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Newsgroups: comp.unix.bsd.freebsd.misc Path: euryale.cc.adfa.oz.au!newshost.anu.edu.au!harbinger.cc.monash.edu.au!news.mel.connect.com.au!munnari.OZ.AU!news.ecn.uoknor.edu!news.eng.convex.com!hermes.oc.com!news.unt.edu!cs.utexas.edu!howland.reston.ans.net!newsfeed.internetmci.com!news-feed.mci.newscorp.com!uunet!in1.uu.net!news.new-york.net!ritz.mordor.com!bet From: bet@ritz.mordor.com (Bennett Todd) Subject: Re: The better (more suitable)Unix?? FreeBSD or Linux Organization: Mordor International - Jersey City, NJ Message-ID: <DM5J9A.L4t@ritz.mordor.com> References: <4er9hp$5ng@orb.direct.ca> Date: Fri, 2 Feb 1996 14:07:57 GMT Lines: 51 In article <4er9hp$5ng@orb.direct.ca>, John Moore <moorej@direct.ca> wrote: >This is a question for those that have tried both. Or know of someone >who has. > >We here in the Library have a need to set up a Mail server on our LAN >(Novell 4.1 with TCP/IP) and I was told by folks at the local college >that it coould be done with Linux. Ok, fair enough, I'll do a little >research and see what gives. Viola! there is also another version of >Unix that can run on an intel box. FreeBSD Versionwhatever. > >Now the problem. All the reading that I've done on the subject seems >to indicate that while Linux supports more varied types of hardware, >FreeBSD is a more stable product. Which one is better can only be answered in specific fine details --- and the answers there change from version to version. Both are stable, efficient, easy to port to, easy to install and maintain, and all-around excellent. My personal favourite releases are RedHat Linux and FreeBSD 2.1.0-RELEASE. I can recommend either; I run Linux at home (and administer it on a girlfriend's home machine as well), connecting in to our ISP with PPP; I help the ISP run his FreeBSD system --- and run FreeBSD on several machines at work, including the one in front of me. They're both superb operating systems. If you can, the best approach is to try each and see which one you like best. Depending on your background and your own aesthetic tastes you may find a preference for one or the other. Or you may find you have some special need that one does particularly better than another at the momement. If you can't afford to do that, then let your decision be guided by the preferences of whoever is closest that you're likely to be able to get help from. If you've got nobody local who has a preference then skim the net; come up with some specific questions you've gotta answer about hardware or software support or availability, then try to answer those questions for each OS, hitting the web sites, newsgroups, and anon ftp repositories. Let the ease of finding the answers you need guide your choice. And don't worry; you are enjoying the luxury of a decision between two right answers. -Bennett bet@mordor.com <URL:http://www.mordor.com/bet/> -- -Bennett bet@mordor.com <URL:http://www.mordor.com/bet/>