Return to BSD News archive
Xref: sserve comp.os.386bsd.development:2609 comp.os.linux.development:17370 Newsgroups: comp.os.386bsd.development,comp.os.linux.development,comp.sys.unix Path: sserve!newshost.anu.edu.au!harbinger.cc.monash.edu.au!msuinfo!uwm.edu!psuvax1!news.ecn.bgu.edu!usenet.ins.cwru.edu!wariat.org!kf8nh!bsa From: bsa@kf8nh.wariat.org (Brandon S. Allbery) Subject: Re: We a FAQ: Linux vs. *BSD!!! Message-ID: <1994Oct13.214820.22033@kf8nh.wariat.org> Organization: Brandon's Linux box and AmPR node, Mentor, OH Date: Thu, 13 Oct 1994 21:48:20 GMT References: <jmonroyCxLro2.IF6@netcom.com> <tporczykCxMILw.KHD@netcom.com> Lines: 53 In article <tporczykCxMILw.KHD@netcom.com>, tporczyk@netcom.com (Tony Porczyk) says: +--------------- | jmonroy@netcom.com (Jesus Monroy Jr) writes: | > Can we get together and write a single FAQ on this? | Outstanding idea. +-------------> My suggestion: Q: Which is better, Linux or FreeBSD? A: Neither is intrinsically "better". The answer is the same as for any operating systems X and Y: 1. Does it do what you need? If not, don't waste your time on it. (This one probably doesn't matter for FreeBSD vs. Linux.) 2. Are the programs and/or device drivers you need available? 3. Assuming you've found some OSes that pass the above two, try them all out. Use them for as long as practicable, preferably for several weeks apiece. 4. If one of them does what you need more easily (this includes administration and usage), prefer it. 5. If it's easier to get support for one than the other locally, all other things being equal, use it. (That is, if you have no local Linux gurus but have a FreeBSD expert around, you are better off using FreeBSD, all other things being equal.) 6. If they're all about equal, use the one which *you* find easiest to work with. Don't pay attention to your friends or the Usenet (or IRC, etc.) on this one; the question is which one you *personally* find easiest to work with --- after all, who will be using your installation, you or them? 7. If you still can't decide, try repeating the above with stricter guidelines. 8. Still can't decide? You're unlikely to get this far without deciding on one, but if you do you might as well flip a coin. ---But if you really haven't got a personal preference at this point you're probably a computer yourself :-) (The unstated point being that, insofar as technical merits are concerned, they're basically equal.) ++Brandon -- Brandon S. Allbery KF8NH [44.70.4.88] bsa@kf8nh.wariat.org Linux development: iBCS2, JNOS, MH ~\U Waiting For Godot^H^H^H^H^HRothenberg