Darwin BSD
From Wikinfo
Darwin is the Core OS of Apple Computer's Mac OS X, and runs on the open source Darwin kernel, XNU.
Darwin integrates a number of technologies, most importantly Mach 3.0, operating-system services based on 4.4BSD (Berkeley Software Distribution), high-performance networking facilities, and support for multiple integrated file systems.
Originally developed at Carnegie Mellon University, the Mach kernel manages all the tasks and processes the computer runs. Apples Head of Software Engineering, Dr Avie Tevanian, worked on the Mach kernel at Carnegie-Mellon. Mac OS X owes no small part of its existence to Avie Tevanian. The Mach kernel gives Mac OS X features such as protected memory and symmetric multiple processing.
Current Darwin ports are to the Intel architecture, however, with only very limited driver support, and to the Apple PowerPC architecture.
The Darwin developers decided to take a mascot in 2000. Hexley the platypus was chosen over other contenders, such as an Aqua Darwin fish, Clarus the DogCow, and an Orca.
External links
References
- Adapted from the Wikipedia article, "Darwin BSD" http://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Darwin_BSD September 19, 2003
