4 ms·

I really hope apple implements something similar, would much prefer to have a well integrated linux vm than the not-quite-linux of macos

pram 6y ago
Docker is on macOS using the native hypervisor framework, what would be the point?
- fnord77 6y ago
  and it has some serious file system performance issues that make docker for mac a non-starter for some projects: https://github.com/docker/for-mac/issues/77 https://github.com/docker/for-mac/issues/77 https://docs.docker.com/docker-for-mac/osxfs/#performance-issues-solutions-and-roadmap https://docs.docker.com/docker-for-mac/osxfs/#performance-is...
  - 0xDEADBEF 6y ago
    I've used docker-sync to get around these performance issues.
jchw 6y ago
This is an interesting take considering Linux is Unix-like and macOS is technically a BSD derivative. I don’t think macOS will ever have a Linux syscall translation layer/subsystem (WSL1) nor a lightweight VM with special integration (WSL2) but you can do sort of similar things in third party software, I think. Docker for Mac is using the native VM framework and includes a filesystem integration called osxfs, but despite mentioning the source code in documentation it does not appear to be open source at this time?
- rvz 6y ago
  Exactly. It really doesn't need a syscall translation layer anyway given its Unix + BSD and POSIX foundations. Although this open-source project [0] does exist for macOS but it looks like its inactive. [0] https://github.com/linux-noah/noah https://github.com/linux-noah/noah
- riskyfive 6y ago
  doesn't macOS put a BSD translation of some sort in their kernel? Theres a microkernel, a driver api (device kit) and then 'bsd'
  - riskyfive 6y ago
    random wikipedia image that somewhat supports what I was thinking https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Darwin_(operating_system)#/media/File:Diagram_of_Mac_OS_X_architecture.svg https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Darwin_(operating_system)#/med...
    - saagarjha 6y ago
      The actual API layers are nowhere near that clean ;)
  - yjftsjthsd-h 6y ago
    Darwin doesn't use a microkernel, but yeah they straight-up grafted a BSD syscall layer onto a Mach base.
totetsu 6y ago
I find that most of the linux-like versions of user-space tools can be installed via homebrew. What functionality would you been hoping for from a linux vm? would this VM be able to have any GPL v3 licensed tools?
- pknopf 6y ago
  Yeah, the drive for a "WSL" is really because Microsoft/Windows doesn't play nice with the *nix world of tools/commands that developers are falling in love with. With OSX, the terminal experience is great, no need for a "WSL" over there!
saagarjha 6y ago
Not by Apple, but here’s two: https://github.com/ish-app/ish https://github.com/ish-app/ish https://github.com/linux-noah/noah https://github.com/linux-noah/noah They have varying stages of support for Linux syscalls.

pram 6y ago

Docker is on macOS using the native hypervisor framework, what would be the point?

fnord77 6y ago
and it has some serious file system performance issues that make docker for mac a non-starter for some projects: https://github.com/docker/for-mac/issues/77 https://github.com/docker/for-mac/issues/77 https://docs.docker.com/docker-for-mac/osxfs/#performance-issues-solutions-and-roadmap https://docs.docker.com/docker-for-mac/osxfs/#performance-is...
- 0xDEADBEF 6y ago
  I've used docker-sync to get around these performance issues.

jchw 6y ago

This is an interesting take considering Linux is Unix-like and macOS is technically a BSD derivative. I don’t think macOS will ever have a Linux syscall translation layer/subsystem (WSL1) nor a lightweight VM with special integration (WSL2) but you can do sort of similar things in third party software, I think. Docker for Mac is using the native VM framework and includes a filesystem integration called osxfs, but despite mentioning the source code in documentation it does not appear to be open source at this time?

rvz 6y ago
Exactly. It really doesn't need a syscall translation layer anyway given its Unix + BSD and POSIX foundations. Although this open-source project [0] does exist for macOS but it looks like its inactive. [0] https://github.com/linux-noah/noah https://github.com/linux-noah/noah
riskyfive 6y ago
doesn't macOS put a BSD translation of some sort in their kernel? Theres a microkernel, a driver api (device kit) and then 'bsd'
- riskyfive 6y ago
  random wikipedia image that somewhat supports what I was thinking https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Darwin_(operating_system)#/media/File:Diagram_of_Mac_OS_X_architecture.svg https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Darwin_(operating_system)#/med...
  - saagarjha 6y ago
    The actual API layers are nowhere near that clean ;)
- yjftsjthsd-h 6y ago
  Darwin doesn't use a microkernel, but yeah they straight-up grafted a BSD syscall layer onto a Mach base.

totetsu 6y ago

I find that most of the linux-like versions of user-space tools can be installed via homebrew. What functionality would you been hoping for from a linux vm? would this VM be able to have any GPL v3 licensed tools?

pknopf 6y ago
Yeah, the drive for a "WSL" is really because Microsoft/Windows doesn't play nice with the *nix world of tools/commands that developers are falling in love with. With OSX, the terminal experience is great, no need for a "WSL" over there!

saagarjha 6y ago

Not by Apple, but here’s two: https://github.com/ish-app/ish https://github.com/ish-app/ish https://github.com/linux-noah/noah https://github.com/linux-noah/noah They have varying stages of support for Linux syscalls.