From owner-freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG Sun Sep 10 15:57:07 2006 Return-Path: X-Original-To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Delivered-To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Received: from mx1.FreeBSD.org (mx1.freebsd.org [216.136.204.125]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 498A416A412 for ; Sun, 10 Sep 2006 15:57:07 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from rjhjr@cox.net) Received: from eastrmmtao05.cox.net (eastrmmtao05.cox.net [68.230.240.34]) by mx1.FreeBSD.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id A181843D45 for ; Sun, 10 Sep 2006 15:57:06 +0000 (GMT) (envelope-from rjhjr@cox.net) Received: from eastrmimpo02.cox.net ([68.1.16.120]) by eastrmmtao05.cox.net (InterMail vM.6.01.06.01 201-2131-130-101-20060113) with ESMTP id <20060910155706.TOPN7951.eastrmmtao05.cox.net@eastrmimpo02.cox.net> for ; Sun, 10 Sep 2006 11:57:06 -0400 Received: from localhost ([68.230.186.138]) by eastrmimpo02.cox.net with bizsmtp id Lfwt1V00C2zbV0s0000000 Sun, 10 Sep 2006 11:56:54 -0400 Date: Sun, 10 Sep 2006 11:57:05 -0400 From: Bob Hall To: Free BSD Questions list Message-ID: <20060910155704.GA49622@kongemord.krig.net> Mail-Followup-To: Bob Hall , Free BSD Questions list References: <20060910125631.GA29818@teddy.fas.com> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Disposition: inline In-Reply-To: <20060910125631.GA29818@teddy.fas.com> User-Agent: Mutt/1.4.2.1i Subject: Re: Top behavior differences X-BeenThere: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5 Precedence: list List-Id: User questions List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Sun, 10 Sep 2006 15:57:07 -0000 On Sun, Sep 10, 2006 at 08:56:31AM -0400, stan wrote: > Can someone explain to me why top's handling of multi processor > status display is different on FreeBSD, than it is on Linux? Open source started with the concept of individuals hacking the source code to get the features they want. The commericial ideal of users paying for features they want was replaced by the ideal of users doing the work to create the features they want. Open source has evolved into the concept of many users getting a free ride as a relatively small number of open source programmers do the work for them, without pay. Possible reasons why open source software X doesn't have feature Y: 1) The people who created X weren't interested in feature Y. Since they were doing unpaid work, they created the features they were interested in. 2) The core code of X was written before the technological advance that made feature Y useful, and no one has needed feature Y badly enough to add it to X. 3) The creators of X didn't think of feature Y, and no one has gotten in touch with the maintainers to suggest it. 4) Only one or two people want feature Y, and the amount of work necessary to add it to X greatly exceeds the benefit of providing a feature for one or two people. Also, no one has contacted the maintainers of X to ask how much it would cost to change their minds about this. 5) No one wants feature Y badly enough to devote the necessary free time to learn the skills and do the work necessary to create it. Since it's not high on anyone's list of things to do in their spare time, everyone has chosen to wait until it moves to the top of someone else's list of things to do in their spare time.