From owner-freebsd-advocacy Mon Mar 1 7:10:27 1999 Delivered-To: freebsd-advocacy@freebsd.org Received: from lariat.lariat.org (lariat.lariat.org [206.100.185.2]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 7816A153D3 for ; Mon, 1 Mar 1999 07:10:07 -0800 (PST) (envelope-from brett@lariat.org) Received: (from brett@localhost) by lariat.lariat.org (8.8.8/8.8.6) id IAA19617; Mon, 1 Mar 1999 08:09:42 -0700 (MST) Message-Id: <4.1.19990301080314.03f30a70@localhost> X-Sender: brett@localhost X-Mailer: QUALCOMM Windows Eudora Pro Version 4.1 Date: Mon, 01 Mar 1999 08:09:37 -0700 To: "Robert A. Bruce" From: Brett Glass Subject: Re: The Linux PR firestorm disaster (w.r.t. FreeBSD) Cc: "Robert A. Bruce" , Dave Yost , freebsd-advocacy@FreeBSD.ORG, rab@pike.cdrom.com In-Reply-To: <199903010700.XAA29024@pike.cdrom.com> References: Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Sender: owner-freebsd-advocacy@FreeBSD.ORG Precedence: bulk X-Loop: FreeBSD.ORG At 11:00 PM 2/28/99 -0800, Robert A. Bruce wrote: >>Easier installs, especially network installs > >Okay. This is a good point. I have heard that until recently >Linux didn't support upgrades at all, but required complete re-installs. There's no procedure like Jordan's semi-automatic upgrader. >>-- and runs the first time on more platforms. > >Is this really true? I have heard that Linux has more support for >obscure hardware. Yes, but not out of the box! You have to know what you have and bring it in. FreeBSD excels at getting the system running from the (single) original boot floppy. >>Unencumbered by the GPL. You can really USE the code! > >Okay. But this is a controversial issue. In this case, controversy is good! Many people are uneasy with Stallmanism and/or don't realize that the GPL was motivated by animus toward commercial software. Saying, "Here -- you can use this for free, no strings attached" is ALWAYS good, especially in the Age of the Internet. >>Better drivers -- especially for Intel Etherexpress Pro and other >>best of breed cards. > >Yes, but I think this is a fleeting advantage. Linux will catch up. I think FreeBSD will probably stay ahead. Berkeley drivers are easier to write, and the model for them is simpler and more powerful. >>Can run all of its own software PLUS 99% of all Linux software. > >Is 99% a real number, or should I just say "most"? 99% is a conservative guess. About the only thing that's not emulated is kernel threads, and less than one in 100 Linux programs out there use it. >If you have more, I would appreciate if you can send them. This is exactly >the sort of information that I need. Thanks. Why not post to "chat" asking for bullet points? The "advocacy" list is not well read. --Brett To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org with "unsubscribe freebsd-advocacy" in the body of the message