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Comment by john_alan | Hacker News Reader

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john_alan

What about all the stuff they've done to keep it open:

- Per-install boot security policies

- Custom kernel boot (kmutil configure-boot)

- Raw-image boot mode

- XNU source releases

- Disabling SIP

- Disabling the Signed System Volume

- Third-party kernel extensions

- Developer ID distribution and notarisation

- Gatekeeper "Open Anyway" override

- Hypervisor.framework

- Virtualization.framework

- Rosetta for Linux VMs

- Nested virtualisation

- macOS guest provisioning

- DiskImageKit

- Custom Virtio devices

- Containerization framework

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> What about all the stuff they've done to keep it open

I don't understand the purpose of your reply?

One of your examples is "Disabling SIP", but you're replying to a thread that has already been discussing this very topic, so it makes no sense to ask us "what about" that.

> - Third-party kernel extensions

Deprecated: https://developer.apple.com/support/kernel-extensions/

The issue is really the difficulty of using macOS as an expert user, and this has become significantly more difficult over the years. You mention "Developer ID distribution and notarisation", but both of those are actually restrictions that were added later to a previously open system. Notarization in particular has become a major pain for developers. Also "Gatekeeper Open Anyway override" has become significantly more difficult for users over the years.

> I don't understand the purpose of your reply?

to illustrate, counter to the HN narrative, they've actually done a lot to keep the platform open to hackers and hobbyists.

Sure, remove disabling SIP from the list, the others still stand and are quite compelling IMO.

Fair enough on the kernel extensions.

I take your point(s) but the doom about the Mac turning into iOS and the terminal being taken away is unfounded.

> to illustrate, counter to the HN narrative, they've actually done a lot to keep the platform open to hackers and hobbyists.

My comment that you replied to was not about the HN narrative. Thus, I still don't understand the purpose of your reply.

Glad to see Apple providing APIs that go beyond the bare minimum they ship with on iPhones

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