What is Bonjour?

[Ann P]

Sorry for the terrible newbie question but I've been figuring out what Bonjour is for the last few days. I've read up on it and I still don't understand what it does exactly. Does it unable you to chat with others on your 'Shared Network'? Please explain it to me briefly.

 

[Sky Blue]

Type Bonjour into Spotlight.

"The Bonjour software connects a computer to nearby websites and devices such as printers and other computers. It also finds iChat buddies and shared information, such as shared music and photos, on a local area network."

 

[couto27]

its good morning in freech language

 

[Eric S.]

Type Bonjour into Spotlight.

Or got to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bonjour_(software)

Bonjour locates devices such as printers, as well as other computers, and the services that those devices offer on a local network using multicast Domain Name System service records.

 

[Peterkro]

its good morning in freech language

Or alternatively it's Good Day in the French language.

 

[belvdr]

And here I thought it was a relative of Bon Jovi.

 

[kostia]

It's the way Macs talk to each other on a local network (a LAN). It's the newest generation of the same thing that used to be called Rendezvous, and before that it was called AppleTalk.

 

[Sky Blue]

Or got to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bonjour_(software)

That's what I said.

 

[MacsRgr8]

It's the way Macs talk to each other on a local network (a LAN). It's the newest generation of the same thing that used to be called Rendezvous, and before that it was called AppleTalk.

Whoa..... AppleTalk is completely different...!

Bonjour (old name indeed: Rendezvous) is Apple's implementation of ZeroConf which "runs" on TCP/IP networking, and has nothing to do with AppleTalk.

Apple uses it to make services easily configurable and discoverable on the TCP/IP based LAN.
Okay, AppleTalk also made services easily discoverable (remember Mac OS 9's Chooser?), and with that ease-of-use in mind, Apple uses Bonjour to help you setup and use network services.

 

[Gregg2]

its good morning in freech language

Or alternatively it's Good Day in the French language.

The Italians knew of these problems before computers were even invented, thus the exclamation, "Bonjour, no!"