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Date:      Sun, 23 Mar 2014 18:23:10 -0500
From:      Tim Daneliuk <tundra@tundraware.com>
Cc:        freebsd-stable stable <freebsd-stable@freebsd.org>
Subject:   Re: reason 23 why we've moved to linux
Message-ID:  <532F6CDE.60105@tundraware.com>
In-Reply-To: <m2eh1spns4.wl%randy@psg.com>
References:  <m2iorb1ms8.wl%randy@psg.com>	<532EDDD0.80700@ohlste.in> <m2eh1spns4.wl%randy@psg.com>

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On 03/23/2014 05:12 PM, Randy Bush wrote:
>> Now be honest Randy, and tell us why you started this thread.
>
> in the hope that ports will be made usable before so many people give up
> that critical mass is lost.  a real tragedy if the great freebsd core
> dies because of ports lack of usability.
>


I have run production FreeBSD ever since 2.x.  I also work in an environment
with north of 1000 Linux servers (plus AIX, plus Solaris, plus Windows...)

Guess what?  There is no clear winner here.  RHEL RPM is a nightmare
unless you manage it very carefully.  Yum make is better but you still
have to pay attention.  There's a reason RH strongly encourages the use
of Sat Server.

Debian?  Well apt-get mostly works until it doesn't and you have to paw your
way through key problems and the like.  SuSE?  Ditto.  AIX lpps?
Nice, until you confront a piece of open source they don't support or haven't
upgraded.  Have fun compiling your own version.

Complex systems environments require complex procedures and policies.  The idea
that some technology magically will make this work is absurd.  Moreover,
unlike some random hobbyist desktop (Not That There's Anything Wrong With That),
enterprise class server environments migrate carefully, thoughtfully, only
after reasonable testing, and only if really needed.  On that basis, I can
assure you that the FreeBSD ports system isn't particularly "less usable"
than any commercially supported environment out there and certainly not
linux broadly.  It comes down to what you're willing to do to execute
clean, stable upgrades.

In truth, in almost 2 decades of use both in my own business and by some of
my clients, FreeBSD has shown far less aggravation in this regard than the
Tower Of Babel linux distros have become.  Me?  I don't much care.  The more
screwed up things are, the more opportunities for additional work I find :)



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Tim Daneliuk     tundra@tundraware.com
PGP Key:         http://www.tundraware.com/PGP/




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