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Xref: sserve comp.os.386bsd.misc:2246 comp.os.linux.misc:12493 Newsgroups: comp.os.386bsd.misc,comp.os.linux.misc Path: sserve!newshost.anu.edu.au!harbinger.cc.monash.edu.au!yeshua.marcam.com!news.kei.com!eff!usenet.ins.cwru.edu!wariat.org!kf8nh!bsa From: bsa@kf8nh.wariat.org (Brandon S. Allbery) Subject: Re: Impressions: FreeBSD vs Linux Message-ID: <1994Apr5.223151.8776@kf8nh.wariat.org> Organization: Brandon's Linux box and AmPR node, Mentor, OH Date: Tue, 5 Apr 1994 22:31:51 GMT References: <CMzw69.92K@tower.nullnet.fi> <JKH.94Apr4025000@whisker.hubbard.ie> <MAGNUS.94Apr4201634@haukugle.ii.uib.no> <Cnryws.7vo@hippo.ru.ac.za> Lines: 38 In article <Cnryws.7vo@hippo.ru.ac.za>, csgr@cs.ru.ac.za says: +--------------- | I don't know how Linux is coordinated (apart from that it appears that | Linus coordinates the kernel). | (Maybe some people like the (seemingly) more chaotic way in which Linux | develops, I prefer a coordinated approach.) +------------->8 Granted, the development styles are different. Linux is, fundamentally, a kernel. Linus coordinates its development and is the final arbiter of what "officially" goes into the kernel. Unlike *BSD, there is no single "standard" Linux; there is a de-facto standard (Slackware), but there's also SLS, MCC, Debian (currently in BETA), etc. MCC is a good example of the strengths in this approach: it's a compact distribution providing a "leaf" network node with a development system but intended for use where e.g. mail and news are handled by rlogin into larger systems. SLS, Slackware, and Debian are similar but have some differences in their targeting; for example, Debian is intended as a *ix for novices (and thereby attempts to hide as much of the ugly internals as possible), whereas Slackware goes for raw power (the "kitchen sink" approach --- SLS 1.05 appears to be striking a balance between these by means of e.g. loadable modules so you can pick and choose what goes into your kernel without recompiling (I've been afraid to ask if the module file is called /etc/system :-) *BSD standardizes the distribution. If you want a core distribution on which to build, you have it --- but if the core isn't appropriate for what you're doing, you're stuck with it :-) Linux provides more flexibility --- but someone looking to create a distribution, or just to piece a system together for themselves without using an existing distribution, has to do more work. I don't see where either is intrinsically superior; as always, it depends on what you (each individual "you") are trying to accomplish. ++Brandon -- Brandon S. Allbery kf8nh@kf8nh.ampr.org bsa@kf8nh.wariat.org The FUDs at Microsoft are shouting "Kill The Wabi!"