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Date:      Fri, 9 Jul 1999 11:42:07 -0500 (CDT)
From:      "M. L. Dodson" <bdodson@beowulf.utmb.edu>
To:        Nate <publisher@laptop.ompages.com>
Cc:        gkshenaut@ucdavis.edu, questions@FreeBSD.ORG
Subject:   Re: FreeLinux (Debian/GNU BSD)
Message-ID:  <199907091642.LAA14373@beowulf.utmb.edu>
In-Reply-To: <19990709091714.C973@laptop.ompages.com>
References:  <199907091429.HAA25261@deal1.bogs.org> <19990709091714.C973@laptop.ompages.com>

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Hey folks, the charter of this list is to answer questions about
FreeBSD, not discuss some Debian/Linux issue.  If you really want
FreeBSD user input, take it to the freebsd-chat list.  Since the
original poster had a question, I'll venture a prediction of the
answer: "Not many".

Nate writes:
 > GO AGS!
 > 
 > I'm a UCD alum.  Now I'm a law student in Sacramento.  Cool.
 > 
 > I'll be going to the Linux Users Group of Davis next Tuesday.
 > 
 > See http://www.lugod.org for time and place.
 > 
 > First off, if you are really interested in this project, you 
 > should take a look at the mailing list archives at www.debian.org.
 > 
 > There was a pretty long thread a few months ago, where debian
 > linux developers discussed incorporating the the FreeBSD kernel
 > into the debian software distribution.
 > 
 > There is already Debian/GNU Linux, and Debian/GNU HURD.  I believe
 > there may be people working on this now.  I for one, would welcome
 > a debian distribution based on the freebsd kernel.
 > 
 > I've used both freebsd and debian linux and I see the following problems
 > with each.
 > 
 > 1. FreeBSD's kernel kicks ass, but the ports system is not nearly
 > as sophisticated as the debian .deb package format.
 > 

Actually, Linux (at least SMP) is the ak winner (speedwise) at
this time (a hopefully soon to be rectified situation), and you
will get a _lot_ of disagreement on your second point from people
on this list.

 > 2. Debian Linux's package format kicks ass, but the linux kernel
 > is not nearly as stable as the freebsd kernel (IMHO).  If we could combine
 > the .deb package format with the freebsd kernel, I do believe one would
 > have absolutely the most stable, most versatile, most sophisticated
 > operating system on the whole damn planet.  If you are a developer
 > (I'm not so I've settled on debian, but I monitor freebsd's progress),
 > I do not believe it would be too monumental of a task to port debian
 > packages over to freebsd's kernel.  I would probably be a simple matter
 > of recompiling the packages and altering a few debian .diff files. I would
 > help if I had some guidance, (cause I have 5 computers so I have machines
 > to compile on).  If you are interested, lets get something going. I live
 > only 20 miles away from you and we could meet at lugod meetings.
 > 
 > I'm going to forward this message over to the debian lists...
 > 
 > Hope to hear from you soon.
 > 
 > nate
 > 
 > On Fri, Jul 09, 1999 at 07:29:31AM -0700, Greg Shenaut wrote:
 > > I've not used Linux, but I've been told that there is considerable
 > > difference among the several principal variants.  Once a bunch of
 > > user software has been installed over the net, from the user's
 > > point of view (and to some extent, the adminstrator's), is FreeBSD
 > > more or less different from the Linux variants as they are from
 > > each other?  And if the answer is that they are all pretty similar,
 > > then perhaps a customized version of FreeBSD could be prepared that
 > > emphasizes the similarities, distributed as FreeLinux or LinuxBSD.
 > > (I'm thinking in terms of a FreeBSD kernel with a Linux API in
 > > front, a reshuffled directory hierarchy, and several of the more
 > > prominent Linux applications--sort of a Linux emulation on steroids.)
 > > 
 > > Why?  You ask, "Why?!"
 > > 
 > > I'm curious as to how many users would be attracted to a product
 > > incorporating the "Linux" handle, plus greater out-of-the box Linux
 > > compatibility, compared to more or less the same thing without it.
 > > 
 > > After all,
 > >     What's in a name? That which we call a rose
 > >     By any other name would smell as sweet.
 > > 
 > > -Greg Shenaut
 > > 
 > > 

[deleta]

-- 
M. L. Dodson                                bdodson@scms.utmb.edu
409-772-2178                                FAX: 409-772-1790


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