Apple just opensourced Grand Central Dispatch !

[artir]

GCD is a technology that helps the developers to create multithreaded apps, letting the system do the threading instead of the individual apps.
Now it's licensed under the Apache License, and yes, it can be ported to Linux.


http://www.macresearch.org/grand-central-now-open-all
http://www.apple.com/macosx/technology/#grandcentral


Now.. why have they done that?

[tubezninja]

Maybe, just maybe they're not the evil closed-model overlords that some people on here have made them out to be?

[dsavi]

^ I am an Apple hater, but evil proprietary overlords they are not. If you say they are you're in denial.

[schauerlich]

Maybe, just maybe they're not the evil closed-model overlords that some people on here have made them out to be?

IMPOSSIBLE! I even have a pamphlet about it!

[Joeb454]

I've just checked Apple's OpenSource site (http://opensource.apple.com), and I couldn't find it on there

[Namtabmai]

O.k. so rather than coding my applications to be multi-threaded, I should now code them to use GCD so that it can make them multithreaded?

Am I missing something?

[schauerlich]

O.k. so rather than coding my applications to be multi-threaded, I should now code them to use GCD so that it can make them multithreaded?

Am I missing something?

Manually managing multithreaded-ness is a giant pain. GCD makes it much easier by letting libdispatch manage the creation and release of threads. That way, many more app developers will be much more likely to make their apps multi-threaded. All they have to do it make 2 or 3 calls to libdispatch before a block of code, and GCD does the rest.

[RabbitWho]

*cross your fingers for Final Cut Pro 7*

[tubezninja]

O.k. so rather than coding my applications to be multi-threaded, I should now code them to use GCD so that it can make them multithreaded?

You can do what you want. That is the great thing about FOSS.

[tubezninja]

I've just checked Apple's OpenSource site (http://opensource.apple.com), and I couldn't find it on there


Not sure exactly why it was done this way, but instead of being on the developer site, they put it in macosforge instead:

http://libdispatch.macosforge.org/

[misfitpierce]

IMPOSSIBLE! I even have a pamphlet about it!

Me too!

[Странник]

They are still a corporation which is focused on making profit and brainwashing people.
still evil...

[phrostbyte]

Awesome. Does that mean GNU C will support closures now? :)

This complimentary to OpenMP which is already supported. The open source community now has really good parallel development tools. Now we need to bring out those 4000 core processors the Linux kernel now supports. :D

[Tibuda]

They have contributed with CUPS for some time. I can't see them as evil, even if I don't use any of their products.

[schauerlich]

Awesome. Does that mean GNU C will support closures now? :)

They'll be releasing their changes to GCC at some point soon (it's GPL'd after all), which means that it will support blocks/closures.

[phrostbyte]

They have contributed with CUPS for some time. I can't see them as evil, even if I don't use any of their products.

Yeah actual Apple technology is in every single Ubuntu CD. (like on the CD)

You can say Mono = Microsoft technology, but that isn't true. Mono is wholly developed outside of Microsoft (mostly by Novell).

My only real beef with Apple is their policy on forcing proprietary transfer protocols that you are forced to use iTunes to communicate with Apple devices. The end result Linux users can't sync to iPhone/new gen iPods (and Apple actively fights things that could result in Linux support, with legal threats). Which I find highly lame. =;

[hanzomon4]

Apple protects the fruit but don't mind handing out the seeds. I mean a lot of the most important low level bits are open. Cups, Webkit, Objective-C(Gnustep), Xnu...

[CoreyB.]

http://www.macresearch.org/grand-central-now-open-all

Is this something that will benefit Ubuntu or Linux as a whole?

[VMC]

http://www.macresearch.org/grand-central-now-open-all

Is this something that will benefit Ubuntu or Linux as a whole?

I think your in the wrong forum. This is for karmic issues. I don't see where that thread has any relevance.

[Frak]

IMPOSSIBLE! I even have a pamphlet about it!
I went to AppleOpenSourceCon and all I got was this crappy pamphlet.

[inportb]

Yeah... I don't think Karmic does GCD.

[issih]

Apple protects the fruit but don't mind handing out the seeds. I mean a lot of the most important low level bits are open. Cups, Webkit, Objective-C(Gnustep), Xnu...

Very well put....

Apple are a company, companies are a bit evil (its inevitable...even if you make your slogan pretend its not *stares hard at google*) but they are no where near as bad as some would like to make them seem.

They are no where near being saints, but there are far far worse sinners.

[pelle.k]

even if you make your slogan pretend its not *stares hard at google*
LOL :D that looked funny in my head

They are no where near being saints, but there are far far worse sinners.
Well said!

[CJ Master]

They are still a corporation which is focused on making profit and brainwashing people.
still evil...

A corporation... trying to make PROFIT?! Blasphemy!

[RiceMonster]

This is good news. This technology sounds very good and I hope this gets ported to Linux (seems like it's going to!) and Linux developers make good use of it.

[Frak]

This is good news. This technology sounds very good and I hope this gets ported to Linux (seems like it's going to!) and Linux developers make good use of it.
Same. This could really do some good for Linux overall.

[DeadSuperHero]

My day got a whole lot better after reading this.

Honestly, GCD was one of the reasons I was thinking of switching to Snow Leopard/Mac in general.

Buuut, if it's coming to Linux (and probably FreeBSD), then that's one less reason to switch.

[xArv3nx]

I'm guessing most users don't hate them (Apple) because of the proprietary products, but because of other reasons (company practices, similar to MSFT).

that's like me, i could really care less if they open source something or not. it doesn't really make them any better of a company. and the mac scene is disgusting (which is the REAL reason I left macs).

[Regenweald]

Apple's 64bit implementation is not as mature as Linux's so IF GCD is implemented in userspace or in the kernel it would be a great opportunity for apple to have a pretty large testing base and also a large free workforce testing/improving GCD. Flipside, FOSS gets new hotness and all round speed improvements. Win Win to me.

[Exodist]

O.k. so rather than coding my applications to be multi-threaded, I should now code them to use GCD so that it can make them multithreaded?

Am I missing something?

I "ASSUME" if you also compile the application with GCD as well it will make the algorithm multi threaded. Else I am confused as well.

[schauerlich]

Honestly, GCD was one of the reasons I was thinking of switching to Snow Leopard/Mac in general.

Buuut, if it's coming to Linux (and probably FreeBSD), then that's one less reason to switch.

How did you escape from the facility?!

Now now, just come with me... we'll have you brainwashed properly medicated in no time...

[3rdalbum]

This seems like a step or two better than Python's "threading" module, but I can't see how it's "threading nirvana", because I can't understand how it solves race conditions without blocking threads.

[Frak]

This seems like a step or two better than Python's "threading" module, but I can't see how it's "threading nirvana", because I can't understand how it solves race conditions without blocking threads.
When in doubt: magic.

[Sporkman]

IMPOSSIBLE! I even have a pamphlet about it!

:lol:

[MikeTheC]

As far as I am concerned, it's a good thing. I'm glad Apple has done this as it is quite the reverse of going the Software Patent direction.

Hooray for the good guys here, I think.

I may even crack open a can of Boddington's (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boddingtons) over this!

[chris200x9]

this is good but, will linux and gnu really add a non standard extension to c?

[Frak]

this is good but, will linux and gnu really add a non standard extension to c?
That or face another fork war.

[MikeTheC]

this is good but, will linux and gnu really add a non standard extension to c?

How is this any more non-standard than, say, SELinux? It's a new technological approach, and (if they have any sense) the F/OSS community will eventually perform their version of "embrace and extend" on it, same as they have with many, many other projects.

[3rdalbum]

When in doubt: magic.

Libmagic? I thought that just determined the types of files?

[Frak]

Libmagic? I thought that just determined the types of files?
That's the magical part (?)

[kpholmes]

the mac scene is disgusting (which is the REAL reason I left macs).

haha, very true

[MikeTheC]

Geez, I guess there's just no pleasing some folks.

[Frak]

Geez, I guess there's just no pleasing some folks.
"We give you a great technology that should radically increase speeds on my home systems, and cause greater satisfaction in POSIX technology"

"You guys are disgusting pigs!"

[pelle.k]

and the mac scene is disgusting (which is the REAL reason I left macs).

haha, very true
I am thinking about buying me a mac mini (and snow leopard, obviously), so could you elaborate on that? I mean, digusting is a pretty strong word. I guess i'm trying to figure out if you're "haters" or free software fanbois, because if you aren't, and your arguments are valid, i might just have to think again.