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From: fjw2@Lehigh.EDU (FRANK JUDE WOJCIK)
Newsgroups: comp.os.linux.advocacy,comp.unix.bsd.freebsd.misc,comp.unix.advocacy,comp.unix.misc
Subject: Re: Linux vs FreeBSD
Followup-To: comp.os.linux.advocacy,comp.unix.bsd.freebsd.misc,comp.unix.advocacy,comp.unix.misc
Date: 30 Nov 1995 13:17:57 -0500
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Note: I run Linux, and am very happy. I don't know tons about FreeBSD. I
tried installing it but couldn't get past the bootdisk. It is my belief (and
someone please correct me if I'm wrong) that FreeBSD is the whole distribution.
(as opposed to Linux, which is just the kernel).
Clint Olsen (olsenc@kodiak.ee.washington.edu) wrote:
: I would like to dedicate this to "Why are we no longer running Linux?"
: 1) At the time of Linux's rise to fame, Slackware was the big
: distribution. It took us a lot of struggling to figure this out. SLS
: sucked. With FreeBSD, this is not a problem. One distribution, no
: ambiguity, no sweat.
Well, that's just an inherent difference between the two. Linux proper is
just the kernel. The way I look at it, I have more options with linux.
In my mind it's a plus to be able to upgrade any individual part of my
installation w/o affecting anything else.
: Most importantly, Slackware releases rearely synced with stable
: releases of the kernel!!! Separate distributions from the kernel
: caused us no end of grief.
I fail to understand why getting and compiling new kernel sources is a
problem. True, installing a new kernel requires a reboot, but...
: 2) At the time of Linux 1.0.9, console hangs were prevelant, causing
: grief for users. The only solution was to upgrade, but there was
: only so far we could upgrade w/o installing a totally new Slackware and
: going through the same grief (ELF).
Hm. It's my recollection that you could upgrade pretty far (kernel wise) w/o
any of the utilities breaking.
: 3) Linux NFS performance sucked. The only way to fix this was to go to
: a 1.3.X kernel (apparently), and we were not interested in screwing
: around with alpha kernels or upgrading daily.
So don't. Pick a kernel you like and go with it. There's no need to
always get the latest kernel. You can ask on newsgroups for people's
reccomendations/experiences with various kernel releases...
: 4) In general, Linux networking was unreliable with slow connections.
Well, I don't think that anyone will argue that FreeBSD's networking code is
more robust that Linux's. For now. :)
: 5) Linux does not seem to have an up-to-date kernel blurb page explaining
: enhancements or apparent TODO lists. For example, where would I look
: to see if they were fixing NFS performance? No apparent centralized WEB
: page (like www.freebsd.org). Although the HOWTOs are nice, they seem
: to be often out of date.
Try http://www.nvg.unit.no/linux/changes/.
True, no one centralized web page exists, but there are many. As a starting
point try http://sunsite.unc.edu/mdw/linux.html.
The HOWTO's have been of tremendous help to me and my friends. Does FreeBSD
have something similar? I can't think of any that are particularly out
of date.
: NFS installs with Slackware was like pulling teeth!
We seem to have entirely opposite experiences. I had major trouble trying
to install FreeBSD. I have SW 2.3 NFS exported from my machine and have done
multiple flawless installs from there...
: Happy hacking!
: -Clint
--
-----
Frank J. T. Wojcik Linux - the choice
http://www.lehigh.edu/~fjw2/fjw2.html of a GNU generation...
"Life is the crummiest book I ever read, there isn't a hook.
Just a lot of cheap shots, pictures to shock, and characters
an amateur would never dream up." - Bad Religion