Debian for use in Macintosh environments

Debian GNU/Linux is powerful for many things. One of them is working together with Macintosh systems.

• Debian workstations working together with Macintosh workstations
• Debian providing services for Macintosh workstations
• Debian workstations using Macintosh services
• Debian bridging Macintosh and Windows workstations.
• Debian skins to look like a Macintosh

This page tries to collect and organize info on the many ways Debian can interact with Macintosh.

Metapackages

One goal is a set of metapackages officially inside Debian, as a DDD:

• macos-net-services - network services relevant for Macintosh workstations
• macos-tools - tools to deal with Macintosh-specific data
• macos-desktop - make your Debian workstation look more like a Macintosh
• macos-dev - tools to help port Debian software to Macintosh

Packages

• netatalk - Apple Filesharing server
• libnss-mdns - Zeroconf resolving
• sleuthkit - data revocery supporting mac partitions
• gnu-fdisk - fdisk with support for mac partitions
• epstool - extract or generate Mac-specific EPS preview image
• airport-utils - administration utilities for Airport base stations
• qemu - generic computer emulator
• basilisk2 - 68k Macintosh emulator
• hfsutils - Tools for reading and writing Macintosh volumes
• hfsprogs - mkfs and fsck for HFS and HFS+ file systems (deprecated?)
• fondu - convert between Mac and UNIX font formats
• avant-window-navigator - MacOS X like panel for GNOME
• icnsutils - utilities for manipulating Mac OS icns files

Tweaks

• BSDP using ISC DHCP - MacOS X (and maybe also MacOS Classic netboot

• Zeroconf broadcasting of CUPS using Avahi