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Path: euryale.cc.adfa.oz.au!newshost.carno.net.au!harbinger.cc.monash.edu.au!munnari.OZ.AU!news.ecn.uoknor.edu!solace!nntp.se.dataphone.net!nntp.uio.no!news.maxwell.syr.edu!cpk-news-hub1.bbnplanet.com!news.bbnplanet.com!daily.bbnplanet.com!dtodd From: dtodd@bbn.com (David Todd) Newsgroups: comp.unix.bsd.freebsd.misc,comp.unix.bsd.netbsd.misc,comp.unix.bsd.openbsd.misc,comp.unix.bsd.misc,comp.unix.bsd.386bsd.misc Subject: Re: *BSD Unification? Date: 3 Apr 1997 14:19:31 GMT Organization: Bolt, Beranek, & Newman, Inc. Lines: 58 Distribution: world Message-ID: <5i0e9j$1qc$1@daily.bbnplanet.com> References: <860029226.1885@dejanews.com> <5hvj0g$gvj@panix2.panix.com> NNTP-Posting-Host: mars.bbn.com Xref: euryale.cc.adfa.oz.au comp.unix.bsd.freebsd.misc:38427 comp.unix.bsd.netbsd.misc:5742 comp.unix.bsd.openbsd.misc:51 comp.unix.bsd.misc:2940 comp.unix.bsd.386bsd.misc:1216 In article <5hvj0g$gvj@panix2.panix.com>, tls@panix.com (Thor Lancelot Simon) writes: > It's really not an appropriate subject to discuss in public, or even in a > large group. AFAIK all of the parties involved think so; ergo you are not > going to manage to incite any useful discussion of the subject. Wow, what a bad impression. The Linux folks are thumbing their noses at the BSD crowd, because despite there being a gazillion distributions, linux folks stick together better. Part of that may be that they have their icon to rally around, Linus. There is no denying that the BSDs are good useful systems. I keep seeing BBSes using FreeBSD, NetBSD is the choice for the hardcore folks who want one OS for a bunch of platforms. I have had friends whose technical expertise I trust recommend OpenBSD. The problem is divergent goals. FreeBSD and OpenBSD are more concerned with the front end of things, they tend to be better at responding the PRs, especially PRs that include suggested fixes. The NetBSD folks seem to be concentrating on the kernel and close utilities like the daemons, etc. So why do they not work and play well together? Past problems tended to point to some folks insulting the technical ability of others, and some folks grabbing code without giving credit where credit is due. At least, that's what was said in public. But at the end of it all is this: The BSD community is augmented only when it is very clear that BSD does the right thing where Linux does not. And since the Linux crowd is more than happy to borrow code bits and give credit for them, they are quickly adopting all the BSDisms they need to get what they want done. Theirs is the progress model. Everytime I go the the bookstore, I see half a dozen Linux books with a distribution, one FreeBSD book, and nothing from anyone else. This annoys me, because I know people have asked. So now it's not "appropriate to discuss in public". Yeah, that'll help. Maybe it is time to look at Linux... -- Hacksaw -- Hacksaw = David Charles Todd BBN = Hacksaw's Employer Hacksaw's Opinions != BBN's Opinions It's hard to (rec'' (e) ni'ze bee''ch)