From owner-freebsd-chat Tue Nov 25 20:19:48 1997 Return-Path: Received: (from majordom@localhost) by hub.freebsd.org (8.8.7/8.8.7) id UAA14266 for chat-outgoing; Tue, 25 Nov 1997 20:19:48 -0800 (PST) (envelope-from owner-freebsd-chat@FreeBSD.ORG) Received: from freebie.lemis.com (gregl1.lnk.telstra.net [139.130.136.133]) by hub.freebsd.org (8.8.7/8.8.7) with ESMTP id UAA14249 for ; Tue, 25 Nov 1997 20:19:40 -0800 (PST) (envelope-from grog@freebie.lemis.com) Received: (from grog@localhost) by freebie.lemis.com (8.8.8/8.8.5) id OAA09990; Wed, 26 Nov 1997 14:47:06 +1030 (CST) Message-ID: <19971126144705.64183@lemis.com> Date: Wed, 26 Nov 1997 14:47:05 +1030 From: Greg Lehey To: Mike Smith Cc: francisco@federation.addy.com, FreeBSd Chat list Subject: Re: Help me reply to Infoworld correspondent: what is diff between BSDI and FreeBSD? References: <199711260313.NAA02104@word.smith.net.au> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii X-Mailer: Mutt 0.84e In-Reply-To: <199711260313.NAA02104@word.smith.net.au>; from Mike Smith on Wed, Nov 26, 1997 at 01:43:58PM +1030 Organisation: LEMIS, PO Box 460, Echunga SA 5153, Australia Phone: +61-8-8388-8286 Fax: +61-8-8388-8725 Mobile: +61-41-739-7062 WWW-Home-Page: http://www.lemis.com/~grog Sender: owner-freebsd-chat@FreeBSD.ORG Precedence: bulk On Wed, Nov 26, 1997 at 01:43:58PM +1030, Mike Smith wrote: >> In this week's Infoworld there is a review on Red Hat Linux. I wrote >> to the author (Eric Hammond) telling him about FreeBSD. He mentioned >> He recently did a review in which he included BSDI and also said >> there is another review in which BSDI will be included. >> >> I am familiar with FreeBSD Vs Linux discussions (and even a bit about >> Open BSD, Net BSD), but never really have seen much about BSDI. >> >> One of the things he wrote was: >> "I'm assuming that Internet Server is the commercial version of >> FreeBSD. >> Correct me if I'm wrong." >> By internet Server he is referring to BSDI. >> >> How different are these products (BSDI and FreeBSD)? > > In many regards, enormously. > >> I can prepare some little promo to send to him telling him about >> FreeBSD, but I want to answer his comment about BSDI vs FreeBSD. > > (much good stuff about the difference between free and commercial > omitted) Agreed, but that's not the point Francisco (or Eric) was making. What's the technical difference? This is probably flame bait, but I'd say "not much". Recall that as a normal user (not buyer), you're interested neither in the way the software is devloped and distributed, nor in implementation details. And BSD/OS is close enough in feel to FreeBSD that I've mistaken one for the other on my own network from time to time. Still, it's oversimplifying things to say that BSD/OS is a commercial version of FreeBSD. Those days are, indeed, past. IMO the days are also past when BSD/OS was obviously better than FreeBSD. Greg