Apple operating systems are based on UNIX. Yes it is their own modified version of UNIX yet the open systems architecture feature is still there. This means ease of modification at the OS level to control IO routines and data management. This is one of the reasons Apple does not allow users command prompt access like Microsoft’s operating systems have done. Unfortunately, just because the average layman user cannot figure out how to get down to the Apple OS does not mean a knowledgeable user will be deterred. I’ve always thought this is why laymen are utterly convinced Apple products are more safe and secure than any of Microsoft’s; pure fallacy. To those with skill and knowledge, they are both equally vulnerable. Now, licensed software developers for Android and IOS have to allegedly abide by both Google’s and Apple’s software requirements before they allow the software to run in their smartphone OSes. I will assume that the larger the demand for the software, the more ‘laissez-faire’ the OS owners are in corroborating second party code developers are adhering to the OS owner rules. This is a business decision while knowing the risk of potentially damaging their brand. Compound this to both Apple’s and Google’s business interests in and with China and you likely have a free pass for China made software with little scrutiny. If discovered, both Google and Apple can always claim being bamboozled by those ‘waskily’ chinese; move on, nothing to see here and the chinese learn how to better hide their stuff. I write this without any actual proof yet much circumstantial evidence and knowing the big tech (as does Hollywood but that is another story) companies see China as their next big market to sell their wares and make more money. What these dolts do not realize is the chinese will copy their products and push them out of the market by underselling them; hello HUAWEI/ZTE. Along the way, Americans get hooked on chinese connected apps like Tik Tok & Zoom. Oh, read this about Zoom despite being labeled an “American’ business (https://techcrunch.com/2020/04/03/zoom-calls-routed-china/); hello Eric Yuan. Meanwhile China spies on the US via its software and electronics. One more thing, I know it is a whole lot of data coming in to through these apps to go through and find the golden nuggets of worthy intelligence. Hence china’s push for AI, supercomputers and the city of Shenzhen (tech super city). Apologies, for being a bit long and ‘ranty’.
Regards.
Yep. FreeBSD. Pretty highly modified, yet not so much so that you can’t run a lot of the standard FreeBSD software, if you’re so inclined.
> This is one of the reasons Apple does not allow users command prompt access like Microsoft’s operating systems have done.
Not at all true. The Terminal app, a utility tool supplied with MacOS since the very beginning, is a standard command prompt access program, using the Bash (or your choice) shell. In addition, SSH (Secure Shell) is also supplied, which permits command line access over the network.
In fact I use command line shell access, via Terminal or SSH, pretty much every day on my Mac systems. It’s like having a Unix server, in addition to the MacOS GUI desktop.
And for those (like me) who wish to runX11 based software such as xterm (another command line shell access program), there are third party X11 packages.
> Unfortunately, just because the average layman user cannot figure out how to get down to the Apple OS does not mean a knowledgeable user will be deterred. I’ve always thought this is why laymen are utterly convinced Apple products are more safe and secure than any of Microsoft’s; pure fallacy.
It’s not “pure fallacy”; for decades, MacOS was demonstrably more safe and secure than Windows. But in the last 5 years or so, Windows has caught up to MacOS in terms of security, at the operating system level. That’s why you don’t heard as much about autonomous viruses as you did say 10 years ago. As long as it’s still based on the NT kernel, Windows can never be as stable and straightforward as Unix or Linux, but it’s okay these days.
All OS software has flaws, mistakes, vulnerabilities. They have to get patched. Computer OSes are no different from any other complex system in that respect — nothing is perfect, and no software vendor claims their OS software is flawless in that regard.
Nowadays, the major unsafe, insecure element in any computer system is the operator. The USER is where most of the malware attacks strike. Depending on the OS to protect you is only part of a good defense against malware. Safe computer practices — on the part of the user — are more essential now than ever.
Actually not true. Apple MacOS is a certified and trademarked POSIX UNIX™, and in fact the largest selling UNIX™ In the world. It will run every UNIX™ application you can imagine. MacOS is a shell that runs on top of the underlying UNIX™.
This is one of the reasons Apple does not allow users command prompt access like Microsoft’s operating systems have done. Unfortunately, just because the average layman user cannot figure out how to get down to the Apple OS does not mean a knowledgeable user will be deterred.
Also not true. . . The Mac UNIX™ Terminal is just one combined COMMAND T keystroke away, or a click on the Drop Down menu/Terminal option. This brings up the Terminal App in a window and a full command line UNIX™ is available. It will require a SUPER USER password which requires the User to either know or create to access all UNIX™ commands, but they are available. The user has complete control of the underlying UNIX™ OS and all UNIX™ features.
Apple is also one of the largest contributors to the open standard software standards. It developed, owns, and maintains CUPS, the common printing system for all UNIX, Linux, and Android systems, for example, making it available for all comers to use and assures that modifications adhere to the standards. Yet, the UNIX™ Apple uses and CUPS are open source. Anyone can examine the source code to assure that there’s nothing hidden in it and it’s updated to make it tighter and more secure. THAT’ S WHY Macs really are more secure.