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From: bakul@netcom.com (Bakul Shah)
Subject: Re: Linux vs. BSD?!
Message-ID: <bakulD4q6q9.Lq0@netcom.com>
Organization: NETCOM On-line Communication Services (408 261-4700 guest)
References: <3ira54$7vq@quandong.itd.adelaide.edu.au> <3itn8b$4q6@fido.asd.sgi.com>
Date: Tue, 28 Feb 1995 19:42:09 GMT
Lines: 71
Sender: bakul@netcom5.netcom.com
lm@slovax.engr.sgi.com (Larry McVoy) writes:
>I agree completely with this sentiment. In my not so humble opinion,
>the BSD camps need to do the following to be successful:
> 1. Merge NetBSD, FreeBSD, 386BSD (a tip of the hat to Bill), and
> BSDI.
I too agree with the sentiment but I am afraid this is not likely
to happen. If only Bill Jollitz was like Linus Torvalds....
[and I don't mean to compare either person's technical abilities
but WRT the calm cool and collected way in which Torvalds has
nurtured Linux. Torvalds' pleasant personality came across loud
and clear (at least while I was following Linux closely)].
Anyway, that opportunity is lost. The best that can be done at
present is if the various *BSD* camps can agree on a BSD API. If
a driver programming interface (DPI) can also be specified and
agreed upon that'd be great but the DPI is the dark ugly
underside of UNIX (& its clones) so I don't hold out much hope.
What would be even better is if Torvalds (and Linux) can be
roped into such an effort. After all, as McVoy says, the enemy
(I prefer to say `competition') is Microsoft and Sunsoft.
Agreeing on {A,D}PI allows various parties to continue having fun
hacking. They can also add new features which, if attractive,
can later on flow into other implementations. It also allows
brand new OSes to flourish (as long as they can provide a
compatible API & may be DPI).
Is what I am suggesting likely to happen? I don't know but I
sure hope so (even though I hear laughter in the background).
> 2. Put the BSD source under the GNU copyleft or some other copyright
> that guarentees access forever to all kernel / library / base
> utility source. Before you whine - consider that Linux is in
> this state - you want to whine or do you want to be better?
Let us agree to disagree about copyleft. If the two camps (*BSD*
& Linux) can agree on {A,D}PI then people who want copyleft can
go left to Linux and people who want BSD style copyright can go
right and people who want to a stronger copyright can go further
right :-)
> 3. Take the sunsite /pub/Linux archive and build everything there
> for BSD. Distribute that on CD.
Not a bad idea.
> 4. Put the ego driven competition in the crapper where it belongs.
> The other BSD hackers ate not the enemy. Microsoft and SunSoft
> are the enemy. Keep that in mind.
[Generalization alert!] We are all in it for ego satisfaction.
`egoless programming' is a great buzzword but that is about it.
The key is to find a way to coexist and cooperate without asking
people to throw away their egos and creative urges.
>By the way, I doubt very much that the BSD camps can work together, the egos
>are just too big.
Larry, make up your mind. Either be a cynic or an idealist;-)
Learn from the CEOs you have encountered and refuse to see
the downside (until it stares you in the face)!
But seriously, I do believe there is a lot to be gained from a
unified API and we need more people to accentuate the positive
effects of suh an effort (while keeping their doubts private).
dmr knows, we have enough naysayers.
Bakul Shah