*BSD News Article 49141


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From: Jim Williams <williams@tiac.net>
Newsgroups: comp.os.linux.advocacy,comp.unix.bsd.freebsd.misc
Subject: Re: FreeBSD's strengths
Date: 23 Aug 1995 17:44:27 GMT
Organization: Elision
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tls@cloud9.net (Thor Lancelot Simon) wrote:
>
>There are many ways to skin a cat.  Linux represents one end of the spectrum,
>with almost no version control, kernels slapped together seemingly as an
>afterthought from the almost independent work of many people, and no standard
>set of user-land programs.  NetBSD and CSRG BSD are the other end, with
>careful design and a small group of core developers enforcing a style and
>single set of standards on the entire work.  FreeBSD is somewhere in the
>middle, it seems.
>

I'm not very fond of the way you described how Linux is done, but other
than that you are esentially correct -- and I think it's a good idea to
have several approaches.

With Linux there is version control -- just not tight version control, and
the kernels certainly are not an afterthought.  The way Linux is developed
leads to very responsive -- if somewhat chaotic -- development.  Not
necessarily the type of kernel you want to run a nuke power plant upon, but
rather the type of kernel you'd want to run current Internet applications
on -- it's going to be a bit more responsive to changing needs.  Linux is
also going to have more say in actually changing those needs.

As I see it, it would be nice if the Free Unices were well enough coordinated
that I could easily choose a different kernel for my different needs.  One
kernel for my Web server, another for my desktop, and a third to run my house.

I think of Linux as a fairly agressive OS which is willing to take on the
marketplace head-to-head.  I still haven't fingured out how to view NetBSD
and FreeBSD.

-- 
Jim Williams.

Find a Linux/GNU User Group near you: http://www.tiac.net/users/williams/lugnuts/