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I couldn't give a fuck about binaries of commercial software packages working, as long as I can't manage the toolchain I depend on daily. - Java, Ruby, Python, Javascript, Mysql, Postgresql... Memcached

I've had no trouble installing Ruby, Python, Javascript, Mysql, Postgresql, GCC, Memcached on Mac OS X, mostly binary installers are available, or you can just use homebrew for stuff like memcached if not, I use rvm for Ruby as it's easier and ties in with server setups but you can install from source. So be aware that if you have run into problems it is not a universal failing of Mac OS X and was specific to you/your setup. I haven't seen many glitches with the above stack, and answers are usually googlable if you do run into something (for example after installing memcached I googled how to set up the plist homebrew provides to run it on startup). Can't say I've noticed much difference with upgrading/installing packages on linux, but then I tend to manage servers rather than desktops there.

I agree the package manager situation is more sane on Linux though if you're using open source code; it's one of the things Linux gets right (when it works), as opposed to commercial operating systems. That doesn't mean it's impossible or even difficult to use an open-source stack on Mac OS X though, quite the opposite.

> When you are working day-in day-out with Java, Ruby, Python, Javascript, Mysql, Postgresql, GCC, Casandra, MongoDB, Memcached and dozens of other technologies, installing that stuff and having it work on OS X is amongst the most frustrating experiences I ever had, no matter if you're doing it by hand or with MacPorts or with Homebrew. All available options on OS X suck. I couldn't give a fuck about binaries of commercial software packages working, as long as I can't manage the toolchain I depend on daily.

As a non-Mac-user (and fellow ThinkPad user!) that occasionally gets roped in to that crazy land, I feel your pain. MacPorts seemed the most useful option before, simply because it seemed a direct port (heh) of the BSD ports system. Honestly the whole thing reminded me of trying to get stuff to work on Solaris 10-15 years ago.... if you can just get your compiler working it works great, just set up /my-usr over here and make sure nothing from the real system ends up in $PATH.

Lately I heard that MacPorts isn't cool any more so I didn't use it for my most recent Mac-oriented client project that needed some installs. I am a stubborn goat, but if I've learned one thing it's that when the trendy open source crowd on Mac wanders off, good luck getting anything to work, especially because Apple loves to change things. So I looked around and it seems Fink is a really nice option. So far everything went great. If you are familiar with Debian it's like that, and it carefully segregates everything into /sw, so just make sure /sw/{bin,sbin} are first in $PATH and you'll be good. I was recently reminded of Gentoo Prefix and wish I'd tried that out.

Now here is the thing that cracks me up. I am of all things a Gentoo partisan. My workstations? Gentoo. Servers for my business? Gentoo. Client systems? Gentoo. LAN server for a moderately technical friend? Gentoo. And I do get some gentle mockery from friends for how much of my CPU time is spent on compiling. Yet here are the Mac acolytes, with the most consistent hardware and OS platform one could ever hope for, and they always have a fetish for compiling things from source. Are they showing off that they know how to do "./configure && make && make install"? Well congratulations, you got my respect for that, now please make binary packages. I mean shit, the only reason I am into Gentoo is I got tired of that rigmarole and managing $CFLAGS manually on my precious Slackware boxen.

You got tired of manually managing CFLAGS, so you moved to... Gentoo? Home of "hope you didn't want to view a GIF in Firefox, because you forgot to build it with that USE flag"?

When you are working day-in day-out with Java, Ruby, Python, Javascript, Mysql, Postgresql, GCC, Casandra, MongoDB, Memcached and dozens of other technologies, installing that stuff and having it work on OS X is amongst the most frustrating experiences I ever had, no matter if you're doing it by hand or with MacPorts or with Homebrew. All available options on OS X suck.

I'm surprised to hear this, as I've had the opposite experience with a similar toolchain, especially since the advent of Homebrew. What problems are you running into exactly?

Another thing with OS X is that it just works, until it doesn't. After that you're in Windows-land again, the preferred option being to just reset/reinstall everything.

Again, never had this experience. I would love to hear how you're managing to FUBAR your Mac.

Try building a Hackintosh sometimes and your appreciation for Linux will change.

Have all of these issues been on a Hackintosh? If so, that might explain things ...