Date: Wed, 18 Jan 2012 10:03:58 +1300 (NZDT) From: Atom Smasher <atom@smasher.org> To: freebsd-hackers@freebsd.org Subject: Re: FreeBSD has serious problems with focus, longevity, and lifecycle Message-ID: <alpine.DEB.2.00.1201180941330.15847@oreo.lan> In-Reply-To: <op.v78woxkr34t2sn@tech304> References: <alpine.BSF.2.00.1112211415580.19710@kozubik.com> <1326756727.23485.10.camel@Arawn> <4F14BAA7.9070707@freebsd.org> <alpine.BSF.2.00.1201161606230.19710@kozubik.com> <20120117010239.GA29529@richh-imac.office.boxdice.com.au> <alpine.DEB.2.00.1201171931120.21214@oreo.lan> <CADLo838h13c9Md-Qb5Pu%2BPSN1C=VNrNWgN-L%2Brq_XwFy83DWHA@mail.gmail.com> <alpine.DEB.2.00.1201180928400.21214@oreo.lan> <op.v78woxkr34t2sn@tech304>
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On Tue, 17 Jan 2012, Mark Felder wrote: >> linux is, in fact, an operating system. debian, red hat, ubuntu, >> gentoo, etc are distributions of that OS. > > It's not really worth getting into this argument, but I'll reiterate > that no, it's not an OS -- it's a kernel. Without the userland utilities > the distros provide it's not very usable. Linus and co don't maintain > the shell or the rc subsystem or anything like that. They only work on > the kernel and in-tree drivers. We need to be comparing FreeBSD to a > full blown distro. ================ if it makes you feel better, then pick a distribution of linux, and compare it's successes and/or failings to freeBSD. whether or not linux is an OS or "just a kernel" is irrelevant here, but at the same time an interesting distinction (and let's not debate it here, just acknowledge that it's been pointed out) since freeBSD is both a kernel and a collection of core utilities. in some ways freeBSD is like the linux kernel, in other ways it's more like a distribution of linux. would freeBSD benefit from breaking up those things into explicitly different projects? like linux & GNU? -- ...atom ________________________ http://atom.smasher.org/ 762A 3B98 A3C3 96C9 C6B7 582A B88D 52E4 D9F5 7808 ------------------------------------------------- "No matter how cynical you get, it is impossible to keep up." -- Lily Tomlin
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