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Date:      Thu, 21 Mar 1996 13:02:53 +1030 (CST)
From:      Michael Smith <msmith@atrad.adelaide.edu.au>
To:        edmond@UWYO.EDU (Andrew N. Edmond)
Cc:        questions@FreeBSD.org
Subject:   Re: Hardware Tailoring...
Message-ID:  <199603210232.NAA09956@genesis.atrad.adelaide.edu.au>
In-Reply-To: <Pine.PMDF.3.91.960320121138.163208D-100000@PLAINS.UWYO.EDU> from "Andrew N. Edmond" at Mar 20, 96 12:22:10 pm

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Andrew N. Edmond stands accused of saying:
> 
> 
> I am purcashing a system for a internet server (WWW, FTP, IRC, mailing 
> lists, telnet, etc...) and I am in a grip to choose between Linux and 
> FreeBSD.  
> 
> To help the situation, I am writing to ask if the following configuration 
> has all the necessary drivers written for FreeBSD:
> 
> Inter Pentium Pro 200mhz

This is a very poor choice.  None of the PPro motherboards on the open 
market at the moment are suitable for use in servers.  You will either
need to purchase a system from Intel's Server division (the 'Alder' board
is known to work well), or go back to a high-end P5.

> 64mb RAM
> 4 gig FastWide SCSI seagate HD
> Adaptec 2940W SCSI Controller
> Toshiba 6.7X CDROM SCSI
> Conner 3.2gig SCSI tape backup
> Diamond Stealth64 (Trio S3 968 chip set) /w 2mb RAM
> 17" MAG monitor

This is also a poor choice.  The Sony Multiscan 17sf is a much better monitor,
as well as being significantly cheaper.

> Diamond Mutlimedia 28.8k modem
> Ensoniq SoundScape (SB compatible)
> LaserJet 5L printer
> 
> Any ideas on available drivers for some of these components?

They're all supported just fine, although one is somewhat puzzled as to why
you would be putting expensive video hardware and a sound card in a server.

Or is there an ulterior motive here? 8)

(BTW; in your case, I would be installing from the 2.1CD and then immediately
supping the -stable kernel sources and building a new kernel.  There
are a number of significant bugs in the 2940 driver under 2.1R that are
fixed in -stable.)

> And last question, generally - to set up a secure system that will be 
> offering telnet accounts, why is FreeBSD more secure than Linux?

Linux is a kernel.  If you want to compare FreeBSD with the various 
Linux 'distributions', then I'd certainly be picking FreeBSD, especially
if you don't have much prior experience with securing systems.

FreeBSD is heavily scrutinised by a considerable number of paranoid
professionals.  Fixes to potential security holes are generally rapidly
and effectively implemented.  This is often also true with Linux, but
the means for distributing these fixes in a timely fashion is far
better under FreeBSD.

> .  Andrew Edmond              .   Children of a future age,                 .

-- 
]] Mike Smith, Software Engineer        msmith@atrad.adelaide.edu.au    [[
]] Genesis Software                     genesis@atrad.adelaide.edu.au   [[
]] High-speed data acquisition and      (GSM mobile) 0411-222-496       [[
]] realtime instrument control          (ph/fax)  +61-8-267-3039        [[
]] Collector of old Unix hardware.      "Where are your PEZ?" The Tick  [[



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