Return to BSD News archive
Path: euryale.cc.adfa.oz.au!newshost.carno.net.au!harbinger.cc.monash.edu.au!munnari.OZ.AU!spool.mu.edu!newspump.sol.net!mindspring!uunet!in2.uu.net!199.60.19.15!news.island.net!nanaimo.island.net!cmott From: Charles Mott <cmott@srv.net> Newsgroups: comp.unix.bsd.freebsd.misc Subject: Re: Linux or FreeBSD Date: Thu, 19 Dec 1996 17:22:53 -0800 Organization: Island Internet Inc. - (604) 753-2383 Lines: 52 Message-ID: <Pine.LNX.3.95.961219163846.9274A-100000@nanaimo.island.net> References: <32B6AFB0.787F@pc.jaring.my> <5974tk$k01@fridge-nf0.shore.net> <m2ybew3puy.fsf@golfgod.raleigh.ibm.com> NNTP-Posting-Host: nanaimo.island.net Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII X-Sender: cmott@nanaimo.island.net In-Reply-To: <m2ybew3puy.fsf@golfgod.raleigh.ibm.com> Xref: euryale.cc.adfa.oz.au comp.unix.bsd.freebsd.misc:32830 On 18 Dec 1996, Thomas Evans wrote: > Just to be different: > FreeBSD vs Linux > > Easy to port code from Sun, etc Usually requires some makefile changes > if strictly a BSD source. Although > now I find almost everything has > been compiled to Linux > > Slower development, great for stabilty Has such goodies as Zip drive support, > unless you have a newer machine with Token Ring, various soundcards, laptop, > new hardware. etc. I've never had a problem with > any release, but I'm not on the edge. > > More book on details, such as Leffler, More books on how to install, use, what > Stevens, etc. I would call fluff books. > Other online DOC/FAQ usually out of Better online DOC, hackers guide is a > date. good attempt at describing details. > > Performance benchmarks seem to be Every benchmark I've run on both > shy of Linux benchmarks. FreeBSD and Linux (same system) shows > Linux to be marginally better. (1) Since I use a 386/33 with 8mb of memory, I really notice the superiority of FreeBSD over Linux in the area of paging and swapping. There is much, much less disk thrashing. (2) FreeBSD is reported to have much better scheduling efficiency for large numbers of processes, although this is not an environment I work in and can attest to. (3) Linux is easier to set up for a novice, but the discipline imposed by the visual configuration editor of FreeBSD eliminates interrupt conflicts. When I switched to FreeBSD, I was surprised to find out how messed up my interrupt lines were. (4) Linux Slackware never seemed to install the same way on successive tries. There always seemed by be a little fix-up work needed (different each time). TheFreeBSD installation is repeatable and pkg_add and pkg_delete are very convenient. (5) Linux HOWTOs and FAQs are quite useful. I consult them, even in FreeBSD, when I have to make a new printcap, or do some other unix obscurity. Accessible and plentiful setup documentation, more than anything, may have accounted for the tremendous acceptance of Linux. (6) FreeBSD encompasses a smaller community. To my mind, it is also a friendlier group, having some sense of humor and a higher proportion of people who like to write code. Charles Mott