Case sensitivity

[hynyna]

Why is it that the Linux client can be installed and run on a case sensitive partition, while the Mac client will just throw up a dialog demanding, Steam being installed on a case insensitive partition?
If it works on Linux, what's the problem with case sensitivity on a Mac?

Really wondering what the answer will be and if it'll satisfy me.

Thanks in advance.

[SamCoupe]

I'd imagine it's because most Linux systems require case sensitivity so it had to be supported while most macs have it turned off so it never got implemented.

Just guessing though

[UnkendTech]

Oprindeligt skrevet af 1000MB:

I'd imagine it's because most Linux systems require case sensitivity so it had to be supported while most macs have it turned off so it never got implemented.

Just guessing though

the Mac is using Software to Remove Case sensitivity it use to have it if i remember

[ND Geek]

(Sorry for digging up an old thread, but this is one of the top Google results for OS X case sensitivity and Steam)

Oprindeligt skrevet af Unyieldingly:

Oprindeligt skrevet af 1000MB:

I'd imagine it's because most Linux systems require case sensitivity so it had to be supported while most macs have it turned off so it never got implemented.

Just guessing though

the Mac is using Software to Remove Case sensitivity it use to have it if i remember

This is somewhat misleading. Unless the filesystem is formatted specifically as case-sensitive, HFS+ is only case-preserving by default. A complete reformat and reinstall of the OS is required to switch from one to the other, although third-party tools exist to do it without reformatting (it's specifically controlled by a flag in the file system header that changes the FS signature). Either method requires file system level changes.

NTFS (Windows) is case-sensitive. The Win32 environment prevents writing to two separate files with names that differ only by case for compatibility, but no additional work is necessary to allow subsystems like "Services for Unix" to operate with case-sensitivity, since they bypass Win32 and go directly through the OS kernel.

This doesn't really help with Steam's case-sensitivity issues on OS X, but hopefully sheds some light on the details for those that come across this.

[PeTa]

Oprindeligt skrevet af SamCoupe:

I'd imagine it's because most Linux systems require case sensitivity ,,,

not most... acutally you can't use any linux system without case sensitivity, it's a fundamental thing.. which is more natural, like 'Paar' and 'paar' have a small but significant difference in german... though I wonder how to correctly transfer that to spoken language.... hmmm... so much for case-sensitivity being natural....

anyway... to somewhat return to the topic: linux and MacOS are both Unix-like systems (if we don't get too meticulous) with somewhat the same default layout regarding filesystems/-structure, so actually it should be the same code for both platforms... totally unintelligible why that's not available, unless they did the Mac-port with the attitude: let's turn this as much into MS Windows as anyone is able to....

[x_wing]

Oprindeligt skrevet af WasteMyTime:

Oprindeligt skrevet af SamCoupe:

I'd imagine it's because most Linux systems require case sensitivity ,,,

so actually it should be the same code for both platforms... totally unintelligible why that's not available, unless they did the Mac-port with the attitude: let's turn this as much into MS Windows as anyone is able to....

OSX is based in Freebsd (or was openbsd?). Eventhough both are "unix like", the code has nothing to do on one and other.

Anyway, what is correct is that Linux & OSX are POSIX compliant, so that both should be case sensitive... but seems that POSIX it's kinda flexible in this point[unix.stackexchange.com].