From owner-freebsd-hackers@FreeBSD.ORG Fri Apr 27 21:29:51 2012 Return-Path: Delivered-To: freebsd-hackers@freebsd.org Received: from mx1.freebsd.org (mx1.freebsd.org [IPv6:2001:4f8:fff6::34]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 377851065672 for ; Fri, 27 Apr 2012 21:29:51 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from jerrymc@gizmo.acns.msu.edu) Received: from gizmo.acns.msu.edu (gizmo.acns.msu.edu [35.8.1.43]) by mx1.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id E6EA68FC0A for ; Fri, 27 Apr 2012 21:29:50 +0000 (UTC) Received: from gizmo.acns.msu.edu (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by gizmo.acns.msu.edu (8.13.6/8.13.6) with ESMTP id q3RLQGP2002423; Fri, 27 Apr 2012 17:26:16 -0400 (EDT) (envelope-from jerrymc@gizmo.acns.msu.edu) Received: (from jerrymc@localhost) by gizmo.acns.msu.edu (8.13.6/8.13.6/Submit) id q3RLQFf6002422; Fri, 27 Apr 2012 17:26:15 -0400 (EDT) (envelope-from jerrymc) Date: Fri, 27 Apr 2012 17:26:15 -0400 From: Jerry McAllister To: Mehmet Erol Sanliturk Message-ID: <20120427212615.GC2231@gizmo.acns.msu.edu> References: <20120427203117.GA2055@gizmo.acns.msu.edu> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Disposition: inline In-Reply-To: User-Agent: Mutt/1.4.2.2i Cc: Jerry McAllister , Wojciech Puchar , Andy Young , freebsd-hackers@freebsd.org Subject: Re: Ways to promote FreeBSD? X-BeenThere: freebsd-hackers@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5 Precedence: list List-Id: Technical Discussions relating to FreeBSD List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Fri, 27 Apr 2012 21:29:51 -0000 On Fri, Apr 27, 2012 at 05:18:47PM -0400, Mehmet Erol Sanliturk wrote: > On Fri, Apr 27, 2012 at 4:31 PM, Jerry McAllister wrote: > > > On Fri, Apr 27, 2012 at 08:27:07PM +0200, Wojciech Puchar wrote: > > > > > >After using Linux for almost 15 years, I only recently started using > > > >FreeBSD. I own an internet startup and was looking for a solution for > > > > > > Those who need FreeBSD already use it. no need to promote. Or maybe need > > > to promote bigger donations to FreeBSD community from big users. > > > > > > Those who actually need high performers and have servers that are loaded > > > and are working not toying around - use FreeBSD. > > > > Not really true and kind of a poor attitude. > > Yes. many people needing high performance already use FreeBSD, but > > there are lots of services that could benefit from FreeBSD who are > > not very aware of it. They may have heard the name, and even know > > that it is an OS, but have heard it passed off as a non-entity in > > the field and do not know better than that. > > > > Sure, if people take the time and come to the web site and then > > download and use it and learn it, they know and don't need to > > be told much. But, most others are not yet in that situation. > > They might appreciate the help. Of course, some may be too > > lazy or prejudiced to go through that, but many just need some > > more information and encouragement I would guess. > > > > ////jerry > > > > > > > > > My opinion is that most important obstacle in front of FreeBSD is its > installation structure : > There, you are wrong. If you choose to take the defaults, you can breeze through installation just setting IP and hostame and nameserver the same as on any Lunix I have ever installed. But, FreeBSD does make options much more plentiful than Linux and that is one of the things that makes FreeBSD so powerful and useful. > > It is NOT possible to install and use a FreeBSD distribution directly as it > is . Completely not true. > > In Linux distributions , when a distribution is installed , the user , NOT > root , > can use its facilities WITHOUT setting a ( large ) number of parameters > which it is approximately ZERO . > > Contrary to this , when a FreeBSD is installed , an ordinary user can NOT > use USB , CD/DVD , etc. , and even key board / mouse in X without setting > MANY parameters in MANY files ( loder.conf , rc.conf , etc. ) . I never set anything special for using USB or CD, etc. I just put in some media and mount them and use them. I don't need to do anything special in installation. I have always had to muck with rc stuff and especially the horrid iptables every time I have installed a Lunic. Enough, though. I doubt you will be convinced. ////jerry > > This point is a very important difficulty for the beginners and a really > very tiring for experienced users . > > The first thing for FreeBSD to promote its use is to be done is to remedy > this obstacle . > > > All over the years , this fact is ignored , and left as it is , with a > counter argument that FreeBSD is for servers . > > If we stick into this idea indefinitely , FreeBSD user base will not exceed > a few with respect to number of desktop users because number of servers > with respect to number of desktop users may be considered very small . Such > a small user base is not sufficient supply a "breath" to FreeBSD to make it > live . > > > An important example is www.wikipedia.org which I mentioned many times . > In yearly campaigns , they are collecting more than 15 MILLION US dollars > as donations where average donations being around 5 US dollars per donation > . > > Contrary to this , www.freebsdfoundation.org has a yearly budget less than > HALF a MILLION US dollars . > > If the news I read is correct , Mozilla Foundation is getting 300 MILLION > US dollars from Google for specifying its name in its search bar . > > > Failure point for the FreeBSD is its usage difficulty and a small number of > user base . > > Another point is that server installers are highly educated with respect to > desktop installers and their numbers are small with respect to desktop > users . > > For them , it is very easy to "harden" FreeBSD after installation if ever > it is needed , because during installation , it is a simple question to ask > : > > Will this be used as a Server ? > > With respect to answer to this question , even during installation a > "hardened" FreeBSD may be installed . > > Another , for me , irrespective , idea is to mention PC-BSD in place of > FreeBSD . > > With a more than FORTY years of computing experience , my idea about PC-BSD > is that it is "complete failure" and mentioning it in front of FreeBSD is > only to create another obstacle for it . > > Trouble for PC-BSD is that , for me , it is an untested ( as even as a > simple installation on a bare hardware ) distribution . > > Thank you very much . > > Mehmet Erol Sanliturk