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Ernest Prabhakar, the open-source product manager at Apple, notified developers that buildable kernel sources are available, adding that Apple regrets the delay in readying the new kernel for release.

In February open-source developers suggested that Apple had failed to release the Intel source for fears that it would make it easier for hackers to get OS X running on non-Mac hardware. However Apple later denied this, Prabhakar telling developers not to confuse speculation with fact.

One critic of Apple's previous failure to release the code, Tom Yager, described the latest announcement as 'one of Apple's smartest strategic decisions.'

'Apple's direct engagement with open source developers, and high-end users who need to tune and alter their systems for peak performance, will dramatically alter the landscape,' he said. 'With the community's involvement, Apple will set a standard for openness that will show other first-tier OS vendors' open source efforts as lip service to the letter of a license.'

And Apple has not stopped with Darwin. It has set up the Mac OS Forge to support WebKit and other open-source projects focused on Mac OS X.

These include the source-code for the new iCal Server in Leopard Server - announced this week - and for Bonjour service discovery and Launchd process management.

Again Yager welcomed the news.

'Apple has opened many technologies,' he said. 'that others would unquestionably hold as proprietary to maintain a competitive advantage.'