Return to BSD News archive
Newsgroups: comp.os.linux.misc,comp.unix.bsd.misc Path: euryale.cc.adfa.oz.au!newshost.anu.edu.au!harbinger.cc.monash.edu.au!news.cs.su.oz.au!metro!metro!munnari.OZ.AU!news.ecn.uoknor.edu!solace!nntp.uio.no!news.cais.net!world1.bawave.com!newsfeed.internetmci.com!usenet.logical.net!mark From: mark@www.netgoth.com (Mark Menard) Subject: Re: HELP Needed: Linux & BSD Unix Message-ID: <Dr9n1L.8rn@logical.net> Date: Sun, 12 May 1996 00:08:08 GMT X-Nntp-Posting-Host: www.netgoth.com Reply-To: mark@netgoth.com References: <Pine.OSF.3.91.960510184925.26923A-100000@leonis.nus.sg> X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.2 PL2] Followup-To: comp.os.linux.misc,comp.unix.bsd.misc Lines: 62 Xref: euryale.cc.adfa.oz.au comp.os.linux.misc:103174 comp.unix.bsd.misc:1016 Liaw Yong Shyang (cwclys@leonis.nus.sg) wrote: : I would appreciate if anyone can help me with the followings: : : 0) Does BSD Unix have a PC version? (i.e. run on Pentium) Yes, there are several differnt flavors of BSD for the PC. Among them FreeBSD, NetBSD, and BDSi. BSDi being a commercial OS. : 1) Are Linux and BSD Unix free software?? If not, what do I need to pay : (i.e. royalty if you in commercial purpose), and how much? (NB: As I am only familiar with FreeBSD on the BSD side I will limit my comments to FreeBSD where BSD is concerned from here on.) FreeBSD and Linux are both freeware. There are no commercial liscenses. AFAIK FreeBSD uses a centralized means of distribution. Whereas the Linux commmunity is served by many different companies and groups creating what are called distributions. (ie. Slackware Linux, Red Hat Linux, Debian etc.) : 2) Are source code easily available for Linux & BSD Unix? Where can I get : them? ForFreeBSD I would check for links on Yahoo. For Linux check any sunsite.unc.edu ftp mirror. My favorite is ftp.uoknor.edu (1Mb+ on weekdays) : 3) What sort of devices drivers do Linux & BSD Unix support? (i.e. serial : com port, X.25, etc). FreeBSD I don't know. Linux supports a wide range of devices and there are more being developed all the time. Although generally when something is supported in one and not the other it doesn't take long for the driver to cross the lines to the other OS. : 4) I am thinking of choosing an Unix OS (I.e. Linux & BSD Unix) for my : Pentium PC for a commercial project, any comments on the advantages / : disavantages are welcomed. Thank. I personally like Linux and use it in commercial settings. I use it for Internet hosting, WWW servers, radius authenticaion at a local ISP, ftp service, email, SQL development, in house accounting client/server system development, host based accouting system, pretty much you name it. : 5) What is freebsd? Is that a free Unix? As I understand it. FreeBSD is a derivative of BSD 4.4 Lite. It is developed by volunteers as a free OS for the Unix community. It is primarily as I understand it focused on the PC platform. : Thank very much : In addition check out Yahoo and the many link that are available. It can lead to many fascinating hours of reading. Mark -- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ mark@capital.net <Mark Menard> http://www.capital.net MarkX on IRC CapitalNET, PO Box 14345, Albany, NY 12212 800.6000.NET 518.869.4444 Finger account for PGP public key. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I h***, I mean harbor a deep seated dislike of, Window$, Linux uber alles! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~