Return to BSD News archive
Path: euryale.cc.adfa.oz.au!newshost.anu.edu.au!harbinger.cc.monash.edu.au!news.rmit.EDU.AU!goanna.cs.rmit.EDU.AU!munnari.OZ.AU!news.ecn.uoknor.edu!paladin.american.edu!europa.chnt.gtegsc.com!news.uoregon.edu!gatech2!pirates!cssun.mathcs.emory.edu!swrinde!cs.utexas.edu!academ!bcm.tmc.edu!news.msfc.nasa.gov!newsfeed.internetmci.com!in2.uu.net!prodigy.com!darkstar.prodigy.com!davidsen From: davidsen@tmr.com (bill davidsen) Newsgroups: comp.os.linux.networking,comp.unix.bsd.freebsd.misc,comp.infosystems.www.servers.unix Subject: Re: Linux or Free BSD for WWW server? Date: 9 Nov 1995 15:40:15 GMT Organization: TMR Associates, Schenectady NY Lines: 28 Message-ID: <47t7cv$273m@usenetw1.news.prodigy.com> References: <47oul2$35j@kadath.zeitgeist.net> <47ojep$rr1@dns.crocker.com> <1995Nov8.200134.21191@loretta.la.ca.us> <47r28k$tru@dns.crocker.com> NNTP-Posting-Host: 199.4.137.118 Originator: davidsen@darkstar.prodigy.com Xref: euryale.cc.adfa.oz.au comp.os.linux.networking:18841 comp.unix.bsd.freebsd.misc:8345 comp.infosystems.www.servers.unix:6092 In article <47r28k$tru@dns.crocker.com>, Nathan J. Kurz <nate@tripod.com> wrote: | Yes, but this is really a seperate question. I'm sure that both Linux and | FreeBSD do fine on an unloaded server -- they are both reliable operating | systems at this point. The worries I have are what happens when the machine | is loaded down with silly CGI programs and serving out T1's worth of data. We | are using SunOS now, and I know for a fact that it _flails_ once the load on | the machine becomes significant - it just doesn't take any new connections. What's your point? Any system has limited resources, I've seen a Cray2 bog under enough load. I don't expect a system to handle an infinite quantity of users, but I do expect it to degrade in a mostly linear fashion. At some point it will stop taking on load, and that's what the "prefork" and "maxfork" parameters are for. I would rather refuse a connection than be really slow, but either happening (regularly) is a sign of poor server choice. Linux seems to fit that model, so it should be a fine o/s providing the server is the right size. I don't see a lot of evidence that there's much to choose between Linux and BSD flavors, the choice should be on features and how the system admin fits your personal style. Linux thinks the way I do in most cases, BSD less so. I think a tool like smit for Linux would be useful, but if I write a tool it will be something to do kernel config, capable of backing up if you type something wrong!