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Jul 25, 2011 Inside your Home folder is a Library folder (/Library), accessible only to you, that's used to store your personal application-support files and, in some cases, data. The files and folders in. The Mac OS is a graphical operating system developed by Apple Inc. The tenth version of the Mac OS is the Mac OS X which was launched in 2001. The structure of the Mac OS X includes multiple layers. The base layer is Darwin which is the Unix core of the system. Next layer is the graphics system which contains Quartz, OpenGL and QuickTime. 1 Welcome to the Mac OS X Installation Guide This document describes the procedure for installing the Mac OS X FTDIUSBSerial driver for FTDI's FT2232C, FT232BM, FT245BM, FT8U232AM and FT8U245AM devices. The driver is available for free download from the Drivers section of the FTDI€web€site.
The Mac OS is a graphical operating system developed by Apple Inc. The tenth version of the Mac OS is the Mac OS X which was launched in 2001.
The structure of the Mac OS X includes multiple layers. The base layer is Darwin which is the Unix core of the system. Next layer is the graphics system which contains Quartz, OpenGL and QuickTime. Then is the application layer which has four components, namely Classic, Carbon, Cocoa and Java. The top layer is Aqua, which is the user interface.
A diagram that demonstrates the structure of Mac OS X is as follows −
Components of the Mac OS X Structure
Details about the different components of the Mac OS X structure as seen in the image above are as follows −
Core OS
The Darwin Core is based on the BSD (Berkeley Software Distribution) version of Unix. Mach is the main part of the Darwin core and it performs operations such as memory use, data flow from and to CPU etc. Darwin is also open source i.e. anyone can obtain its source code and make modifications to it. Different versions of Darwin can be used to enhance the Mac OS X.
Some of the major features of the Darwin core are protected memory, automatic memory management, preemptive multitasking, advanced virtual memory etc. It also provides I/O services for Mac OS X and supports plug-and-play, hot-swapping and power management.
Graphics Subsystem
The graphics subsystem in the Mac OS X contains three parts i.e. Quartz, OpenGL and QuickTime. The 2-D graphics in the graphics subsystem is managed by Quartz. It provides fonts, interface graphics, rendering of the images etc. OpenGL provides support for 3-D graphics in the system such as texture mapping, transparency, antialiasing, atmospheric effects, special effects etc.
It is also used in Unix and Windows systems. QuickTime is used for different digital media such as digital video, audio and video streaming etc. It also enables creative applications such as iMovie, iTunes etc.
Application Subsystem
The application subsystem in Mac OS X provides the classic environment to run classic applications. Carbon, Cocoa and Java are the three application development environments available.
The classic environment makes sure that applications written for the previous versions of the operating system can run smoothly. The carbon environment is used to port existing applications to carbon application program interfaces. This is called carbonising the application. The cocoa environment provides object-oriented application development environment. The cocoa applications use the benefits of the Mac OS X Structure the most. The Java applications and Java applets can be run using the Java environment.
User Interface
Aqua is the user interface of Mac OS X. It provides good visual features as well as the tools to customize the user interface as per the user requirements. Aqua contains extensive use of colour and texture as well as extremely detailed icons. It is both pleasant to view and efficient to use.
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␡- The Layers of Mac OS X: Aqua
The Library Overseer Mac Os 8
This chapter is from the book
This chapter is from the book
There is more than one way to think about dividing up a pizza. First, there is the familiar method of dividing it into slices. Alternatively, you could divide it into layers: topping, cheese, sauce, crust. Theoretically, you could also divide it into its basic ingredients: flour, water, tomatoes, garlic, milk. Each method makes a different contribution to your enjoyment of the pizza. The first method (slices) is best when you're getting ready to eat the pizza; the second is best when you are deciding what to order (such as pepperoni with extra cheese); the third is best if you are concerned about nutrition (needing to know the exact ingredients to calculate calories).
The same is true for Mac OS X. There are multiple ways to look at it and take it apart. Each way makes its own contribution to your understanding of the OS. In this chapter, I look at the major ways to 'take apart' Mac OS X. Having at least a minimal knowledge of Mac OS 9 will help, as I occasionally make comparisons between the two OS versions. But even if you've never used Mac OS 9, you'll be able to follow along.
In This Chapter
The Layers of Mac OS X: Aqua
The Layers of Mac OS X: Application Environments
Cocoa
Carbon
Classic
Java
Putting it together
The Layers of Mac OS X: Graphics Services
Quartz
Multimedia: OpenGL and QuickTime
The Layers of Mac OS X: Darwin
Mach
BSD (Unix)
Domains: An Overview
System domain
Local domain
User domain
Network domain
The Libraries of Mac OS X: /System/Library
Core Services
CFMSupport
Extensions
Fonts
Frameworks
PreferencePanes
Printers
QuickTime
ScreenSavers
Services
Sounds
StartupItems
The Libraries of Mac OS X: /Library
Application Support
ColorSync
Contextual Menu Items
Desktop Pictures
Documentation
Fonts
Internet Plug-Ins
Modem Scripts
Preferences
Printers
Receipts
StartupItems
The Libraries of Mac OS X: Users/'Home'/Library
Application Support
Caches
Favorites
Font Collections
Fonts
Internet Search Sites
Keychains
Preference Panes
Preferences
Application-specific folders
The Library Overseer Mac Os Pro
Fonts in Mac OS X: Font Formats
TrueType fonts
PostScript fonts
OpenType fonts
Bitmap fonts
Identifying font formats
Fonts in Mac OS X: Working with Fonts
Font Panel window
Font smoothing and Mac OS X
International language support: basics
International language support: troubleshooting
Font utilities
The Layers of Mac OS X: Aqua
Aqua is the name given to what most users think of when they think of Mac OS X: the user interface, the Finder, the Dock, the windows, the translucent buttons, the high-resolution icons, the menus, and all the rest. Many users may never explore Mac OS X beyond its Aqua layer.
From this perspective, a user upgrading from Mac OS 9 will feel quite at home, at least initially. Much still works the same way. You still double-click icons in the Finder to launch them; you still choose the Save command from an application's File menu to save a document; you still open a folder icon to see its contents.
But you will soon notice some significant differences: a new column view, a very different Apple menu, the Dock. I discussed the basics in Chapter 3, when I presented an overview of Mac OS X.