From owner-freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG Fri Jan 14 20:09:56 2011 Return-Path: Delivered-To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Received: from mx1.freebsd.org (mx1.freebsd.org [IPv6:2001:4f8:fff6::34]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id A90CF1065670 for ; Fri, 14 Jan 2011 20:09:56 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from freebsd@penx.com) Received: from Elmer.dco.penx.com (elmer.dco.penx.com [174.46.214.114]) by mx1.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 789DC8FC0A for ; Fri, 14 Jan 2011 20:09:56 +0000 (UTC) Received: from localhost (localhost [IPv6:::1]) by Elmer.dco.penx.com (8.14.4/8.14.4) with ESMTP id p0EK9h4x083733; Fri, 14 Jan 2011 13:09:43 -0700 (MST) (envelope-from freebsd@penx.com) Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2011 13:09:43 -0700 (MST) From: Dennis Glatting X-X-Sender: dennisg@Elmer.dco.penx.com To: Alessandro Baggi In-Reply-To: <4D3099FC.10807@gmail.com> Message-ID: References: <4D3099FC.10807@gmail.com> User-Agent: Alpine 2.00 (BSF 1167 2008-08-23) MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII; format=flowed Cc: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Subject: Re: FreeBSD Decision X-BeenThere: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5 Precedence: list List-Id: User questions List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2011 20:09:56 -0000 On Fri, 14 Jan 2011, Alessandro Baggi wrote: > Hi list, I don't want make a flame post but I would ask an objective > opinion, then not a camp opinion, about using FreeBSD or Debian Linux in > a production environment for solution as such as cluster of some > service, proxy, SAN, performance, smp with an high number of cpu, PDC, > Mail Server (qmail), raid software, security support and hardware > support. I'm using Slackware Linux but in production environment there > are problem with packages and distro update and other support. Then for > you, what is the best for those solutions? > FreeBSD, Debian, and Slowaris are my key components. FreeBSD RELENG_8 composes most of my WAN services from DNS, SENDMAIL, Cacti, and more. I have at least nine servers across the USA. In another life (different job) Debian is primary but there are two FreeBSD servers. I choose FreeBSD because I have source and if necessary recompile the whole OS with debug to traipse down a (perceived) bug. The same isn't as easy under Debian. When I (often) come across some behavior I don't understand I almost always go to the source. Documentation is almost always less useful when it comes to applications. I have also found FreeBSD applications tend to be more recent versions or more easily replaced than Debian or CentOS. I find the FreeBSD handbook useful but when it comes to Debian the ErrorNet isn't as... helpful... and often wrong. I spend more time tracking things down under Debian than FreeBSD, usually because I go to source. For Wireless there is more functionality under FreeBSD without augmentation but for a specific function I had to recompile the source with an additional flag. Under Debian I had to replace several modules because the drivers did not support AP mode, which included building a custom kernel and stripping out conflicting modules -- that was an... interesting... exercise. I prefer the competence of the FreeBSD lists, though I have none myself.