From owner-freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG Mon Jan 26 03:42:58 2004 Return-Path: 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 7803016A4CE for ; Mon, 26 Jan 2004 03:42:58 -0800 (PST) Received: from mintaka.emea.mci.com (mintaka.wcom.co.uk [193.131.254.155]) by mx1.FreeBSD.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 6777E43D2D for ; Mon, 26 Jan 2004 03:42:56 -0800 (PST) (envelope-from philip.payne@uk.mci.com) Received: from sirius.emea.mci.com ([166.59.189.29] helo=sirus.emea.mci.com) by mintaka.emea.mci.com with esmtp (Exim 4.20) id 1Al58o-00021a-KA for freebsd-questions@freebsd.org; Mon, 26 Jan 2004 11:42:54 +0000 Received: from ocampa.wcom.co.uk ([166.59.189.250] helo=ocampa.emea.mci.com) by sirus.emea.mci.com with esmtp (Exim 4.12) id 1Al58I-0002x8-00; Mon, 26 Jan 2004 11:42:22 +0000 Received: from [170.127.79.25] (helo=gblon1exch06.uk.mcilink.com) by ocampa.emea.mci.com with esmtp (Exim 4.14) id 1Al58H-0004AJ-N1; Mon, 26 Jan 2004 11:42:21 +0000 Received: by gblon1exch06.uk.mcilink.com with Internet Mail Service (5.5.2653.19) id ; Mon, 26 Jan 2004 11:41:47 -0000 Message-ID: From: Philip Payne To: Jeff Elkins , freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Date: Mon, 26 Jan 2004 11:41:41 -0000 MIME-Version: 1.0 X-Mailer: Internet Mail Service (5.5.2653.19) Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" X-Spam-Score: 0.0 (/) X-Scanner: exiscan for exim4 (http://duncanthrax.net/exiscan/) *1Al58I-0002x8-00*Z0LNpZOiOE.* Subject: RE: Why BSD? X-BeenThere: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.1 Precedence: list List-Id: User questions List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Mon, 26 Jan 2004 11:42:58 -0000 > This is not a troll. > > I've installed FreeBSD 5.2 on a spare SCSI drive and am > compiling kernels, > updating ports, etc,etc. Thus far, other than some minor > hassles, it's > equivilent to my Debian sid. > > I have to ask: Why FreeBSD rather than Linux? My personal experience. 4 years ago I had never installed a UNIX like OS, however I am an engineer so I read the manual first. I tried to find a coherent set of documentation in regards to Linux but because it is a huge munge of lots of different projects (Kernel, GNU, packages the distro has decided to add, everything else you actually need manually built by you) there is nothing coherent. I found a lot of arguments about licencing, source over binary, what should be in a distro and what shouldn't. Those arguments are still going on today. A friend pointed me a www.freebsd.org and loe-and-behold instructions on how to install and use the OS. Since then, I have never had to stray far from that site or this email list. - I have never experienced a failed system upgrade other than my own stupidity. - I have never experienced a system hang other than using alpha/beta software manually installed. - I have never been unable to install a port unless it was broken. - If that were'nt reason enough, I also can upgrade the whole thing once a month with NO pain. I guess this is a reflection of the managed, controlled environment under which system and ports are developed for FreeBSD. I guess what I'm saying is... it's dependable environment and I'm not just talking about the software. Phil.