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Is it possible to install and run Linux programs on Mac OS X Leopard 10.5?

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There are a few different options. I would recommend MacPorts. There's also Fink, pkgsrc, homebrew.

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What program are you after in specific? It is probably available from Fink.

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Mac OS X is not binary compatible with Linux binaries, but most Linux software is opensource and written to be fairly cross-platform so their are several projects to port common packages to Mac.

Try Fink and MacPorts.

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VMWare Fusion is pretty cheap if you are a student, I think paid about 40.00 or so. It will also let your run Leopard server as well . . . The Sun offering, Virtual Box, is free for students, but I've had problems with it doing filter driver development (I Do all my PC development my iMAC via VMware fusion). If you are doing non-driver development, then I'd go with virtual box . . .

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    VMware Fusion is great for running Linux, no doubt. At least for Ubuntu, they have good support.
    – fideli
    Commented Jan 11, 2010 at 2:54
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You can't run native Linux apps on OS X; however, you can usually recompile them to run on Mac without too many issues. You'll need to have X11.app installed (this used to not get installed, but may be with 10.6).

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    X certainly came on the disk for 10.4 and 10.5. I think you had to choose to install it...
    – dmckee --- ex-moderator kitten
    Commented Jan 11, 2010 at 3:14

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