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Date:      Sun, 26 Mar 2000 11:55:45 -0800
From:      Alfred Perlstein <bright@wintelcom.net>
To:        Brad Tashenberg <tash@airmail.net>
Cc:        freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG
Subject:   Re: About FreeBSD
Message-ID:  <20000326115544.V21029@fw.wintelcom.net>
In-Reply-To: <mS/12Z9qV-0007pUS@mail.airmail.net>; from tash@airmail.net on Sun, Mar 26, 2000 at 03:59:52AM -0600
References:  <mS/12Z9qV-0007pUS@mail.airmail.net>

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I'm going to be a bit terse here, if you want "the full story" you
ought to purchase a book called:
   "The Design and Implementation of the 4.4 BSD Operating System"

* Brad Tashenberg <tash@airmail.net> [000326 02:35] wrote:
> To whom it may concern,
> 
> I had some questions about the FreeBSD OS but am not sure who's area this
> would fall into. If they could be directed to the correct contact, I would
> appreciate it.
> 
> I am new to the computer area and am interested to learn more in the
> framework of the operating system aspect. Concerning FreeBSD, I read the
> information that was offered and some aspects I didn't quite understand (it
> is my fault because I am very inexperienced).
> 
> I am leaning toward the Unix platform to allocate my interests. Is FreeBSD a
> direct descendant of the BSD-Unix operating system? I ask because in the
> description, it states it as a "Unix-like operating system." I don't
> understand what that means entirely. Also, is the system fully multi-tasked?
> Or does that depend on other aspects besides the core OS itself. If so, is
> it configured also to allocate multi-processor functionality? Or would that
> also be an additional aspect outside its configurations.

Yes, BSD comes from the original UNIX code, but various legal have proven
that it has adapted and changes so much that it is no longer the same code.
An interesting thing is to note how many kernel functions in BSD have the
same names as the version6/7 unix sources.

Yes the system is fully multitasking.

To enable Multiple processor support generally all you need to do is
recompile your kernel and add uncomment a few lines.

> The documentation stated that the FreeBSD OS is based with the X-Windows
> system. When personally altering the system, is it possible to remove this
> aspect from the system or will this have serious repercussions on the
> overall system?

FreeBSD doesn't need X.

> The last question I have would be is FreeBSD based on a Mach kernel? Or is
> the kernel uniquely developed by FreeBSD developers themselves. I am aiming
> this question toward the standard kernel that is received with FreeBSD upon
> acquiring the OS.

Parts of the VM system where adopted from Mach, but it's signifigantly
diverged from the Mach code at this point in time.

> In advance I would like to thank you for your time in helping me with these
> questions. Once again, if these could be directed to the correct contact, I
> would greatly appreciate it. I hope that everything is going well over there
> for FreeBSD.

Things are great. :)

Best of luck,
-Alfred


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