Return to BSD News archive
Xref: sserve comp.os.linux:35432 comp.os.386bsd.misc:208 comp.os.386bsd.questions:1850 comp.unix.xenix.sco:7102 Newsgroups: comp.os.linux,comp.os.386bsd.misc,comp.os.386bsd.questions,comp.unix.xenix.sco Path: sserve!newshost.anu.edu.au!munnari.oz.au!news.Hawaii.Edu!ames!haven.umd.edu!uunet!psgrain!ee.und.ac.za!csir.co.za!frcs!paul From: paul@frcs.Alt.ZA (Paul Nash) Subject: Which to use? Linux/386bsd/NetBSD/Xenix? Organization: Free Range Computer Systems CC Date: Thu, 22 Apr 93 05:15:20 GMT Message-ID: <1993Apr22.051520.3601@frcs.Alt.ZA> Lines: 56 I am in the extremely happy position of being able to rebuild my 386 *nix machine from scratch, with a new 1GB disk and a 386/40 motherboard. I currently have a machine running Xenix 2.3.3, and am thinking of using this opportunity to change. The question is just, what do I change to? My hardware will be: 386dx/40, 8mb RAM, 256k cache Adaptec 1542 (or maybe a VLB SCSI controller) Seagate 11200n 1GB SCSI/2 drive WD8003e ethernet adapter Archive qic-02 tape (sc499 controller) AST 4/port with 16550 uarts Herc card, floppy, stiffy, etc I currently serve a whole bunch of dial-up UUCP sites via a T2500, a T3000 and a 2400 modem, with another T2500 coming RSN. I am also about to get a 9600 SLIP link to the Internet (Oh, Joy!). The sorts of things that I am looking for are: reliable serial ports (com1 + ast 4/port w. 16550) working TCP/IP (ether, DNS, etc) capable of running traceroute, dig, etc capable of running CNews/INN capable of running smail3.1.28 an MH port (maybe -- see below) fairly reliable support for big disks long filenames symlinks and the like I have played with both Linux and 386BSD, and both had problems (but this was a long time back). 386BSD had flakey serial ports (com1 & 2, no AST support), and the Archive tape driver was abbysmally slow (dump 60 MB in about 10 hours). Linux didn't have _any_ TCP/IP back then. Rather than try all three free OSes, I'd like opinions. MH is a bitch to port, as it scratches around with the innards of "struct FILE", but is a very pleasant MUA. I tried to port it to the first release of 386BSD, and gave up in frustration, and I am willing to drop it if I have to. I have lived without long filenames and symlinks most of my Unix life, but find them extremely useful when working on Suns and the like. The rest is probably self-explanatory. I watch all these groups, so those of you with opinions can reply in any way you like. Please tell me what I should, or shouldn't, use, and why. If there are any special patches that I need (like Linux' AFS) please mention these. Thanks in advance. Paul Nash network grunt and bit-pusher extraordinaire paul@frcs.alt.za PO Box 12475, Onderstepoort, 0110 South Africa