# Is it possible to install OSX software on FreeBSD somehow?



## ThisGuy (Sep 7, 2013)

I have always been wondering if it is possible to do this. OS X is based off of FreeBSD so is it possible to do so? OS X has some pretty good applications that would be cool to run on FreeBSD. Thanks :e


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## mmoll (Sep 7, 2013)

The answer is "no". If GNUstep advances further and FreeBSD is getting a compat layer like Darling it could change.


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## drhowarddrfine (Sep 8, 2013)

OS-X is NOT based on FreeBSD. It's core is Mach with FreeBSD components.


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## SirDice (Sep 9, 2013)

Indeed, there is actually very little of FreeBSD in OS X. Also note that OS X applications tend to rely heavily on Cocoa.


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## throAU (Sep 9, 2013)

Yeah, the big thing missing is Cocoa, which provides all the object relationships, GUI widgets, libraries, etc.

There is work to provide something similar in GNUStep, but it is not and probably will never be 100% compatible as OS X is a moving target.  However some level of source compatibility does exist.


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## neel (Dec 17, 2013)

*Re: Is it possible to install OSX software on FreeBSD someho*

No. Just because OS X has some FreeBSD code doesn't mean that FreeBSD can run OS X software. FreeBSD is commonly used by many operating system (Apple) and appliance vendors (NetApp, Juniper) because you can take FreeBSD code, and you just have to give FreeBSD developers credit for using their code.

Apple also used code from other operating systems including Mach but NeXT, and Mach's and NeXT's libc are most likely to be different than FreeBSD's libc. And Apple doesn't want people to run OS X software on FreeBSD. Although you may be able to run FreeBSD software on OS X, mainly because Apple also implemented many of the same technologies (read: POSIX, X11) used by FreeBSD and other free Unix-like operating systems.


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## knightjp (Oct 22, 2018)

Sorry to resurrect an old thread. I would like to know if there has been any new developments in getting Cocoa based software to work on FreeBSD. I am considering moving to FreeBSD, but I would like to still have access to Final Cut Pro and Logic Pro as well.


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## tingo (Oct 22, 2018)

No. The answer is still no. And that is not likely to change either.


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## kpa (Oct 22, 2018)

It's never going to be reality. There's a huge mountain to climb first to get the cocoa APIs implemented for FreeBSD (also certain legal hurdles, cocoa is patented and trademarked technology) and there are multiple issues to solve like how to offer a systemcall API that is even reasonably compatible with OS X's darwin kernel. It would be a project of the same magnitude as WINE and just look at how unsuccessful they are at offering a seamless windows emulation with their product.


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