Explaining FreeBSD features

[Erich Dollansky]

Hi,

Fafa Hafiz Krantz wrote:

> I am curious why it's so difficult to get a simple and straight
> forward list of FreeBSD's features, that normal people can understand?
> 
There is no real answer to this question.

> I am trying to write one of the largest articles ever to be published
> on www.PCWorld.no -- to only say good things about FreeBSD. But I want
> it clear what good things to say.
> 
This sounds good. How much time is left for you to write it?

> http://www.freebsd.org/features.html is alright, but not the best.
> Using super-advanced jargons, it says what they are, but not what they do.
> At least not in a way normal people can understand.
> 
FreeBSD is a typical system driven by technical people. Or, as I 
describe it for myself, if I would know marketing, I would not write 
software.

> http://www.apple.com/macosx/features/unix/ aims more towards the general
> public, and does the job a little better. How ever they don't even
> mention half of FreeBSD's features.
> 
Not all applies to FreeBSD.

> http://people.freebsd.org/~murray/bsd_flier.html is very, very good.
> I get the feeling though, that it ain't like that no more.
> 
It is a starting point but a bit outdated.

> Any idea, people?

Not really as I also do not know the current status of your article. I 
also have no idea what the target audience will be.

Let me give you some not to technical points for a start.

FreeBSD strongest and also its weakest point is that it is developed by 
serious people as a serious operating system who took the work of a 
serious university as their base.

This leads easily to misunderstandings when newcommers appearing at the 
scene.

The main advantage of FreeBSD is its stability. It just runs like a work 
horse.

FreeBSD follows very strict principles once set. The number of 
exceptions to be faced during operating a FreeBSD machine are pretty 
much limited.

All applications come via the ports tree and are delivered as source or 
as a binary. The user can decide on what level he/she can maintain the 
machine.

The installation from source need compilations but it does not need any 
knowledge of programming. Following the same steps for all ports, is all 
the user has to do:

cd to the directory in the ports tree
make
make install
make clean

I know some people who were to afraid to move to FreeBSD as they 
believed installing from source is equal to being a programmer.

I hope this will start a discussion to give you the strong points of 
FreeBSD you need for the article.

Erich