kmosx: Xfree86, Apple X11 and Fink
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Unix applications can be ported to MacOS X, but then the code has to be significally changed in order to use Quartz and Aqua.
A simpler way to port those applications is to use a X Window server, the project to port X Window on MacOS X has been called Xfree86.
http://mrcla.com/XonX/
There are two ways (not so different anyway) to run the applications on your Mac, first one is to install Xfre86/XDarwin, second one is to install Apple X11 application, which is Apple version of Xfree86.
XDarwin allows to work in full screen mode (just like you've got another OS) or rootless mode (integrated with OS X), while X11 allows only the rootless mode but gives to the X server the full benefits from Quartz (everything will be faster with X11, from launching to using applications).
In case you want to run Apple X11, you need to download and install X11 from Apple web site. You will also get X11 SDK if you want to use Fink.
http://www.apple.com/macosx/x11/download/
In order to get Unix applications that have been ported to Mac, the easiest way is to install Fink :
Fink assures that the applications listed can run on your mac
Finks downloads, installs and compiles the applications
Fink updates those applications
http://fink.sourceforge.net/index.php
You will need to use the command line to install fink or use FinkCommander, a GUI for Fink.
http://finkcommander.sourceforge.net/
In order to be able to compile applications with Fink, you need to have installed the developper tools : either from the developper tools CD that was in your 10.1 or 10.2 box, or by registering to Apple developper site and downloading the Dev. tools.
http://developer.apple.com/macosx/
Fink has been designed to install Xfree86, so the first time you use it, you have either to install Xfree86, or in case you want to use apple X11, you will install a package called "system-xfree86" that will tell fink that you have installed a X server by your own mean and you don't need to install Xfree86.
Apple X11 is using its own window manager called Quartz-wm
If you use XDarwin, you will need to install a window manager (as the default one called twm is really basic), for instance you can try
OroborOSX (great integration with MacOSX in rootless mode)
http://oroborosx.sourceforge.net/
or Window Maker (Next Step nostalgia), it can be installed with fink
http://www.windowmaker.org/
having installed you X server, your window manager, you can now install applications, such as OpenOffice, Office X free alternative
http://porting.openoffice.org/mac/
or Gimp (through Fink), Photoshop alternative
http://www.gimp.org/
and many more GNU / Open Source interesting applications.
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