Date: Mon, 20 Jun 2005 20:36:11 +0800 From: Erich Dollansky <oceanare@pacific.net.sg> To: Fafa Hafiz Krantz <fteg@london.com> Cc: questions@freebsd.org, advocacy@freebsd.org Subject: Re: Explaining FreeBSD features Message-ID: <42B6B83B.4070004@pacific.net.sg> In-Reply-To: <20050620094909.184064BEAD@ws1-1.us4.outblaze.com> References: <20050620094909.184064BEAD@ws1-1.us4.outblaze.com>
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Hi, Fafa Hafiz Krantz wrote: > I am curious why it's so difficult to get a simple and straight > forward list of FreeBSD's features, that normal people can understand? > There is no real answer to this question. > I am trying to write one of the largest articles ever to be published > on www.PCWorld.no -- to only say good things about FreeBSD. But I want > it clear what good things to say. > This sounds good. How much time is left for you to write it? > http://www.freebsd.org/features.html is alright, but not the best. > Using super-advanced jargons, it says what they are, but not what they do. > At least not in a way normal people can understand. > FreeBSD is a typical system driven by technical people. Or, as I describe it for myself, if I would know marketing, I would not write software. > http://www.apple.com/macosx/features/unix/ aims more towards the general > public, and does the job a little better. How ever they don't even > mention half of FreeBSD's features. > Not all applies to FreeBSD. > http://people.freebsd.org/~murray/bsd_flier.html is very, very good. > I get the feeling though, that it ain't like that no more. > It is a starting point but a bit outdated. > Any idea, people? Not really as I also do not know the current status of your article. I also have no idea what the target audience will be. Let me give you some not to technical points for a start. FreeBSD strongest and also its weakest point is that it is developed by serious people as a serious operating system who took the work of a serious university as their base. This leads easily to misunderstandings when newcommers appearing at the scene. The main advantage of FreeBSD is its stability. It just runs like a work horse. FreeBSD follows very strict principles once set. The number of exceptions to be faced during operating a FreeBSD machine are pretty much limited. All applications come via the ports tree and are delivered as source or as a binary. The user can decide on what level he/she can maintain the machine. The installation from source need compilations but it does not need any knowledge of programming. Following the same steps for all ports, is all the user has to do: cd to the directory in the ports tree make make install make clean I know some people who were to afraid to move to FreeBSD as they believed installing from source is equal to being a programmer. I hope this will start a discussion to give you the strong points of FreeBSD you need for the article. Erich
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