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From: j@bonnie.heep.sax.de (J Wunsch)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.bsd.netbsd.misc,comp.unix.bsd.freebsd.misc
Subject: Re: Why isn't NetBSD popular?
Date: 17 Aug 1995 10:26:01 +0200
Organization: Private U**x site, Dresden.
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References: <DDACyE.CBt@seas.ucla.edu> <VIXIE.95Aug14011302@wisdom.home.vix.com> <40nj98$8g2@news.belwue.de> <40rpge$fta@orion.cc.andrews.edu>
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Xref: euryale.cc.adfa.oz.au comp.unix.bsd.netbsd.misc:744 comp.unix.bsd.freebsd.misc:4463
Andrew Gillham <gillham@andrews.edu> wrote:
>As for the packages that you mention... [...]
> It would also
>be nice if NetBSD had more packages available, but it is not necessary
>as most programs work out of the box.
This attitude totally leaves out all the Internet-impaired users.
Many of the FreeBSD `ports' actually don't imply much patching, mostly
it's only a bit of framework to add description files, perhaps change
the Makefile default to `*BSD', and finally compile it. The success
of the ports/packages line is merely based on its ease of use. Even
though i generally know how to fetch and compile a particular piece of
software, i personally much prefer cd'ing to the appropriate ports
directory, and simply calling `make' and `make install' instead of
wandering through the provided Makefile, setting things up etc.
(Usually, i run the command actually as `make
MASTER_SITE_OVERRIDE=ftp://my.nearest.mirror/' though.)
> Be honest for a minute and think
>about whether FreeBSD would be as "snazzy" as it is if Walnut Creek was
>not pushing it as a product? Because of the commercial interest they
>are adding tons of packages, not because those packages are part of the
>OS.
Just to set this straight: Walnut Creek has not added a single
package. That are _we_ who are doing it, with Satoshi Asami as the
portsmeister, and a bunch of people behind him interested in extending
the set of availabel easy-to-use software. Walnut Creek is happily
selling it, but they've neither invented the ports/package scheme, nor
are they going to do any actual work except marketing (and some
support).
--
cheers, J"org private: joerg_wunsch@uriah.heep.sax.de
http://www.sax.de/~joerg/
Never trust an operating system you don't have sources for. ;-)