*BSD News Article 43114


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From: michaelv@MindBender.HeadCandy.com (Michael L. VanLoon)
Newsgroups: comp.os.linux.advocacy,comp.os.386bsd.questions
Subject: Re: Best platform for INN server?
Followup-To: comp.os.linux.advocacy,comp.os.386bsd.questions
Date: 04 Mar 1995 05:08:52 GMT
Organization: HeadCandy Associates... Sweets for the lobes.
Lines: 62
Message-ID: <MICHAELV.95Mar3210856@MindBender.HeadCandy.com>
References: <1995Mar1.140817@wittenberg.edu>
	<MICHAELV.95Mar2214421@MindBender.HeadCandy.com>
	<3j830u$7fg@uuneo.neosoft.com>
NNTP-Posting-Host: mindbender.seanet.com
In-reply-to: smann@praline.no.NeoSoft.com's message of 3 Mar 1995 21:51:26 GMT

In article <3j830u$7fg@uuneo.neosoft.com> smann@praline.no.NeoSoft.com (Scott Mann) writes:

   Michael L. VanLoon (michaelv@MindBender.HeadCandy.com) wrote:

   : In article <1995Mar1.140817@wittenberg.edu> mandrews@wittenberg.edu (Mike Andrews, Comp Ctr) writes:

   :    I'm going to be setting up a dedicated NNTP server, running INN 1.4sec,
   :    on a VLbus 486/66 with an Adaptec VLB SCSI controller and a 3com 3c509
   :    ISA ethernet card.  This machine won't be used for anything else, except
   :    maybe a backup DNS server.  Things like X, binary compatibility, etc
   :    aren't important, but speed and stability are.

   : I run a news server with INN 1.4 at work, getting almost a full feed,
   : hundreds of megabytes a day.  I run NetBSD-1.0 on DELL OmniPlex P66
   : with 32MB of RAM, an NCR 53c810 SCSI controller (built-in), a DEC
   : 500MB drive and two Seagate 1GB Hawk drives.  I don't run X (I rarely
   : even turn on the monitor).

   :    Basically, it boils down to disk and network performance while running one
   :    particular application -- INN.

   : If you're looking for networking speed and stability, both NetBSD and
   : FreeBSD can deliver that.  That is not Linux's area of strength.

   Wait a second, Linux is getting better and better in this area...

So?  It is still not up to the standards of the BSD systems.  And,
this is exactly what he wanted as his *strength* in the system.

   Since FreeBSD supports so little in the way of hardware (scsi controllers
   for instance), you either have to use Linux or buy all new hardware which
   [...]

Huh?  What does this have to do with network stability?

He didn't ask about drivers.  He said he wanted a system that had
excellent network performance and stability.

He also said he was buying a new system.  He didn't say anything about
trying to find something that would work with a bunch of old, obsolete
hardware.  If he buys a BusLogic SCSI card, like I recommended
(certainly not any more difficult or expensive than buying the Adaptec
card he mentioned), then he has no problems with the drivers.  Disk
performance will be quite good with this card (his other area of
emphasis).

Get the knot out of your shorts.  I didn't slam Linux.  I told him
what would work best, and you pointed out a whole bunch of things he
didn't ask for.

Linux is very nice in many ways, but if he wants a rock-solid
network-intensive machine, NetBSD or FreeBSD are going to deliver the
goods better than Linux will.

--
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  Michael L. VanLoon                                 michaelv@HeadCandy.com
       --<  Free your mind and your machine -- NetBSD free un*x  >--
     NetBSD working ports: 386+PC, Mac, Amiga, HP300, Sun3, Sun4, PC532,
                           DEC pmax (MIPS R2k/3k), DEC/AXP (Alpha)
     NetBSD ports in progress: VAX and others...
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