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Path: sserve!newshost.anu.edu.au!harbinger.cc.monash.edu.au!yarrina.connect.com.au!classic.iinet.com.au!news.uoknor.edu!ns1.nodak.edu!netnews.nwnet.net!reuter.cse.ogi.edu!uwm.edu!vixen.cso.uiuc.edu!newsrelay.iastate.edu!news.iastate.edu!dial22.ppp.iastate.edu!marcus From: marcus@ccelab.iastate.edu (Marcus I. Ryan) Newsgroups: comp.unix.bsd.freebsd.misc Subject: Re: Wondering why user base of Linux surpass */BSD Date: Tue, 9 May 1995 09:10:03 LOCAL Organization: Iowa State University Lines: 39 Message-ID: <marcus.63.0412BD14@ccelab.iastate.edu> References: <799240151PCTIN@lot.cs.kiev.ua> <CHRISB.95May9192934@stork.cssc-syd.tansu.com.au> NNTP-Posting-Host: dial22.ppp.iastate.edu X-Newsreader: Trumpet for Windows [Version 1.0 Rev B final beta #4] In article <CHRISB.95May9192934@stork.cssc-syd.tansu.com.au> chrisb@stork.cssc-syd.tansu.com.au (Chris Bitmead) writes: >From: chrisb@stork.cssc-syd.tansu.com.au (Chris Bitmead) >Subject: Re: Wondering why user base of Linux surpass */BSD >Date: 09 May 1995 09:29:34 GMT [snip] >Actually it's six of one and half a dozen of the other. The BSD folks have >the advantage that FreeBSD (and NetBSD) each have only one distribution >available. On the other hand Linux has the advantage that there is only >one kernel and one user source tree, but BSD has the Net/Free split. FreeBSD != NetBSD just like linux != FreeBSD just like... FreeBSD and NetBSD are two completely different creatures. Saying that linux's one kernel is an advantage over them is like saying that any Ulrix has the advantage over OSF/1 and Solaris because it has a single kernel and a single source tree. They are only related by derivation from a BSD parent, and the fact that they are free. Even with that aside, I have found that the difference in focus between the two has been more of an advantage to the user. They are both BSD based Free versions of UNIX, so people can choose which focus they prefer. Some prefer the portability of NetBSD so that they can run the same UNIX on all of the different platforms on a network. If you don't need that ability, you can go with FreeBSD. However, both are consistently BSD (whereas, from what I understand, linux is a mixture of BSD and SVR4), so both could (if they don't already) share bits and pieces of information and code with each other making the difference in focus an advantage (not a disadvantage). For lack of time and resources, I've only ever tried FreeBSD, so if I'm in error on any of my information, please correct me (but keep it polite :). ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Marcus I. Ryan | That makes me feel all warm and squishy. Either Asst SysAdmin, ISU CCE Labs | that or I sat in something - Animaniacs marcus@ccelab.iastate.edu |------------------------------------------------- 134A Town Engr. | UNIX _IS_ user friendly. It's just selective Iowa State University | about who its friends are. -unknown ------------------------------------------------------------------------------