Date: Wed, 4 Apr 2001 22:04:13 -0400 From: Spike Gronim <william@brainlink.com> To: Jason Victor <sloppyj123@yahoo.com> Cc: freebsd-hackers@freebsd.org Subject: Re: Should I switch? [was Re: A novel idea....] Message-ID: <20010404220413.A22030@spike.gronim.com> In-Reply-To: <20010405004601.17621.qmail@web4302.mail.yahoo.com>; from sloppyj123@yahoo.com on Wed, Apr 04, 2001 at 05:46:01PM -0700 References: <20010404160203.B17093@cec.wustl.edu> <20010405004601.17621.qmail@web4302.mail.yahoo.com>
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On Wed, Apr 04, 2001 at 05:46:01PM -0700, Jason Victor wrote: > Wow, thanks alot for all your advice. I just have a > couple (read: 412) questions about switching to > FreeBSD (if I should do it.) Please keep in mind that > I am a hobbyist developer, but am looking to get > better. > > 1. Can I work on the GNOME project under FreeBSD? Does > anyone have Ximian GNOME running? GNOME definitely works, and Ximian should compile. > 2. Is the FreeBSD project smaller than Debian's? Does > that mean that a certain individual has more or less > projects to choose from? Do you guys need lots of > help? I'd say they're about the same size. > 3. Can I compile apps in GTK/GNOME? I don't think gcc > works in FreeBSD... GCC definitely works under FreeBSD. You can compile GTK/GNOME apps. > 4. Can I get involved in the part of FreeBSD involving > moving it to the home/desktop market? Competing with > Linux? Yes, you can. I wouldn't say it competes with Linux, though. Yes, they fill a similar niche. But, there is also room for both. > 5. How close is FreeBSD to Linux? They are both Unix. You've got the same shell, utilities, X, and other programs (GNOME, Netscape, XMMS, etc.) However, they are developed in slightly different ways. Linux is developed by users submitting patches to the kernel. Each distro produces and manages packages differently. FreeBSD is developed by users submitting patches to both the kernel and the system, as well as by a group of people who are "committers". These people have direct access to change the central FreeBSD source repositories. They are directed by a "core" team. Since the system and kernel are developed by the same group under the same "jurisdiction" as one could say, some people think that this makes a better integrated system. Some think it has "less give" and that the less explicitly controlled kernel/distro setup under Linux is beneficial. It's really up to you. The major difference in setting up and administering FreeBSD vs. Linux is in the package management. The FreeBSD ports and packages provide the same functionality as apt, dpkg, or rpm, but in a different style. Also, system upgrades are generally accomplished by "building world", which is to say re-compiling the entire system and the kernel. > 6. Is there any logo cooler than the Daemon? Not in my oppinion ;). > 7. Why isn't FreeBSD more popular than Linux? You say > it is so much better!!! How quickly is FreeBSD > developing? The easier question first: FreeBSD is developing rather quickly. Improvements are being made to the kernel SMP infrastructure, the repertoire of supported devices, the file system, IPv6/IPsec integration, and the VM system in much the same way that Linux is being devloped in those areas. Why one is more popular is harder to answer; I really can't. > 8. Can I work on an apt-get for FreeBSD? Does one > exist? The FreeBSD ports collection provides very similar functionality to apt. Package dependencies, automatic downloads of programs from mirrors, easy updates to the package listings, etc. are all things that apt and the ports have in common. If you want to work on FreeBSD's package management systems, contributions would of course be considered. However, a direct port of apt is probably not going to happen. > 9. Can FreeBSD run ALL Linux apps (including source > tarballs as well as binary installs like > StarOffice's?) This is a qualified yes. FreeBSD can run StarOffice, and any other Linux executable on two conditions. Sometimes new system calls (such as clone()) are added to Linux, and the FreeBSD Linux ABI (Application Binary Interface) lags in catching up. Also, you must have Linux versions of any shared libraries for a Linux binary. > 10. Which is a better development/home user > environment? Honestly. Does Glade work? I honestly think they're equivalent. Glade, GNOME, KDE, etc. are exactly the same. My desktop runs FreeBSD, my laptop Debian. I'm happy with both. > 11. How steep will the learning curve be for a Linux > user? Not very steep. The concepts are all the same; the specifics will take some learning, and real familiarity can only be had with experience. > 12. What are the reasons big companies like Yahoo! are > using FreeBSD over Linux. The reasons generally given are reliability, a better TCP/IP stack, and better performance under high load. > 13. Does anyone think FreeBSD will be popular enough > to compete with Linux? Windows? FreeBSD competes with Linux in that they are often used for the same things. FreeBSD will not push Linux out of the server market, but then again Linux will not push FreeBSD out either. They coexist relatively peacefully. As for Windows, I think that Linux has a large popularity edge in terms of potential desktop users. Nothing is "beating" windows right now, and I think FreeBSD is developed more for reliability and performance as a server and not a deskto. However, Mac OS X is based on a BSD core (some FreeBSD, some NetBSD, some Apple). This is an example of BSD's stability and performance being taken by a third party and packaged as the underlying support for a state of the art GUI. In this respect, I'd say that more desktops run BSD right now than run Linux. > > Thanks alot to anyone who can answer any of these > questions!!! > --Jason -- --Spike Gronim gronimw@stuy.edu "Oh yes? An obscene triangle which, has more courage than the word." To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org with "unsubscribe freebsd-hackers" in the body of the message
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