*BSD News Article 45148


Return to BSD News archive

Path: sserve!newshost.anu.edu.au!harbinger.cc.monash.edu.au!simtel!news.sprintlink.net!uunet!in1.uu.net!news.thepoint.net!news.thepoint.net!not-for-mail
From: arlie@news.thepoint.net (Arlie Davis)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.bsd.freebsd.misc
Subject: Re: Slight flame from Linux user
Date: 4 Jun 1995 14:17:05 -0400
Organization: ThePoint - Kentuckiana's Internet Connection
Lines: 31
Message-ID: <3qstb1$oca@dg.thepoint.net>
References: <3ql3gd$je2@bell.maths.tcd.ie> <D9K4Iz.BJM@midway.uchicago.edu>
NNTP-Posting-Host: dg.thepoint.net
Keywords: Linux FreeBSD

Tim Pierce <twpierce@midway.uchicago.edu> writes:

>>From my experience I would have to say
>>that FreeBSD is not presently in a state
>>where it could reasonably be recommended to a non-guru --
>>as Linux can, in my view.
>>
>>May I suggest that something like the Linux guides (in LaTeX)
>>and the Linux HOWTO documents
>>is urgently needed by, and for, FreeBSD ?

>People who aren't ready to get their hands dirty shouldn't
>be installing or administering Unix.

Attitudes like this are what is responsible for UNIX falling into a
second-rate position today.  There is _no_ valid reason for allowing
BSD's installation process to remain unfriendly.  I want my operating system
to *just work*.  That doesn't mean I want a dumbed-down operating system --
it means I want the software to do _everything it can_ to work correctly
and assist the user who is installing/administering it.

Old-world UNIX snobs who insist that we stay in the eighties are doing
so because they are unwilling to change, and because they think it will
help their job security.  Well, it will for a short while -- long enough
to kill the last remaining shreds of market appeal for UNIX.

-- 
-- Arlie Davis          | The Point: High-quality Internet service. 82G online.
-- <arlie@thepoint.net> | $20/mon (flat) (812)246-8032  http://www.thepoint.net
-- System administrator | -----------------------------------------------------
-- E Pluribus UNIX      | # ./programmer < coffee > main.c