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Path: sserve!newshost.anu.edu.au!munnari.oz.au!constellation!convex!convex!darwin.sura.net!math.ohio-state.edu!usc!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!decwrl!usenet.coe.montana.edu!bsd.coe.montana.edu!nate From: nate@bsd.coe.montana.edu (Nate Williams) Newsgroups: comp.os.386bsd.questions Subject: Re: 386BSD or NetBSD? Date: 5 Oct 1993 02:45:42 GMT Organization: Montana State University, Bozeman MT Lines: 52 Message-ID: <28qn4m$bi0@pdq.coe.montana.edu> References: <9310041624.AA0109@havoc.ns.doe.gov> <crt.749753294@tiamat.umd.umich.edu> <28porg$mno@homer.cs.mcgill.ca> <crt.749774550@tiamat.umd.umich.edu> NNTP-Posting-Host: bsd.coe.montana.edu In article <crt.749774550@tiamat.umd.umich.edu>, Rob Shady <crt@tiamat.umd.umich.edu> wrote: > >> This post tends to give the impression that FreeBSD is somewhat >> less stable than NetBSD. I doubt this is the case. It jsut >> doesn't have the urge to be as 'cutting edge' (or whatever the >> trendy term for the day is) as NetBSD..... > >Damn.. I never meant to give that impression, here, let me correct myself. > >386BSD - Very, VERY buggy! Unstable w/o patch kit. >FreeBSD - 386BSD with patches & minor enhancements. This UNIX system is very > stable, and is a decent system for people who do not want the > latest and the greatest in exchange for some instability problems. No flames intended, but FreeBSD is for most users as stable as NetBSD is. In addition, we (FreeBSD folks) have put alot of time into making the system more usable at the application level, hence the growing number of 'packages' that can be install/deinstalled very easily, so that the user doesn't have to spend time porting and compiling applications. We have not as great a qualm about integrating software that existed in 4.3-RENO (the last BSD we all know and love) into FreeBSD, even if the only implementation is GNU software, so FreeBSD has a new (copylefted) man page system, which allows you to format man pages on the fly. (I'm justifying it to those folks who dislike GNU software for whatever reasons. I'm NOT saying that we are better than NetBSD for using it, you may think we're stupid...) Anyway, one comment about this post is that below he also lists NetBSD as 'Not the most stable system in the world...", so I'm not sure what exactly Rob is trying to say here. Other than the stability cracks, I believe for the most part he is on the money. >NetBSD - 386BSD with patches & MAJOR enhancements! Not the most stable > system in the world, but it is the cutting edge of technology with > all of the greatest enhancements including Loadable Kernel Modules, > and other really k-rad stuff. Great system for the experimentor > or someone who is really trying to dive head-first into the world > of UNIX kernel hacking. Nate -- nate@bsd.coe.montana.edu | Freely available *nix clones benefit everyone, nate@cs.montana.edu | so let's not compete with each other, let's work #: (406) 994-4836 | compete with folks who try to tie us down to home #: (406) 586-0579 | proprietary O.S.'s (Microsloth) - Me