*BSD News Article 29138


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From: rna@leland.Stanford.EDU (Robert Ashcroft)
Newsgroups: comp.os.386bsd.misc,comp.os.linux.misc
Subject: Re: Impressions: FreeBSD vs Linux
Date: 4 Apr 1994 09:32:45 GMT
Organization: Stanford University, CA 94305, USA
Lines: 47
Message-ID: <2nomrt$85q@nntp2.Stanford.EDU>
References: <MAGNUS.94Apr3194958@haukugle.ii.uib.no> <JKH.94Apr4025000@whisker.hubbard.ie> <hastyCnpwJ0.7ux@netcom.com> <gokingsCnpyF1.CJ@netcom.com>
NNTP-Posting-Host: gsb-ecu.stanford.edu

In article <gokingsCnpyF1.CJ@netcom.com>,
Russell Marrash <gokings@netcom.com> wrote:
>In article <hastyCnpwJ0.7ux@netcom.com> hasty@netcom.com (Amancio Hasty Jr) writes:
>>I hope that after all this postings something good comes out it like
>>a volunteer to smooth out the FreeBSD installation and better co-existence
>>with the DOS file system....
>>
>>Amancio
>>
>
>When I first installed unix on my system at home, I was very new to the Unix 
>world. I am the type of person that likes some challenge when it comes to doing
>something. It feels good when you accomplish something that takes a little work.
>
>I first tried to install NetBsd and after about a week of trying I gave up. Most
>of my problems were related to dos and unix co-existing on one hard disk and 
>being able to dual boot.
>I then tried FreeBsd 1.0 and this one installed with very little effort. Part 
>of this was probably due to the knowledge I gained while trying to install 
>NetBsd.
>After spending a lot of my time to get things to work, I felt pretting good about
>my accomplishment. If I wanted something that installed as easy as a DOS App, I
>wouldn't be using Unix. I think a lot of the new users to unix think it should be
>DOS, but they need to realize that its not.

Feh.  This is just silly.  I too like to learn things, but at the moment,
I just need a X-windows machine at home that works and can deal with gcc
and g++ and gnuplot and whatever for my research.  And guess what, Linux
was up and running and with the help of a friend, USEFUL, in only a day
or three.  I was amazed, and I was grateful, and I applaud whoever
put the Slackware distribution that way.  It turns my 486 into a real
hotrod, and means I don't have to rely on brain-damaged Microsoft
products.  And it does it almost painlessly.

Painless installation is a worthy goal, and one too seldom attainted in
even commercial applications.  I was a little wary of Linux to begin with,
but this is some of the best software anywhere, whether commercial or not.
I thought only the FSF was doing this sort of quality, but apparently the
spirit lives outside of Stallman's band as well.

None of which is meant, at all, to put down FreeBSD or NetBSD.  I have
no experience with either.  I'm just really impressed by Linux.

RNA