Editing Darwin (operating system) (section)

{{short description|Computer operating system}}
{{Redirect|Darwin (kernel)|the article about the kernel|XNU}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2013}}
{{Infobox OS
| name = Darwin
| developer = [[Apple Inc.]]
| family = [[Unix-like]],<ref>{{cite web|url=https://developer.apple.com/library/archive/documentation/Darwin/Conceptual/KernelProgramming/Architecture/Architecture.html|title=Kernel Architecture Overview|work=Kernel Programming Guide|access-date=May 27, 2019|archive-date=May 9, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190509231018/https://developer.apple.com/library/archive/documentation/Darwin/Conceptual/KernelProgramming/Architecture/Architecture.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://github.com/apple/darwin-xnu/blob/master/README.md |title=darwin-xnu/README.md at master |website=[[GitHub]] |access-date=November 21, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190331153214/https://github.com/apple/darwin-xnu/blob/master/README.md |archive-date=March 31, 2019 |url-status=live }}</ref> [[FreeBSD]],<ref name="apple_bsd_overview">{{Cite web |year=2002 |title=Apple BSD Overview |url=https://developer.apple.com/library/archive/documentation/Darwin/Conceptual/KernelProgramming/BSD/BSD.html |access-date=January 1, 2002 |publisher=Apple |archive-date=November 7, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181107021823/https://developer.apple.com/library/archive/documentation/Darwin/Conceptual/KernelProgramming/BSD/BSD.html |url-status=live }}</ref> [[BSD]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://developer.apple.com/darwin/projects/darwin/faq.html |title=Apple - Public Source - Darwin FAQ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041119063203/http://developer.apple.com/darwin/projects/darwin/faq.html |archive-date=November 19, 2004 |access-date=August 9, 2021 |url-status=dead}}</ref>
| source_model = currently [[open source software|open source]] with [[Proprietary software|proprietary]] components,{{cn|date=July 2023}} previously [[Open-source software|open source]]
| released = {{start date and age|2000|11|15}}
| caption = 
| kernel_type = [[Hybrid kernel|Hybrid]] ([[XNU]])
| ui = [[Command-line interface]] ([[Unix shell]])
| license = Mostly [[Apple Public Source License]] (APSL), with closed-source drivers<ref>{{cite web|title= Binary Drivers required for PureDarwin|url= http://www.puredarwin.org/legal/binarydrivers|access-date= July 20, 2009|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20091118172944/http://www.puredarwin.org/legal/binarydrivers|archive-date= November 18, 2009|url-status=dead|df= mdy-all}}</ref>
| programmed_in = [[C (programming language)|C]], [[C++]], [[Objective-C]], [[assembly language]]
| working_state = Current
| website = {{URL|https://opensource.apple.com/releases/}}
| latest release version = 24.0.0
| latest release date = {{start date and age|2024|09|16}}
| repo = {{URL|https://github.com/apple-oss-distributions/distribution-macOS}}
| influenced by = [[NeXTSTEP]], [[FreeBSD]], [[BSD]]
| supported_platforms = {{ubli|Current: [[x86-64]], [[AArch64|64-bit ARM]], [[ARM architecture#32-bit architecture|32-bit ARM]] (32-bit ARM support is closed-source)|Historical: [[PowerPC]] (32-bit and 64-bit), [[IA-32]]}}
}}
{{macOS topics}}

'''Darwin''' is the core [[Unix-like]] [[operating system]] of [[macOS]], [[iOS]], [[watchOS]], [[tvOS]], [[iPadOS]], [[audioOS]], [[visionOS]], and [[bridgeOS]]. It previously existed as an independent [[open-source software|open-source]] operating system, first released by [[Apple Inc.]] in 2000. It is composed of code derived from [[NeXTSTEP]], [[FreeBSD]],<ref name="apple_bsd_overview" /> and other [[BSD]] operating systems,<ref>{{Cite book |title=NeXTstep Concepts |publisher=[[NeXT]] |chapter=1. System Overview |chapter-url=https://www.nextcomputers.org/NeXTfiles/Docs/NeXTStep/3.3/nd/Concepts/Pre3.0_Concepts/01_SysOver.htmld/index.html |access-date=March 26, 2021 |archive-date=November 21, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211121155935/https://www.nextcomputers.org/NeXTfiles/Docs/NeXTStep/3.3/nd/Concepts/Pre3.0_Concepts/01_SysOver.htmld/index.html |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Mach (kernel)|Mach]], and other [[free software]] projects' code, as well as code developed by Apple. Darwin's unofficial mascot is Hexley the Platypus.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.hexley.com/ |title=Homepage of Hexley the DarwinOS Mascot}}</ref>

Darwin is mostly [[POSIX]]-compatible, but has never, by itself, been certified as compatible with any version of POSIX. Starting with [[Mac OS X Leopard|Leopard]], macOS has been certified as compatible with the [[Single UNIX Specification]] version 3 (SUSv3).<ref>{{cite web |title=Mac OS X Leopard - Technology - UNIX|url=https://www.apple.com/macosx/leopard/technology/unix.html|work=Leopard Technology Overview|publisher=[[Apple Inc.]]| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081227000710/http://www.apple.com/macosx/technology/unix.html|archive-date=December 27, 2008|quote=Leopard is now an Open Brand UNIX 03 Registered Product, conforming to the SUSv3 and POSIX 1003.1 specifications for the C API, Shell Utilities, and Threads.}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|author=The Open Group|title=Mac OS X Version 10.5 Leopard on Intel-based Macintosh computers certification|url=http://www.opengroup.org/openbrand/register/brand3555.htm|date=May 18, 2007|access-date=February 11, 2013|archive-date=October 25, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191025142525/https://www.opengroup.org/openbrand/register/brand3555.htm|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web| url=https://www.opengroup.org/openbrand/register/brand3632.htm| title=macOS version 10.13 High Sierra on Intel-based Mac computers| publisher=The Open Group| access-date=November 19, 2017| archive-date=September 28, 2017| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170928150433/https://www.opengroup.org/openbrand/register/brand3632.htm| url-status=live}}</ref>