From owner-freebsd-hackers Mon Jun 17 08:37:53 1996 Return-Path: owner-hackers Received: (from root@localhost) by freefall.freebsd.org (8.7.5/8.7.3) id IAA25611 for hackers-outgoing; Mon, 17 Jun 1996 08:37:53 -0700 (PDT) Received: from etinc.com (etinc.com [204.141.244.98]) by freefall.freebsd.org (8.7.5/8.7.3) with SMTP id IAA25590 for ; Mon, 17 Jun 1996 08:37:50 -0700 (PDT) Received: from dialup-usr11.etinc.com (dialup-usr11.etinc.com [204.141.95.132]) by etinc.com (8.6.12/8.6.9) with SMTP id LAA01283; Mon, 17 Jun 1996 11:44:09 -0400 Date: Mon, 17 Jun 1996 11:44:09 -0400 Message-Id: <199606171544.LAA01283@etinc.com> X-Sender: dennis@etinc.com X-Mailer: Windows Eudora Version 2.0.3 Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" To: "Karl Denninger, MCSNet" From: dennis@etinc.com (Dennis) Subject: Re: BSDI 2.0 vs. FreeBSD 2.x Cc: hackers@freebsd.org Sender: owner-hackers@freebsd.org X-Loop: FreeBSD.org Precedence: bulk >> I know how much everyone (myself included) hates making comparisons >> between OS's - but unlike the pointless Linux vs. FreeBSD debates, I find >> myself wondering about this one... >> >> Unfortunately, I don't have the resources (hardware, time, or money ;-) >> to do a comparison of BSDI and FreeBSD on the same machine, so I thought >> I'd ask if anyone else out there in FreeBSD land has any experience with >> BSDI and if so what their impressions are. >> >> The reason I ask is that I currently run several FreeBSD 2.1-stable >> machines as web/realaudio/mail servers, and I swear by them. I've never >> been so thoroughly impressed with an OS -- thanks to all involved. I know >> from experience how much FreeBSD rocks Linux in a multi-user high load >> environment, but I'm curious about BSDI's performance. The service >> provider we're teamed with uses BSDI for shell machines, and they seem to >> do VERY well (full news feed, 4000 users, named, etc. all running from a >> 486...). He swears by BSDI, and now he's outgrown his 10-machine license >> from BSDI. Upgrading would be VERY, VERY expensive. I of course told him >> to ditch BSDI and try out FreeBSD. The BSDI folks are charging a lot for >> their OS these days, and I'm not convinced they have anything over FreeBSD. >> >> What are your thoughts? Is BSDI really more stable than FreeBSD, and how >> well does it perform? Any thought much appreciated!!! >> >> TIA, >> -Mark > >We ran into the same situation. > >Our experience is borne out by the following: > >Cerebus up 2+19:40, 0 users, load 0.01, 0.43, 0.42 >Mailbox up 5+08:00, 0 users, load 0.52, 0.51, 0.44 >Mars up 15+18:43, 18 users, load 0.59, 0.54, 0.45 >Mercury up 25+04:45, 22 users, load 0.27, 0.29, 0.31 >Nfs1 up 154+14:05, 0 users, load 0.51, 0.46, 0.33 >Nfs2 up 56+12:01, 0 users, load 0.50, 1.17, 1.31 >Uucp1 up 75+01:24, 0 users, load 0.05, 0.05, 0.00 >Venus up 56+11:38, 17 users, load 0.10, 0.14, 0.16 >Vs-1 up 59+05:27, 0 users, load 1.19, 1.30, 1.27 >Vs-2 up 16+04:38, 0 users, load 0.07, 0.29, 0.35 >Vs-3 up 16+04:45, 0 users, load 1.94, 1.35, 1.18 > >These are BSDI machines. > >Cthulu up 22+06:28, 0 users, load 0.28, 0.11, 0.05 >Jupiter up 33+23:37, 0 users, load 0.00, 0.00, 0.00 >News1 up 18+02:29, 0 users, load 0.48, 0.32, 0.29 >Nntp1 up 2+11:46, 0 users, load 0.21, 0.10, 0.03 >Vs-4 up 77+09:29, 0 users, load 0.12, 0.08, 0.02 > >These are FreeBSD machines. > >VS-4, in particular, is extremely impressive. That system has over 100 >virtual web servers on it, and has shown not a SINGLE problem since it was >loaded. > >I'd use BSDI for NFS file service as of today (they still do that a little >better) but for the other purposes, its a dead heat and I'd say that FreeBSD >has to get a VERY close look. Say what you mean, Karl. BSDI has priced themselves out of the game. Their support is no better than what you get for nothing from the FreeBSD people. They do a few things better and a few things not as well. Anyone who knows about freebsd and buys BSD/OS is nuts. Dennis ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Emerging Technologies, Inc. http://www.etinc.com Synchronous Communications Cards and Routers For Discriminating Tastes. 56k to T1 and beyond. Frame Relay, PPP, HDLC, and X.25 for BSD/OS, FreeBSD and LINUX