Date: Wed, 27 Jun 2001 10:20:08 -0700 From: Rich Morin <rdm@cfcl.com> To: freebsd-chat@FreeBSD.ORG Subject: the essential nature of FreeBSD Message-ID: <p0510036bb75fbfaa841b@[192.168.168.205]>
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Apple already incorporates a great deal of FreeBSD code into Darwin and Mac OS X. With Jordan's recent move, we can probably expect to see the BSD part of the OSX "userland" become more FreeBSD-like over time. Thus, I will soon be able to use and program an OSX system as if it were FreeBSD. There will be differences, to be sure, but they will be down in the kernel or off in "sysadmin land". At the same time, Apple will have become (by far) the largest purveyor of BSD, shipping millions of copies per year. Given this scenario, I think it is appropriate to think about the essential nature of FreeBSD. To some, this is a silly question; the kernel is THE critical piece of the operating system and defines its essential nature. I don't have a lot of sympathy for this idea; as long as the kernel does its job, I don't really care much about its implementation details. It became appropriate for FreeBSD to adopt some of Apple's technology (e.g., the IO Kit), I wouldn't be particularly troubled (as long as the licensing and technology both "worked" as desired). From my perspective, the FreeBSD community is much more critical. It defines a set of attitudes (e.g., Best Practice), infrastructure (e.g., for bug-tracking, communication, and development) and interpersonal relationships (Who is that guy, anyway?). The "product" of all this is an occasional cohesive release and a slew of intermediate releases. In any case, this is a time of great change for the BSDs in general and FreeBSD in particular. BSD is about to become a household word, at least in Apple-using households. The FreeBSD community WILL play a part in all of this, but what part SHOULD it play? -r -- email: rdm@cfcl.com; phone: +1 650-873-7841 http://www.cfcl.com/rdm - home page, resume, etc. http://www.cfcl.com/Meta/md_fb.html - The FreeBSD Browser http://www.ptf.com/tdc - Prime Time Freeware's Darwin Collection To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org with "unsubscribe freebsd-chat" in the body of the message
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