg_robert X-Mailer: Apple Mail (2.1082) Cc: fbsd_questions Subject: Re: [fbsd_questions] mac and windoze formats X-BeenThere: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5 Precedence: list List-Id: User questions List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Wed, 08 Dec 2010 20:49:22 -0000 On Dec 8, 2010, at 12:12 PM, spellberg_robert wrote: > premise: > > i was looking at a retail site that is offering > a dvd_archive of every issue of a particular magazine back to its beginning, many decades ago > [ these have become popular, lately ]. If the archive contains this magazine in a common format like PDF, you can view such under nearly any platform (including FreeBSD). > usually, i put these things on my windoze_box, until it was no longer new enough. > then, i looked for linux [ aka, "elf" ] compatability, which also works. ELF is a binary file format. It's used by Linux, FreeBSD, Solaris, and other platforms. > research: > > now, freebsd handles all sorts of elf; but, > mac is not elf, it is derived from mach [ a long_unused word from my youth ]. Yes, MacOS X uses the Mach kernel from CMU, also used by NEXTSTEP. The binary file format for the Mac is called MachO. > so, this question is about "emulation". > i found the section in the faq and in the handbook on elf, but, > there is no mention of mac, osx, mach or anything else that is not elf, not even wine. > i found a recent _questions post that suggested that there is no current ability to run a mach-o binary. because no one challenged this assertion, i take it as true. It is. > q: where do things stand regarding > the future ability to run either a windoze or mac binary > [ as these are the general_public's notion of a "computer" ] ? You can use emulation software like VMWare 3 to run a Windows environment under FreeBSD; however, that won't let you run MacOS X or Mac programs. Regards, -- -Chuck