From owner-freebsd-advocacy@FreeBSD.ORG Thu Dec 13 09:32:27 2007 Return-Path: Delivered-To: freebsd-advocacy@freebsd.org Received: from mx1.freebsd.org (mx1.freebsd.org [IPv6:2001:4f8:fff6::34]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 33E7916A417 for ; Thu, 13 Dec 2007 09:32:27 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from m.seaman@infracaninophile.co.uk) Received: from smtp.infracaninophile.co.uk (smtp.infracaninophile.co.uk [IPv6:2001:8b0:151:1::1]) by mx1.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id A453513C459 for ; Thu, 13 Dec 2007 09:32:26 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from m.seaman@infracaninophile.co.uk) Received: from lack-of-gravitas.thebunker.net (gateway.ash.thebunker.net [213.129.64.4]) (authenticated bits=0) by smtp.infracaninophile.co.uk (8.14.2/8.14.2) with ESMTP id lBD9WGab040232 (version=TLSv1/SSLv3 cipher=DHE-RSA-AES256-SHA bits=256 verify=NO); Thu, 13 Dec 2007 09:32:21 GMT (envelope-from m.seaman@infracaninophile.co.uk) Message-ID: <4760FC20.9030608@infracaninophile.co.uk> Date: Thu, 13 Dec 2007 09:32:16 +0000 From: Matthew Seaman Organization: Infracaninophile User-Agent: Thunderbird 2.0.0.9 (X11/20071129) MIME-Version: 1.0 To: Grant References: <49bf44f10712122100y45f12f77q4ae47f311905be25@mail.gmail.com> In-Reply-To: <49bf44f10712122100y45f12f77q4ae47f311905be25@mail.gmail.com> X-Enigmail-Version: 0.95.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Greylist: Sender succeeded SMTP AUTH authentication, not delayed by milter-greylist-3.0 (smtp.infracaninophile.co.uk [81.187.76.162]); Thu, 13 Dec 2007 09:32:21 +0000 (GMT) X-Virus-Scanned: ClamAV 0.91.2/5110/Wed Dec 12 20:42:31 2007 on happy-idiot-talk.infracaninophile.co.uk X-Virus-Status: Clean X-Spam-Status: No, score=-2.4 required=5.0 tests=AWL,BAYES_00,SPF_FAIL autolearn=no version=3.2.3 X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.2.3 (2007-08-08) on happy-idiot-talk.infracaninophile.co.uk Cc: freebsd-advocacy@freebsd.org Subject: Re: Current Gentoo user X-BeenThere: freebsd-advocacy@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5 Precedence: list List-Id: FreeBSD Evangelism List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Thu, 13 Dec 2007 09:32:27 -0000 -----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- Hash: RIPEMD160 Grant wrote: > It has recently come to my attention that FreeBSD is "similar" to > Gentoo Linux. I've been a Gentoo user for about 5 years and I love > the concept, but it feels like the project is slowing down. I like to > learn/use/know one OS for server, media system, laptop, router, etc. > How would you compare the two OSes? We use mainly a mixture of FreeBSD and Gentoo at work. Virtually all of the application software you would want to use will work on either system -- the exceptions being certain proprietary bits such as the very latest Flash or management applications for particular RAID controllers. The Unix environment is pretty much the same, although /bin/sh on FreeBSD is not bash -- that you'ld have to install from ports. There are various odd differences in commands but those tend to be the more obscure bits as both systems comply with POSIX.2 Things you'll find different: * Although portage was certainly inspired by ports, it is a very different beast. They fulfil much the same function, but don't get frustrated when you start thinking in the portage way and find that doesn't map onto ports very well. Ports is, to paraphrase Terry Pratchett, intuitively obvious once you've spent enough time learning how it works. * You'll find that the base FreeBSD system being separated from the rest of the installed software seems odd at first. Especially when you start looking under /etc for configuration files that FreeBSD puts under /usr/local/etc. You will quickly come to appreciate that it makes a huge difference in the ease and manageability of maintaining the system. * I tend to find that FreeBSD comes with much better diagnostic and monitoring capabilities built in -- programs like systat and gstat have no direct equivalents, and things like vmstat often seem to be missing from Gentoo boxes, although that is probably just an oversight by the person building the system. * Although either OS will work in either role, Gentoo-ers seem to me principally interested in developing the desktops, whereas FreeBSD-ers think "network server" first of all. Cheers, Matthew - -- Dr Matthew J Seaman MA, D.Phil. Flat 3 7 Priory Courtyard PGP: http://www.infracaninophile.co.uk/pgpkey Ramsgate Kent, CT11 9PW, UK -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: GnuPG v2.0.4 (FreeBSD) Comment: Using GnuPG with Mozilla - http://enigmail.mozdev.org iD8DBQFHYPwg3jDkPpsZ+VYRA7pcAKChv1PJ0eHTMcts5YeFMW5bnw0jnACgpdEd 7FoLHWlXviWk+dh+pSUwTNc= =V2b8 -----END PGP SIGNATURE-----