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Mac OS X "Tiger" vs. Linux, Part 10 - System Preferences

Written by Michael Salsbury

Tuesday, 11 October 2005

This article is part 10 of an ongoing series of articles on this site comparing Apple Mac OS X 10.4 "Tiger" to Red Hat Linux Fedora Core 4 (FC4). (The previous article is here.) The point of this comparison is not to say that one OS or the other is "better" but rather to point out the differences and indicate where an artist who previously used Mac OS X 10.4 would find Linux to be easier, harder, or the same to use as the Mac. See the introduction article for more information and links to the other articles in the series. Although the focus of this series is on the needs of designers, artists, and content creators, the content should be relevant to any number of Mac users or Linux users.

The following chart covers the system preferences available in the two operating systems and how each one handles it, what options it offers, etc:

System Preference Functionality/Feature	Mac OS X	Red Hat Linux
Accessibility Options	System Preferences - > Universal Access provides "VoiceOver", "Zoom", "Display", screen flash, sticky keys, mouse keys, and an enlarged mouse cursor	Desktop -> Preferences -> Accessibility -> Assistive Technology Support provides a screenreader, magnifier, and on-screen keyboard. Desktop -> Preferences -> Keyboard provides sticky keys, repeat keys, slow keys, bounce keys, toggle keys, and mouse keys
User-Specific Preferences	System Preferences -> Accounts allows the user to specify a full name, login picture, select certain applications to launch automatically at login, and turn on parental controls for an account. Provides a direct link to the user's Address Book card where phone numbers, addresses, etc., are stored.	Desktop -> Preferences -> More Preferences -> About Myself allows the user to save a full name, office room number, office phone number, home phone number, and specify a login shell. Desktop-> Preferences -> More Preferences -> Login Photo allows a photo to be specified for use in the "facebrowser". Desktop -> Preferences -> More Preferences -> Preferred Applications allows the user to specify which application is the preferred Web Browser, Mail Reader, and Terminal program.
Desktop Background	System Preferences -> Desktop & Screen Saver allows the user to specify a desktop background picture or solid color.	Desktop -> Preferences -> Desktop Background allows the user to set a specific background picture or solid color.
Screen Saver	System Preferences -> Desktop & Screen Saver allows the user to specify a screen saver, cycle randomly through screen savers, set options for screen savers, set "hot corners", test screen savers, and determine how long the user must remain inactive before the screen saver activates.	Desktop -> Preferences -> Screensaver allows the user to choose a screen saver, cycle randomly through screen savers, specify how often cycling will occur, determine how long the user must remain inactive before the screen saver activates, and other options
System Fonts	Does not allow the user to change the fonts used by the system.	Desktop -> Preferences -> Fonts allows the user to specify which fonts and sizes to use in system windows, title bars, etc., as well as how fonts should be rendered on-screen.
Keyboard Preferences	System Preferences -> Keyboard & Mouse allows the user to specify key repeat rate and key repeat delay, and adjust the behavior of selected modifier keys.	Desktop -> Preferences -> Keyboard allows the user to activate key repeat functionality, determine the delay before keys repeat, determine the speed of repeating, whether the cursor blinks in text boxes and text fields, set how fast the cursor blinks, specify keyboard model and layout, adjust the behavior of keys (e.g., Alt, Windows, Caps Lock), and the use of LEDs on the keyboard to indicate keyboard status. It will even force the user to take a break from typing every so often by locking the screen automatically. Desktop -> System Settings -> Keyboard allows the user to specify an international keyboard setting to use.
Keyboard Shortcuts	System Preferences -> Keyboard & Mouse allows the user to specify the key combinations used for screen capture, Dock activity, Expose, etc.	Desktop -> Preferences -> Keyboard shortcuts allows the user to specify the keys used to launch the help browser, log out, sleep, lock the screen, etc.
Adjust menu and toolbar appearance and functionality	No such option except within the Finder. Nothing global.	Desktop -> Preferences -> Menus & Toolbars allows the user to specify whether icons should be shown in menus, activate menu accelerators, make toolbars detachable, and determine if toolbar buttons should be labeled below/beside, if they should only show as icons, or if they should be text only.
Mouse preferences	System Preferences -> Keyboard & Mouse allows the user to adjust mouse tracking speed, scrolling speed, double-click speed, and specify whether the left or right mouse button is primary.	Desktop -> Preferences -> Mouse allows the user to specify left or right-handed mouse orientation, adjust the double-click timeout, set cursor size to small/medium/large, turn on highlighting of the cursor when control is pressed, adjust mouse acceleration, adjust mouse sensitivity, and adjust the drag and drop threshold.
Network Proxy settings	System Preferences -> Network -> Proxies allows the user to specify proxies for different network protocols, exclude simple hostnames, and bypass proxy settings for particulars hosts and domains.	Desktop -> Preferences -> Network Proxy allows the user to specify a network proxy and hosts to be ignored.
CD and DVD handling	System Preferences -> CDs & DVDs allows the user to specify what action OS X should take when the user inserts a blank CD, a blank DVD, a music CD, a picture CD, or a video DVD.	Desktop -> Preferences -> Removable Drives and Media allows the user to specify whether removable drives should be mounted when hot-plugged, whether removable media should be mounted when inserted, whether removable media should be browsed when inserted, whether programs on removable media should be auto-run, and what action should be taken when blank CDs or DVDs are inserted. Allows the user to specify whether audio CDs should be played when inserted, whether DVD videos should be played when inserted, and whether digital photos should be imported with the camera is connected.
Display resolution	System Preferences -> Displays allows the user to specify screen resolution, refresh rate, color depth, and choose a color matching profile for the monitor.	Desktop -> Preferences -> Screen Resolution allows the user to specify the screen resolution and refresh rate.
System sounds	System Preferences -> Sound allows the user to choose an alert sound, alert volume, enable or disable user interface sounds, enable or disable the playing of feedback when the volume is changed, adjust the output volume, select a sound output device, sound output volume, and sound output balance (left to right), and select a sound input device (plus specify its setings).	Desktop -> Preferences -> Sounds allows the user to enable or disable the sound server, enable or disable sounds for events, specify the sounds to be used for different system events, determine if an audible system bell should sound, and whether there should be visible feedback when the bell sounds (e.g., flashing the screen).
Window system themes	OS X doesn't allow users to change the theme of the window system, but System Preferences -> Appearance allows the user to select a color for buttons/menus/windows, and a highlight color for text.	Desktop -> Preferences -> Theme allows the user to specify an alternate appearance for the window system, install new themes, view the details of a theme, or save a theme to disk.
Window behaviors	System Preferences -> Appearance allows the user to specify where scroll arrows should appear, what happens when a scroll bar is clicked, if smooth scrolling should be used, and whether a window should be minimized when its title bar is double-clicked.	Desktop -> Preferences -> Windows allows the user to specify whether windows activate when the mouse moves over them, what happens when the titlebar is double-clicked, and which key can be used with the mouse to move a window.
Add or Remove Applications	OS X components are added by running the installer on the OS X CD/DVD again. OS X applications are removed by deleting them from the Applications directory. They are installed by dragging them into the Applications directory or by running an installer.	Linux components can be added through the Desktop -> System Settings -> Add/Remove applications. Linux applications can be added or removed the same way. Linux applications can also be removed using their uninstaller or by manually deleting them.
Login Authentication	Applications -> Utilities -> Directory Access -> Authentication allows the user to specify authentication information for Active Directory (Microsoft), BSD Flat File and NIS, LDAPv3. and NetInfo (Apple).	Desktop -> System Settings -> Authentication allows the user to specify whether user information should be obtained through NIS, LDAP, Hesiod, or Winbind, as well as the relevant configuration settings for each protocol. It also allows the user's login to be authenticated through Kerberos, LDAP, SMB, or Winbind. Shadow Passwords or MD5 Passwords can be specified if needed.
System Date and Time	System Preferences -> Date & Time allows the user to set the current date and time, specify a network time (NTP) server, select a time zone, and specify how the date and time should appear in the menu bar at the top of the screen.	Desktop -> System Settings -> Date & Time allows the user set the current date and time, set the correct time zone, and specify a network time protocol (NTP) server.
System Language	System Preferences -> International allows the user to specify a default language, as well as an order for sorted lists and a word breaking standard.	Desktop -> System Settings -> Language allows the user to specify a default language for the system.
Login Screen configuration	System Preferences -> Security allows the user to disable automatic login. System Preferences -> Accounts -> Login Options allows the user to specify an automatic login, change the login screen from displaying a list of users to a name and password prompt, show restart/sleep/shutdown buttons, show the Input Menu on the login window, use the VoiceOver accessibility technology on the window, show password hints, and activate "fast user switching".	Desktop -> System Settings -> Login Screen allows the user to specify a local login screen type, remote login screen type, configure automatic login, configure timed login, adjust standard and graphical greeter settings, adjust some login security settings, adjust accessibility settings for the login screen, and enable XDMCP.
Network settings	System Preferences -> Network allows the user to configure physical network devices, configure PPoE connections, activate AppleTalk and select a zone, establish proxies, and manually configure Ethernet. It also allows the user to set up "locations" for the use of different networks (e.g., home versus office).	Desktop -> System Settings -> Network allows the user to configure physical network devices, configure IPsec tunnels, adjust DNS settings, and specify static hostname to IP address mappings. It also allows the user to setup "profiles" for use of different networks (e.g., home versus office).
Security settings	System Preferences -> Sharing -> Firewall allows the user to specify which applications are permitted to have incoming connections (e.g., SSH, FTP). Advanced settings allow the user to block UDP traffic, enable Firewall logging, and activate "stealth mode" that prevents uninvited traffic from even knowing the computer exists.	Desktop -> System Settings -> Security Level allows the user to specify firewall options, trusted servces, trusted devices, and trusted ports, and specify "SELinux" (security enhanced Linux) preferences.
User account management	System Preferences -> Accounts allows the user to add, modify, and delete local accounts on the computer. Accounts can have long names, short names, pictures, and parental controls. Accounts can be setup as adminstrator or non-administrator.	Desktop -> System Settings -> Users and Groups allows the user to add, modify, and delete local accounts on the computer. Accounts can have short and long names, specific login shells, specific home directory locations, and private groups.
Energy Saver	System Preferences -> Energy Saver allows the user to specify the amount of time before the computer goes to sleep, the display goes to sleep, and/or the hard disk goes to sleep. It also allows the user to schedule specific times for the computer to start up, wake up, shut down, or go to sleep. The computer can be instructed to wake when the modem detects a ring, when network administrators attempt to access it via the network, to restart automatically after a power failure, and to allow the power button to put the computer to sleep.	Desktop -> Preferences -> Screensaver -> Advanced allows the user to activate display power management and specify how long the system should remain idle before entering standby, suspending, or turning itself off. If there are other power management settings in the Gnome GUI environment, I must have missed them.
Startup Disk	System Preferences -> Startup Disk allows the user to specify which disk volume should be used to boot the machine, and optionally allows the system to be booted from a NetBoot server on the network even if the local disk is unbootable.	In Linux, this is handled by the bootloader, which loads before Linux is up and running.

Conclusion

OS X does a good job of centralizing almost all of these functions in the System Preferences panel. This makes it easy to locate a particular preference. In comparison, Linux stores some of these settings in the Desktop menu under Preferences, some under System Settings, and a few under "Preferences -> More Preferences'.

Generally speaking, however, the two operating systems offer the same basic preference capabilities. The Mac system offers a few extra in some areas, while Linux offers extra in others. The one very significant difference, though, is in the area of customizing the GUI elements themselves. OS X permits the user to make some color changes but keeps the overall GUI looking identical otherwise. Linux allows windows to be very thoroughly customized, system fonts to be changed, etc. Although the Mac has always been seen as a very customizable machine, Linux appears to have far more options for interface customization today.

Stay tuned for the next installment in the series, which considers many of the common applications used by Macintosh artists and their Linux equivalents, if any.

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