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Path: euryale.cc.adfa.oz.au!newshost.anu.edu.au!harbinger.cc.monash.edu.au!news.mel.connect.com.au!news.mira.net.au!inquo!bofh.dot!in-news.erinet.com!bug.rahul.net!rahul.net!a2i!ddsw1!news.mcs.net!not-for-mail From: les@MCS.COM (Leslie Mikesell) Newsgroups: comp.unix.bsd.freebsd.misc Subject: Re: FreeBSD vs. Linux Date: 21 May 1996 00:26:37 -0500 Organization: /usr/lib/news/organi[sz]ation Lines: 33 Message-ID: <4nrk6d$14h@Mercury.mcs.com> References: <318FA7CB.8D8@hkstar.com> <DrI7pE.pF@iquest.net> <4nlrhs$lqr@news1.halcyon.com> <4nmpun$i6@uriah.heep.sax.de> NNTP-Posting-Host: mercury.mcs.com In article <4nmpun$i6@uriah.heep.sax.de>, J Wunsch <joerg_wunsch@uriah.heep.sax.de> wrote: >I would be interested in learning what else makes you feel that Linux >is better suited for the desktop. (Seriously -- i don't have the time >to install and maintain a Linux system myself, and a lovelessly >installed one won't be much help either.) How about support for more hardware? I was planning to try freeBSD on a machine with an Adaptec Aic7850 on the motherboard but couldn't make it work. I found Linux boot floppies on the net without too much trouble so I ended up installing that instead. Since it is sitting in an office full of Windows-for- Workgroup and Win95 machines, having ksmbfs is a big plus. Also I've been impressed by how few changes have been required to compile my programs developed on sysvr3 and r4 machines, and networking speed seems reasonable. How would freeBSD be better if I don't need greater-than-ethernet speeds? >You are right, our biggest concern is stability, security, and other >so-called ``serious'' things. If a decision is to be made between >stability and added features, stability will always win in the FreeBSD >camp. (There are also other considerations like licensing problems. >We like to make a clear distinction between GPL'ed code and the rest >of the system, so it's possible to use FreeBSD for embedded >controllers, or even to sell it to customers who think: ``No cost -- >no worth''.) You have a point here, but I'm not sure it applies to typical desktop or server usage. Les Mikesell les@mcs.com