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0 pointsgiancarlostoro6mo ago0 comments

> 1. Old bugs are not fixed.

If Apple would open source some of its OS apps, this would probably be a non-issue, I could see people putting in bugfix PRs the second Apple chooses to open source their core apps.

I don't see them doing this any time soon sadly, but it would make macOS much more stable, and probably secure.

The more I have thought about my views on Open Source vs Commercial software, I strongly feel that infrastructure code (an OS) should be more open source, I dont see Microsoft or Apple open sourcing any time soon, but it would make a world of a difference, imagine a world where Windows XP had been open sourced, and the community took it fully over and maintained its security, you'd have a drastically better version of Windows without all the fluff, or heck even Windows 7, which some argue was the last good version of Windows as well.

I wish ReactOS was drastically more usable.

0 comments

ethbr16mo ago

Of the two, there's a lot clearer line to Apple open sourcing some of its core desktop apps, given market share (~16%?) and lack of internal resource prioritization (iOSiOSiOS).

The best time to do so would have been ~2010, after iTunes revenue provided a clear monetizable carve-out.

The second best time would be today.

The number of people saying 'I love the hardware you sell me, but am switching platforms because your software is trash' should be a flare that even Tim Cook can notice.

And anything that moves MacOS closer to OSS should be welcomed by Apple -- it's their easiest (and most affordable) path to competing with Microsoft (Azure) on desktop.

OJFord6mo ago

Or if they would just embrace Asahi! Have a team work full-time on parity, have asahi-linux feature complete on Mac launch day; mainlined soon thereafter.

We can dream.

ethbr16mo ago

I mean, there's more of a rationale there. If they cede complete control of the OS, then that starts to eat into their services business.

And it's hard to pick a middle ground once they open up the OS.

At least with apps, there's a clear dividing line between this app and that app.

rcarmo6mo ago

Mail.app alone had enough issues and missing features to sustain an entire cottage industry, and would be one app I would certainly like to contribute to. But it shall never come to pass.

hylaride6mo ago

The tragedy here is that Apple mail was far and beyond the BEST IMAP client up until ~2014.

giancarlostoroOP6mo ago

I worked for a defense contractor that used an encryption mechanism for email that was primarily supported by Outlook, Thunderbird had a paid plugin, but Apple just opened all my emails just fine.

natebc6mo ago

Maybe it's just nostalgia but i really miss Eudora.

thewebguyd6mo ago

Mail.app makes me sad, because it is neglected. Outside of Thunderbird, it's sort of this last bastion of desktop-first mail clients when everything else, even "New" Outlook, has become a web app or some electron monster.

I use mail.app daily across phone, iPad and Mac - it's "fine" but I'd really love it to get some investment.

ajross6mo ago

> I strongly feel that infrastructure code (an OS) should be more open source, I dont see Microsoft or Apple open sourcing any time soon

If only there were another platform vendor with different thoughts about open source infrastructure code. Alas.

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse

0 pointsgiancarlostoro6mo ago0 comments

> 1. Old bugs are not fixed.

If Apple would open source some of its OS apps, this would probably be a non-issue, I could see people putting in bugfix PRs the second Apple chooses to open source their core apps.

I don't see them doing this any time soon sadly, but it would make macOS much more stable, and probably secure.

I wish ReactOS was drastically more usable.

0 comments

ethbr16mo ago

Of the two, there's a lot clearer line to Apple open sourcing some of its core desktop apps, given market share (~16%?) and lack of internal resource prioritization (iOSiOSiOS).

The best time to do so would have been ~2010, after iTunes revenue provided a clear monetizable carve-out.

The second best time would be today.

The number of people saying 'I love the hardware you sell me, but am switching platforms because your software is trash' should be a flare that even Tim Cook can notice.

And anything that moves MacOS closer to OSS should be welcomed by Apple -- it's their easiest (and most affordable) path to competing with Microsoft (Azure) on desktop.

OJFord6mo ago

Or if they would just embrace Asahi! Have a team work full-time on parity, have asahi-linux feature complete on Mac launch day; mainlined soon thereafter.

We can dream.

ethbr16mo ago

I mean, there's more of a rationale there. If they cede complete control of the OS, then that starts to eat into their services business.

And it's hard to pick a middle ground once they open up the OS.

At least with apps, there's a clear dividing line between this app and that app.

rcarmo6mo ago

Mail.app alone had enough issues and missing features to sustain an entire cottage industry, and would be one app I would certainly like to contribute to. But it shall never come to pass.

hylaride6mo ago

The tragedy here is that Apple mail was far and beyond the BEST IMAP client up until ~2014.

giancarlostoroOP6mo ago

I worked for a defense contractor that used an encryption mechanism for email that was primarily supported by Outlook, Thunderbird had a paid plugin, but Apple just opened all my emails just fine.

natebc6mo ago

Maybe it's just nostalgia but i really miss Eudora.

thewebguyd6mo ago

I use mail.app daily across phone, iPad and Mac - it's "fine" but I'd really love it to get some investment.

ajross6mo ago

> I strongly feel that infrastructure code (an OS) should be more open source, I dont see Microsoft or Apple open sourcing any time soon

If only there were another platform vendor with different thoughts about open source infrastructure code. Alas.

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse