[NTLUG:Discuss] Linux vs FreeBSD

[MadHat]

Off topic really.
Go to FreeBSD.org and read.  Or read one of the many papers on BSD vs  
Linux.


On Oct 19, 2005, at 7:39 AM, Burton Strauss wrote:

> FreeBSD traces itself back to 4.4BSD (AT&T Unix) directly.
>
> In those days AT&T gave Universities the source code for Unix, but  
> wouldn't
> allow it to be re-released.
>
> Berkeley was distributing patches/bug fixes/additional features.   
> There was
> a big court case, resolved via a secret settlement.  From that,  
> AT&T went on
> with it's proprietary Unixes and Berkeley released a non-infringing  
> version,
> which became known as 4.4BSD.
>
> Linux was developed from the SPECIFICATIONS of an 2nd tier Unix clone,
> Minix.
>
>
> Head over to Groklaw - there are postings of a (now) 19 part series  
> on the
> history of Unix.
>
> -----Burton
>
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: discuss-bounces at ntlug.org [mailto:discuss-bounces at ntlug.org]  
> On Behalf
> Of Leroy Tennison
> Sent: Wednesday, October 19, 2005 2:31 AM
> To: NTLUG Discussion List
> Subject: Re: [NTLUG:Discuss] Linux vs FreeBSD
>
> steve wrote:
>
>
>> Leroy Tennison wrote:
>>
>>
>>> Heard good things about FreeBSD today, don't know anything about it.
>>> How does it compare/contrast with Linux?  Just looking for a
>>> high-level overview.  Thanks.
>>>
>>
>>
>> FreeBSD is a kernel - it's a an OpenSourced UNIX derivitive just like
>> Linux - so it's similar to - and largely compatible with - Linux.
>>
>> Since a vast percentage of end user applications are identical under
>> the two OS's, and if they aren't identical, they are at least mostly
>> compatible - and because the windowing systems we use under Linux  
>> also
>> run under FreeBSD, a typical FreeBSD distro can tend to look and feel
>> very similar to a Linux distro - almost to the point of being
>> indistinguishable to the end user.
>>
>> However, there are deep issues where Linux and BSD differ - the
>> architecture of the two systems are very different internally. They
>> also differ in areas of security, system admin and setup.
>>
>> There are other BSD flavors out there too.  NetBSD being another
>> reasonably popular one - aimed more at being lean and slimmed-down,
>> OpenBSD being another whose goals are high security, cryptography,  
>> etc
>> for the ultra-paranoid.
>>
>> Apple's MacOSX uses the FreeBSD kernel - so the Mac is a FreeBSD
>> system.  It appears very different from Linux to the end user because
>> Apple uses their own windowing system and sells their own line of
>> applications software.
>>
>> The various BSD flavors can trace a direct line of descent from the
>> original UNIX kernel - Linux is a from-the-ground-up rewrite.  Linux
>> development is administered in a very different way to BSD.
>>
>> One huge difference (for some people) is the licensing. Linux uses  
>> GPL
>> and LGPL - BSD has it's own licence that basically allows you utter
>> freedom to do anything with the code - including to redistribute it
>> without offering source code.
>>
>> Overall though - if you are just an end user, the differences are
>> somewhat invisible.  Picking the more popular of the two (undoubtedly
>> Linux) gets you a wider range of support and available, ported,
>> applications.
>>
>> However, if you were a sysadmin of a major website or something, you
>> might choose BSD for a myriad of other reasons.
>>
>> If you were someone like Apple - then BSD's simpler licensing  
>> might be
>> attractive.
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> https://ntlug.org/mailman/listinfo/discuss
>>
>> However, there are deep issues where Linux and BSD differ - the
>> architecture of the two systems are very different internally. They
>> also differ in areas of security, system admin and setup.
>>
>
> You left me "hungry", how is the architecture very different and  
> security,
> system admin and setup different?  Again, all I'm looking for is a  
> high
> level.  Thanks.
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> https://ntlug.org/mailman/listinfo/discuss
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> https://ntlug.org/mailman/listinfo/discuss
>
>

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MadHat (at) Unspecific.com, C²ISSP
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