FreeBSD Popularity

[Roger]

>> FreeBSD should continue to innovate and not imitate.
>> I was a Linux (Desktop and Server) user, now I am a FreeBSD user
>> (Desktop and Server) and I could not be any happier.
>
> I'm a freebsd server user, tried it on the desktop but some applications
> just didn't work.
>

I experienced the same but instead of dropping FreeBSD and re-considered my
application choices. For example Gnome to awesome window manager.
Firefox to Opera. Of course, some people cannot afford to reconsider their
application choices. Lucky for me, a lot of the applications that I
use, are available
and easy to install from the ports.

>> I did not install FreeBSD because someone came and got in my face and
>> advocated about it. I did it on my own.
>
> Obviously you had to have known about FreeBSD to do it on your own.
>

Well, I got tired of Linux and I thank Linux for being there when I
got tired of
Microsoft. I just prefer the *BSD way better than the Linux way of
grouping software.
Also, I actually found OpenBSD before I found FreeBSD. But FreeBSD had
jails and
the alternative to FreeBSD under OpenBSD was discontinued. And this is
what I'm talking about
when I say that FreeBSD should aim to develop new or implement
technology like that.
Mac is based on FreeBSD so what is there to take from Mac? Graphical
applications?

>> FreeBSD got me just by being FreeBSD and by offering what it offers.
>> No marketing needed.
>
> I disagree to some extent, case in point is the jail functionality,
> there are linux users who consider chroot to be the same thing, they
> simply don't know the difference (worse.. there are packages out there
> claiming to give it jail functionality but really it's just a chroot'ed
> login, this is misleading)
>

Well, fighting ignorance is not that easy. I knew the differences and
that's why
I went with FreeBSD :).

> Performance under heavy load is another thing linux users probably
> aren't aware of. (I wasn't!)
>

Could you elaborate on this point? If you don't mind. I'm always in the
hunt for opportunities to learn what others have experienced.

> It's hard to find a hosting provider that'll do FreeBSD, this I assume
> is because people aren't asking for it and people aren't asking for it
> because they probably don't know about it (or why it's good for server
> level stuff)
>

I'm with you on this one. It still puzzles me. Even though I'm not qualify
yet to provide any theories :)

> Clearly, some "marketing" is needed if we are to have choices in the
> future about hosting.
>
> It's not linux users in particular though, a lot of people who *make the
> decisions* don't even know what linux is, they just hear a lot of hype
> about it and figure "everyone else is using linux, so it must be
> better".
>

I agree with you. My boss understand nothing about Linux yet we are using it.
Just to quote my boss. "I don't love Linux but I hate it more that Linux".
I'm working in a master plan to bring FreeBSD to the light ;). Any tips
would be welcome :).

> I see this all the time with PHP and MySQL, when I suggest postgresql
> for some applications, it's "brought to my attention" that postgresql
> has "fallen behind" mysql by the business owners who make these
> decisions. (and PHP... well.. thats way better.. because it won the
> popularity contest)
>
> These are people who don't know what linux or UNIX or referential
> integrity is. They don't see that just because it's "easier" to get
> started with linux or mysql, it doesn't make them better tools, it
> just makes them more popular tools among the masses.
>
> When 20 people say mysql and I say postgresql, in the eyes of someone
> who really doesn't know.. they'll always choose mysql.
>

I have also been guilty of being influenced by the popular choice.

>> So I would love it if FreeBSD continues to improve and involve without
>> being influenced by Linux, Windows or Mac.
>
> I don't mind if freebsd takes the good things from linux and mac,

It all depends (for me that is) on what should be taken from those camps.
I still have not run into the "I wish FreeBSD had ..... like ........ has"

> I just
> hope the base system never requires an X server and a bazillion gnome
> libraries... :-)
>

Count me on that.


-r