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Date:      Sat, 20 Mar 2021 09:15:09 -0500
From:      Valeri Galtsev <galtsev@kicp.uchicago.edu>
To:        Mohammad Noureldin <mohammad@thelightbird.com>
Cc:        freebsd-questions@freebsd.org
Subject:   Re: OS to replace FreeBSD
Message-ID:  <AE988246-3097-48C2-B1B7-33A71C64D5F4@kicp.uchicago.edu>
In-Reply-To: <CAAQ96Dy2D_gM7a4ZTc4d54EMyBRHxhHLfKUyJZcSAtsvX3%2BZaA@mail.gmail.com>
References:  <20210319101040.00005c35@seibercom.net> <CA%2BD9QhsjLtVui6exPDyG2CO5H8X-=YckFjCehHusG7eH_kk2sg@mail.gmail.com> <6054BE1B.50706@gmail.com> <20210319130249.000042a1@seibercom.net> <5a8cf0be-646a-a433-2428-9700a47c1bf0@att.net> <20210319140448.00007521@seibercom.net> <c9ca4862-199a-5c6b-1282-18cc32d3486f@johnea.net> <20210319213214.4f8ddf55@archlinux> <CAGBxaXnwqXMBjp0i6Qd6SzbjCq13wFPOo1mjMUucNKw%2BPC1KFw@mail.gmail.com> <20210320063427.000040f5@seibercom.net> <CAAQ96Dy2D_gM7a4ZTc4d54EMyBRHxhHLfKUyJZcSAtsvX3%2BZaA@mail.gmail.com>

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> On Mar 20, 2021, at 7:01 AM, Mohammad Noureldin =
<mohammad@thelightbird.com> wrote:
>=20
> Hi all,
>=20
> I am new to this mailing list, using FreeBSD/*BSD on and off. Joined =
the
> mailing list because I have a couple of project ideas that I want to =
build
> on top of *BSD.
>=20
> Though I am new, and maybe relative to many others here I am a newbie,
> allow me to comment on all the aspects addressed (so far) in this =
email
> thread:
>=20
> - "It is easy to build a new (custom) kernel", "Unix is made by =
technical
> people for technical people", etc:
>=20
> Though historically it is true that Unix like systems are made by =
technical
> people for technical people, it doesn't mean that it has to stay like =
this.
> IMHO, such motto causes a great piece of Engineering like *BSD to =
loose
> ground for other Unix like systems, namely Linux and all it's Distros. =
Not
> that I am a Linux hatter, I have respect to both.
>=20
> Related to that, I don't believe that it is a good message to FreeBSD
> users, that if you don't know how to build a new kernel, then there is =
no
> place for you here. IMHO, this really hurts the image of the community =
of
> FreeBSD specially in the eyes of new commers. Notice these email =
messages
> are archived.

That was said by only one - very loud - member of FreeBSD community, =
people here are much milder and way more polite. And I for one do not =
share the view that FreeBSD in particular and open source systems in =
general are only for people with [some] technical knowledge.

1. Installation of FreeBSD is quite streamlined (and same are Debian, =
Ubuntu=E2=80=A6)

2. Interaction with machine is same nice as closed source systems' once =
you have Xwindow installed (here FreeBSD may need a bit effort compared =
to Linuxes I mentioned)

3. Compiling kernel. In general this suggest that I repeat here what I =
tell my users who never used Linux or UNIX: how many commands do you =
need to know to start using shell? 4 - 5, I=E2=80=99ll show you them in =
a minute. Then you just start, =E2=80=A6 and this is really true. =
Compiling kernel is just another 3-4 commands. It is simple, no need to =
hold people from doing it

> - About the problem reported:
>=20
> Thanks for all who went through the long list of comments on that PR =
and
> explained in brief that it is a USB controller/HW problem.
>=20
> In that respect, I do agree with Jerry and others wondering how other =
OS(s)
> can manage running on the same HW (in case that has been proven) ? I
> believe it worths looking at that. I would have volunteered to dig =
deeper
> into that, but I know I don't have the required experience (unless =
someone
> is willing to mentor me ? :) )

No comment on this specific troublesome hardware. Linux in my =
observation has many =E2=80=9Cworkarounds=E2=80=9D to deal with =
misbehaving hardware. FreeBSD may be acting =E2=80=9Ccleaner=E2=80=9D =
here, hence stays more stringent system, but experts may correct me. I =
still remember one chipset which is NOT worth effort writing driver for: =
BCM 43xx Broadcom WiFi. That is 32 bit chip, sitting on 64 bit bus, no =
need to add more detail after that.

> And responding to that:"OK, just shut up and go install another OS", =
is not
> a community building attitude at all.

I agree, saying that is not polite. Better just ignore the OP. Which I =
observe many experts did, though several tried to help. Way back before =
first asking for help on one of technical lists I read list etiquette =
carefully, and there are several things to keep in mind, the OP didn=E2=80=
=99t show some of them (not all definitely). Just some of what I =
remember:

Before asking for help, try do resolve issue yourself within your =
ability

Describe what you tried and give all details; this simultaneously will =
show that you did put effort on your side, then you will less likely to =
be ignored

Disrespect to others is likely to make you ignored

Read carefully suggestions and try to follow them. Report what worked =
and what didn=E2=80=99t. You at least have to respect time and effort of =
experts trying to help you.

--
I stop here just by saying, please, everybody, do not take this as an =
attempt of =E2=80=9Cmentoring=E2=80=9D, but someone may find truth in =
the above; I for one did.


I have just one comment on the hardware choice: this one is one of Dell =
=E2=80=9Cconsumer grade=E2=80=9D products, which is not intended to =
last, I wouldn=E2=80=99t choose it myself. They look cheaper upfront, =
but they end up more expensive in a log run. Dell OptiPlex (not much =
more expensive) would have been my choice of the same class of hardware.

Be it me, I would go with one or both of solutions already suggested in =
the thread:

1. Disable in BIOS on board USB and add USB card if necessary

2. Recompile kernel with switched off USB-3. The first for me would be =
preferable, just to not keep recompiling kernel once kernel security =
patches are released (but that is me, lazy person)


Good luck, Jerry, in resolving your technical issue.

Valeri

> And for the sake of discussion, let's assume for a second that Jerry =
is
> lazy or not skilled enough, helping him and fixing the problem or =
clearly
> explaining a solution without bashing him, is not just for Jerry, it =
is for
> the whole community, for the current and new members who will be =
interested
> to join in the future.
>=20
> Jerry, I am curious, did you have time to try one the suggestions,
> specially running FreeBSD on a VM to see if it still suffers from the =
same
> problem ?
>=20
> You all have a great day/evening
>=20
> On Sat, Mar 20, 2021, 11:35 Jerry <jerry@seibercom.net> wrote:
>=20
>> On Fri, 19 Mar 2021 18:30:00 -0400, Aryeh Friedman stated:
>>> On Fri, Mar 19, 2021 at 4:32 PM Ralf Mardorf =
<ralf-mardorf@riseup.net>
>>> wrote:
>>>=20
>>>> On Fri, 19 Mar 2021 11:16:33 -0700, freebsd@johnea.net wrote:
>>>>> Void uses a runit init system with no systemd
>>>>=20
>>>> Hi,
>>>>=20
>>>> I suspect it's not a good idea to use Linux without systemd. For
>>>> example, by upstream udev is part of systemd. Maintaining Linux
>>>> without systemd is a bottomless pit.
>>>>=20
>>>> On Fri, 19 Mar 2021 13:35:21 -0400, Aryeh Friedman wrote:
>>>>> Recompiling the kernel is *TRIVIAL* if you refuse to do it then =
you
>>>>> should not be using any Unix variant
>>>>=20
>>>> I dislike this tone of voice. However, I agree that compiling the
>>>> kernel might be less effort, than migrating to another operating
>>>> system. If you would e.g. migrate to Arch Linux, you need to get
>>>> used to systemd. Getting used to systemd isn't pleasant. If you
>>>> chose a Linux distro that doesn't use systemd, you likely will
>>>> experience all kinds of trouble, if you want to customize your
>>>> install.
>>>=20
>>> I used that tone because it really is simple and if you can't/won't
>>> recompile the kernel before throwing the baby out despite with the =
bath
>>> water then you really don't have the skills/desire needed to use =
Unix
>>> effectively...  Just to show how trivial it really is
>>>=20
>>> 1. Edit /usr/src/sys/amd64/conf/GENERIC (or i386 instead of amd64 if
>>> your still using it) to comment out the xhci line (line 327 in
>>> 12.2-RELASE-pl3) to remove USB 3.0 support
>>> 2. cd /usr/src
>>> 3. make kernel
>>> 4. etcupdate
>>> 5. reboot
>>>=20
>>> Done.... how hard is that?
>>=20
>> I never said I could not compile a new kernel, I said I could not
>> install the OS. Correct me if I am wrong, but doesn't the =
installation
>> of the OS precede the creation of a new kernel? Furthermore, the
>> screen just rolls away filling up with the error message ad =
infinitum.
>>=20
>> By the way, as I understand it, creating a custom kernel nullifies =
the
>> use of "freebsd update". Wow, things just keep getting better & =
better.
>>=20
>> What I cannot understand is that FreeBSD knows it has a problem, one
>> not shared by any other OS as far as I have been able to ascertain,
>> and I have done a lot of research, and they refuse to fix it. The
>> problem did not exist before version 12.x, so it is not like they =
never
>> were able to get it right.
>>=20
>> --
>> Jerry
>>=20
>>=20
>>=20
>>=20
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