Mac OSX Newbie

1) Install Packages:
Fink project: it's very familiar with the apt package system in Debian/Ubuntu.

DarwinPorts project: all packages are built from source code, so you need more patient. To get it working, you'd install xcode you can download from apple website or its install CD/DVD

2) install Postgresql:
The easiest way is using Fink or "apt-get install". Different with the distribution in Debian/Ubuntu, the configuration file and data file are both stored at /sw/var/postgresql-8.0/ directory, the owner of which is a non-exist user "postgres".

You can not use "sudo su postgres" to manage the authentication (createuser etc.), but you can use "sudo -u postgres createuser" to add your user of database. Then go to the /sw/var/postgresql-8.0/data directory, and get your postgresql configuration done

3) Fix backspace and delete keys for ssh in Terminal.app
Open a terminal, "File" menu, click "Show Info", then you get a pop-up window, "Terminal Inspector". Choose "Keyboard" in the list box, and then turn on the "Delete key sends backspace" option

4) Subversion with ssl support
Unfortunately, the svn/svn-client package in Fink project don't support ssl. I find a ported version with ssl support:
http://metissian.com/projects/macosx/subversion/
As the README file describes, the subversion-client is installed at /usr/local/lib, and you need add /usr/local/bin to your PATH in your .profile


5) Virtual Machine
VMWare Fusion: It's free right now although it's only beta version and you need to fill a long list registration to get a serial number freely. I have tried it, and installed a Debain-Sarge system with a sarge net-install iso file.

There's a big issue of Fusion: It doesn't support bridged with wireless network card, only supports NAT type.


Another option: Parallels, a commercial virtual tool, and sounds it supports bridging wireless card.

6) Network tools
Terminal: iTerm, it's cooler than the default terminal in OSX: at least supporting tab terminal. http://iterm.sourceforge.net/
IM tools:
Colloquy: http://colloquy.info/, IRC client.
Gaim: ported from Fink project;
MSN microsoft official IM tool;
Adium: http://www.adiumx.com/ support several kinds of IM protocols.

7) X11 Application related:
There's an official X11 application you can find it from Mac OSX's install disk DVD/CD. Using the application, we can run those GUI applications ported from DarwinPort or Fink very well in OSX. I find a link: http://xanana.ucsc.edu/xtal/xterminator/ to customize the X11.app easily.

You can also get another X11 server application from DarwinPort: XDarwin.

8) Virtual Desktop:
Codetek Virtual Desktop: commercial virtual desktop software.
Desktop Manager: http://desktopmanager.berlios.de/, free software, its features are less than Codetek Virtual Desktop.
VirtueDesktops: http://virtuedesktops.info/ based on Desktop Manager, and looks like it's getting very popular amongst those that like virtual desktop applications.

9) Utils:
iStat: System monitor software. http://www.islayer.com/index.php?op=item&id=25
Stuffit Expander: http://www.versiontracker.com/dyn/moreinfo/macosx/182 Compression file manager, it's useful to decompress kinds of compression files.
vncviwer for Mac: http://www.cl.cam.ac.uk/research/dtg/attarchive/vnc/macvncviewer.html, client software to connect to vncserver, for remote control.
stardict: ported from DarwinPort project.