ok, why do i dislike mac's

I actually first liked them, i thought finally after all these years when MacOSX came out, Apple did a good symbiotic job of providing a stable core (but otherwise useless for people like me) and have the user community provide open source software that can be ported easily from unix/linux. Then reality sinks in:

need to install xcode first
fortran compiler: apple (C only), fink, hpc, macports. They don't mix well. care with $path

Some MacOS-X notes for linux efficionados

A 'Welcome kit' for new Mac UNIX users
MacInTouch
HIGH PERFORMANCE COMPUTING on MacOSX
HPC on OS X: Using AltiVec and Dual Processors
Analysis: x86 Vs PPC
NEMO install notes
MIRIAD install notes
Linux on Mac: a POWER programmer's primer
DarwinPorts
My then favorite links rebutting these horrid "worlds' fastest" claims: e.g. cnet-1 and cnet-2
Others trying to help:
- Jane Rigby

Some things on mac seem just harder than on linux.... well, at least if you've been using them for 10 years....:

ssh X forwarding. Of course you HAVE to make sure you are using an xterm, not Terminal. Also look at Enabling X11 Forwarding FAQ. We couldn't find a GUI to fix this.

Burning a CD or DVD iso: (see also mac/dvdburn)

    In the Finder, while you click on the 'untitled DVD' icon with the
    radiation hazard icon next to it, it means you can burn. But !!!! this
    is NOT the way to burn an ISO, it will get you a coaster. No,
    this is the way:
	- open:     Applications -> Utilities -> Disk Utility

    Now there are two flavors how to continue:

    1)    in this tool:  Images -> Burn...
          this will open up a file browser, just find it, highlight it, 
          and click on the Open button

    2)    if you're a repeat ISO burner, your ISO might be in the left 
	  panel (bottom part) of Disk Utility.
	  Highlight it, and click Images -> Burn...

filename case preserving vs. case sensitive
tricks to get an iPod working in linux (Roald's nano, nov 2006)

MacOSX is almost unix , but.....

it does not know the difference between a file named Foo and foo
it decided to not use /etc/passwd, so you'll need to use tools like adduser?
to be root or not? dragging a tool onto your desktop removes it for others to see. you'll need to make the equivalence of a symlink.