FreeBSD & Linux distro

[Predrag Punosevac]

Chad Perrin wrote:
> On Tue, Feb 19, 2008 at 01:27:49PM -0700, Chad Perrin wrote:
>   
>>> On Tue, Feb 19, 2008 at 09:14:04AM -0700, Chad Perrin wrote:
>>>       
>> [ snip a bunch of stuff ]
>>
>> On Tue, Feb 19, 2008 at 11:36:34AM -0500, Jerry McAllister wrote:
>>     
>>> A good rundown of some of the differences.
>>> Maybe you can put this on a web page and get it added to lists
>>> of comparrisons.
>>>       
>> Sure.  I'll polish it up and post it somewhere in that polished form,
>> then reply here.  If not today, I'll aim to get it done tomorrow.
>>     
>
> Okay, posted:
>
>   http://arc.apotheon.org/freebsd/vs_linux.html
>
> If anyone has suggestions for how to fix it up further, let me know.
>
>   
Hi Chad,

Here is my honest opinion. I hope it will help you improve the post :-)

I didn't like very much the tone of the article as well as some 
pejorative conclusion. If you are going to post something even
as a FreeBSD advocacy the tone of the article should be neutral and all 
claims verifiable. Do not get me wrong. I
do not like Linux and more over I have never used it in my life but I 
would have hard time to swallow some of your claims.

How would you feel if I tell you that I use mostly OpenBSD because it is 
easier for work than FreeBSD and in my experience much more stable than 
FreeBSD.  Those are my subjective feelings and probably have little to 
do with the reality. If anything statement like that are irritating and 
have no value to a person who is deciding between using OpenBSD or FreeBSD.

Try to find on the internet couple of advocacy articles by Greg Lehey.  
They are  very  well-written. 

Example: Statement of the type BSD appears more stable than Linux is 
non-verifiable.
Statement of the type FreeBSD is direct decedent of the BSD flavor of 
Unix started in mid seventies at the University of California Berkley 
while the Linux kernel is Unix clone started in 1993 based on the 
mixture of System V and BSD Unix is
verifiable. Or 80% of all servers with longest up time run FreeBSD is 
something that can be verified.

You should definitely address the following things

1. FreeBSD is longer in the development than Linux.

2.  Probably 80% of the servers with the longest  UP time run  FreeBSD.  
Give a link. Easy to find.

3. FreeBSD is a COMPLETE operating system GNU/Linux is not.

4. It has different development and engineering process than Linux.

5. It has better quality control at least because Linux has no quality 
control at all.

6. The Largest FTP sever on the world run FreeBSD (your beloved freebsd.org)

7. FreeBSD has one of the best systems for the installation of the third 
party software (ports and do not forget packages
as some people will jump at you and make a claim that Debian has better 
packaging system as it is more efficient than compiling things from ports)

8. Most extensive collection of third party software (over 18000 ) only 
second to Debian.

9. One of the best documented systems

10. Mention the advantage of the BSD license  comparing to GPL for the 
commercial use.

11. It is philosophically different than most Linux distros as all 
services are turned of by default.
 
12. Unlike Linux it doesn't claim that is the best and most suitable for 
everything.  If you need security then Open is better choice. If you 
need something for embedded devices probably Net is better choice.

13. More secure than Linux if for no other reason but for PF which is 
ported from OpenBSD. Note that PF is not ported for Linux.

14. Kernel security level concept doesn't exist in Linux.

Try to disperse common myth that BSD doesn't support hardware but do not 
be shy to admit that lack support for things like
video conferencing.

Do not be shy to admit that virtualization is poor and maybe 
intensionally as quite of few people do not believe that putting 
somebody's else cra*p on the top of FreeBSD will not make that cra*p 
working better or be more secure. If you need Window's application run 
Windows.


Does it make a good Desktop system? Depends what do you mean by that. If 
you need everything working out of box
for your grandmother Mily probably not. If you need Flash and Java 
plug-ins probably not. But if you need ROCK solid
workstation for academic work, occasional multimedia and want to be 100% 
in control of your computer like me it is the best desktop OS around.


Most Kind Regards,

Predrag