Fink

The Fink project allows the use of open-source programs for UNIX - based operating systems on computers by Apple with the operating system Mac OS X.

Although Mac OS X is a Unix system, but large parts of the system in-house developments from Apple ( for example, quartz and the GUI Aqua), which do not exist for Unix and Linux systems.

Therefore Fink is an other flavors of Unix compatible environment such as libraries, GNU utilities and an X Window System. If the source code of a program must be specifically adapted for the Macintosh platform, there is also provided the necessary infrastructure provided by Fink. It is based on the Debian package management and the Advanced Packaging Tool.

The name Fink is a synonym for the project, the package management and software distribution, which can be confusing for beginners.

Using Fink

The current version of the package management with the basic packages is available for free download. One has the choice between the binary distribution as a disk image with an installer package and the source code distribution as Unix tarball for self- compiling. The disk image variant, however, is not (yet) for OSX 10.6 (Snow Leopard) available. Fink and all packages will be installed inside the directory " / sw " in the root directory, that is, Fink does not follow the Filesystem Hierarchy Standard.

Package Management

After installation, the package management of Fink available. The actual programs (applications, games, etc.) are installed in the form of software packages only now. Again, you have the choice between source code and binary packages.

The entire Fink package management can be controlled via the command line in the terminal program.

Fink Commander is a graphical interface for Fink, with which you can use all the features of the package management.

Almost all the commands that you can enter on the command line in Terminal, are so accessible in the graphical environment of the Mac OS. If the Fink Commander started while connected to the Internet, it loads automatically the package you download any information and provide a list of all available packages in the program window dar.

Fink Commander is not part of the Fink distribution, but a separate development. Because the program was not developed for a long time (as of June 2006, Version 0.5.4 ), it may be minor problems (crashes, etc. ) upon using. Since November 2009, is version 0.5.5 as a Universal Application, that you want to run on Tiger, Leopard and Snow Leopard.

The name Fink

The name Fink is the bird species of finches and is associated with the operating system Darwin, which forms the core of Mac OS X. This name refers to the so-called " Darwin 's finches " on the Galapagos, the heranzog Charles Darwin for his research on the theory of evolution.