"One of the great things about Mac OS X is the UNIX (specifically FreeBSD 5.0) core. Along with improvements in multi-tasking, stability and memory management, a UNIX foundation gives one access to a wide variety of freeware and Open Source tools. Unfortunately, getting these tools to compile and run under Mac OS X, or any UNIX environment, may require more than casual computing knowledge. Fortunately, the folks who developed Fink have created a complete system, knows as a package management system, to allow just about anyone to enjoy Open Source goodness under Mac OS X.
"Before you get started with Fink, you will need to install a few developer tools, since you will be compiling your own programs. Panther users should have an XCode CD lying around somewhere; earlier versions of Mac OS X also come with some sort of developer tools. Don't worry if you can't find your CD, you can also surf on over to the Apple Developer Connection to download the tools. If you're thinking of creating graphical applications, you should install the X11 libraries and SDK..."
