freebsd vs. netbsd

[Anatoli]

IMO

* FreeBSD: servers (performance, stability, relative security, zfs),
  competes directly with Linux

* OpenBSD: routers/firewalls, desktops (the most secure OS and a really
  good desktop, but its absence of server-class performance is its
  weakest side + no zfs (just ffs2) and limited virtualization (no SMP)
  so not suitable for any serious server load where absolute security is
  not a must). The king in its niche (paranoid security)

* NetBSD: toasters & freezers (runs on anything, otherwise not sure
  what's the point :), competes with FreeBSD and Linux (and Linux now
  supports more archs/platforms than Net). IMO no clear vision and thus
  attracts too little resources both human and economic. IMO midterm not
  much hope for survival, same as DFly and smaller BSDs.

I believe that OS development is an economy of scale (doing things more
efficiently or having other advantaged with increasing size) with a
tendency for a monopoly in the same niche.

There are some features that the larger players establish as a
commodity, but that are very time-intensive and complex to develop (e.g.
virtualization, wifi ac and now ax). So what Linux implemented more than
a decade ago, the BSDs are just catching up now.

Linux world had 2 "obstacles" to its almost flawless growth recently
(systemd and a ZFS alternative). Now that the things have almost settled
up, if they don't commit any more serious errors I don't see how the
BSDs (except OpenBSD as it's not a direct competitor) could compete with
it in the long term.

Now with ZoL/OpenZFS the long-term future even for FreeBSD is not that
clear (and the recent iX decisions [1] [2] are a clear sign).

[1] https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2020/06/truenas-isnt-abandoning-bsd-but-it-is-adopting-linux/
[2] https://www.truenas.com/TrueOS-Discontinuation/


On 7/6/20 22:35, Wesley wrote:
> greetings,
> 
> There were freebsd and netbsd (maybe others?) in BSD world.
> What points did they focus by design?
> what are their use scenes then?
> 
> Thank you.
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