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Path: euryale.cc.adfa.oz.au!newshost.anu.edu.au!harbinger.cc.monash.edu.au!simtel!news.kei.com!news.mathworks.com!fu-berlin.de!news.belwue.de!news From: Markus Baeurle <s671687@rghx50.gp.fht-esslingen.de> Newsgroups: comp.unix.bsd.netbsd.misc,comp.unix.bsd.freebsd.misc Subject: Re: Why isn't NetBSD popular? Date: 22 Aug 1995 13:59:13 GMT Organization: Hochschule fuer Technik Esslingen Lines: 46 Message-ID: <41cnrh$c9b@news.belwue.de> References: <DDACyE.CBt@seas.ucla.edu> <VIXIE.95Aug14011302@wisdom.home.vix.com> <40nj98$8g2@news.belwue.de> <40rpge$fta@orion.cc.andrews.edu> NNTP-Posting-Host: rghx51.gp.fht-esslingen.de Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Mailer: Mozilla 1.1N (X11; I; HP-UX A.09.03 9000/715) X-URL: news:40rpge$fta@orion.cc.andrews.edu Xref: euryale.cc.adfa.oz.au comp.unix.bsd.netbsd.misc:837 comp.unix.bsd.freebsd.misc:4935 gillham@andrews.edu (Andrew Gillham) wrote: >Definitely true, _but_ the whole idea of NetBSD is free UN*X for "your" >computer. So, we're not just talking about the PC users. While >Microsoft has become wildly successful on marketing exclusively to the >PC market (which _they_ built), NetBSD is not about making billions, but >about running free software on the various computer bits you might have. This is a very good approach and everyone should be as happy as I am that real good, free operating systems exist at all. But this is still only available for few people because there is as a very steep learning curve connected with it. >Hmm, I would tend to agree with you that the NetBSD install is not the >greatest for a novice, but it does work. My brother installed it >without too much difficulty (Hi Greg!), and he doesn't have a "unix >background." Nevertheless, the instlal needs work, though I am fairly >sure that someone is working on it. Would be nice. Yes, it really does work. But you have to do several things by hand which could be done automatically. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think you have to calculate yourself how many cylinders you want for a certain partition although the computer has all the data necessary to do it for you so that you would just have to say how many Meg you wanted. >Basically in my ramble above, I was trying to point out that the OS is >just the core of the whole "package", but you're comparing the NetBSD >OS, with the FreeBSD "package" (sorry Jordan, I think you know what I >mean). Once a company starts selling NetBSD CDs, then you'll be seeing >this "user-friendly" aspect that you are wanting. Why can't there be as much of a package in it as possible? Just because of a distinction between OS and programs that nobody will make? Who cares whether a certain utility belongs to the OS or not? If many people need it, it can be placed it the distribution in the first place - or at least be made available easily. >Also, I try to answer questions in the NetBSD newgroup, as I'm sure >others do, but you're right, there is not that much traffic. I will do the same as much as I can. I will also try to help Neil McRae with the FAQ. Everybody should try to help him! Almost everybody found out something interesting now and then which might be interesting for the FAQ! MB