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Date:      Sun, 24 Jan 1999 03:58:32 -0500 (EST)
From:      "James A. Mutter" <jmutter@netwalk.com>
To:        Greg Lehey <grog@lemis.com>
Cc:        jm7996@devrycols.edu, Konrad Heuer <kheuer@gwdu60.gwdg.de>, freebsd-advocacy@FreeBSD.ORG
Subject:   Re: FreeBSD - A User's Point of View
Message-ID:  <Pine.BSF.4.05.9901240354030.215-100000@insomnia.local.net>
In-Reply-To: <19990124171121.A36690@freebie.lemis.com>

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> On Sunday, 24 January 1999 at  0:35:52 -0500, James A. Mutter wrote:
> >> My current arguments (of different quality) for FreeBSD are:
> >>
> >> 1. FreeBSD has an excellent pedigree.
> >> 2. For someome who has experiences with SunOS, Ultrix etc. FreeBSD is
> >> more familiar.
> >> 3. Linux is a kernel plus distributor's work, FreeBSD is a complete
> >> operating system.
> >> 4. Linux NFS performance is bad.
> >> 5. Linux process scheduling algorithm is worse than that of FreeBSD if
> >> system load is high.
> >> 6. As far as I've observed, the virtual memory system of FreeBSD
> >> behaves better.
> >> 7. The Linux kernel has internal limits (e.g. max number of open
> >> files) which may cause troubles on bigger systems.
> >
> > Don't forget this one:
> >   8. The Linux filesystem, ext2, is _evil_ and not to be trusted.
> 
> I'd be a whole lot happier if people wouldn't make statements like
> this.  If it's evil, explain.  If you don't know any good reasons,
> don't spread misinformation.

 
The Linux filesystem, or ext2fs, if I'm not mistaken by default caches
writes to the disk.  If the machine should suddenly go down, power
failure, unexpected crash, etc..., this information doesn't make it back
to the disk.  I've known many a Linux user who has lost _entire_ file
systems due to this.  

It surprises me that the Linux vendors don't turn this 'feature' off by
default.  They could include in the doc's an explanation of why it's
turned off and give the users instructions on how to turn it back on, if
they like.

Please correct me if I'm wrong.


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