Rhapsody (operating system)

Rhapsody [ ɹæpsədɪ ] was the attempt of Apple to create a new operating system after the acquisition of NeXT in 1996 based on NeXTSTEP / OPENSTEP. It was after Copland and Pink / Taligent already Apple's third attempt of this kind

At the Worldwide Developers Conference in May 1997 in the U.S., Apple had to announce Surprises: Software that will be programmed under Rhapsody, let easily compile for Windows, if you have the underlying OpenStep -compatible framework Yellow Box installed in a Windows version. Rhapsody even run on Intel-based PCs. The latter, however, was due to the Mach microkernel, which was already available for various platforms. Everything else was just a matter of Rekompilierens. In addition, the new operating system hit the ground running on Java. After the return of Steve Jobs to the company he had left in 1985 in the dispute, which plans to offer Rhapsody for Intel x86 processors, have been buried and the approach to Windows. Avie Tevanian really wanted to get at the core of the project Rhapsody the NeXT system and leave the old Mac software running only on an emulator. In particular, the NextStep libraries should be used. Software suppliers such as Microsoft, Adobe and Macromedia, which were essential to their applications for the Mac scene, however, put across. They would have to completely rewrite existing applications to take advantage of Rhapsody can. Difficulties also appeared in Performance: Finally, the NeXT system had to be on a completely different hardware platform, the PowerPC architecture, adapted. Before NeXTSTEP was concerned only with the Motorola 680x0 family, the x86 architecture from Intel, as well as Sun SPARC and HP PA- RISC systems.

Appearance

The graphical interface of OPENSTEP was adapted from Rhapsody on Mac OS 8. The "Program blocks block " with "About". " File", " Edit ", etc. from OPENSTEP was thereby moved to the top of the screen in a bar, as just now in Mac OS 8 The design theme was trimmed on Mac OS and a Programmumschaltliste (top right in the system tray, added as with Mac OS).

Technical Design

Rhapsody had a Unix-like kernel, which should be the new Mac OS impart additional stability and reliability. Based on the kernel Mach and the Unix derivative developed 4.4BSD lite Apple Darwin. Other components of the system were the Yellow box with object- oriented frameworks of OPENSTEP, the Blue Box to run Mac OS 9 applications ( only in the PowerPC version, got into Mac OS X, the new name "Classic ") and a Java environment. Carbon from later Mac OS X for easy porting of Mac OS 9 applications, however, was not listed. In addition, many Apple - proprietary technologies such as QuickTime been ported.