*BSD News Article 29226


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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!"