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From: pavanas@nomina.ccia.com (pavanas abludo incusus)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.bsd.freebsd.misc
Subject: Re: XTERM Problems
Date: 3 Jun 1997 17:49:50 GMT
Organization: Aragorn Asteria
Lines: 75
Message-ID: <slrn5p8man.54c.pavanas@nomina.ccia.com>
References: <5mk5rp$788@nnrp4.farm.idt.net> <5mp5no$59p$2@nntp2.ba.best.com> <3390866A.41C67EA6@FreeBSD.org> <5mqs7d$20e$1@enyo.uwa.edu.au> <33931D0A.794BDF32@FreeBSD.org>
Reply-To: pavanas@smalt.net
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Xref: euryale.cc.adfa.oz.au comp.unix.bsd.freebsd.misc:42216
On Mon, 02 Jun 1997 12:20:42 -0700,
Jordan K. Hubbard <jkh@FreeBSD.org> mused and hath written:
>David May wrote:
>> majority of users. I do not have any figures but I would be surprised if
>> less than 90% of FreeBSD kernels are used in a desktop configuration.
>
>Prepare to be surprised. Most FreeBSD systems are *not* deployed on the
>desktop.
>
>In any case, it's irrelevant since, as I said earlier, GENERIC is
>supposed to represent the LCD of configurations, not the most popular,
>and I'm not about to tailor it to a network server configuration any
>more than I am a desktop one.
>
>> Is it not possible to distribute alternative kernels for some of the more
>> common configurations i.e. desktop, on the CD-ROM distributions and let the
>> user select one during installation?
>
>I suppose it's possible, but then I'd surely come under fire for not
>making them exactly what each and every desktop user wanted ("move this
>parameter up, it'll be a much better default!" "no, no, move it down! I
>don't have enough memory for your elitist defaults!"). A far better
>idea is to simply get users used to the idea of configuring their own
>kernels, and if that process is too hard then we need to make kernel
>configuration easier, not increase the number of canned kernels.
>
>As someone else already said, this isn't Linux. ;-)
>
No FreeBSd is not Linux. RedHat has a one size almost fits all kernel, but
if you want sound you must recompile. This kernel is also large, so in the
interest of efficiency you will re-compile the kernel. Slackware 3.2 also
has a one size almost fits all kernel, but if you want to connect you will
re-compile the kernel, since pppd is not in the installed one. Again in
the interest of efficientcy it is wise to re-compile. Why use a largish
kernel when you can have one that better suits you individual needs and is
smaller.
Besides if re-compiling a kernel is such a horror why are you using an O/S
that requires you regularly RTFM? Of the three FreeBSD (2.2.1) was the
most challenging to install. This also makes it the most educational.
Since I first tried to install FBSD, I have RTFM more times than setting
up a Linux system. I view this as a plus, because it forces you to have
a better understanding of the O/S. Of course this does not take into
account the horrors of `malfunctions' in the install program and files
and things having a group or permission set in a manner that things do not
work. Or the frustration of not knowing or knowing where to locate the
information to set things right. i.e. why are things owned by group 10
when group 10 does not exist in groups. I have used the live file system
on the 2nd cdrom as the standard to which I hope is correct.
In conclusion, despite the frustrations, bugs, and other oddities I find
FBSD to better than Linux. This may appear contradictory, but if I want
lots of bells and whistles I can use a fine Micro$oft product.
This is not to say that there is anything wrong with Linux, it is like the
old Yamaha Ad 'Different strokes for different folks'. I use Linux for
certain things and will use FBSD for others.
The one thing that you will achieve is installing and setting up FBSD is
pride of authorship due to the amount of `adjusting' necessary to have a
running system.
>--
>- Jordan Hubbard
> FreeBSD core team / Walnut Creek CDROM.
--
IHS
pavanas
Death is nothing to us, since when we are, death has not come, and
when death has come, we are not. Epicurus