Date: Wed, 17 Jun 2020 14:42:46 -0300 From: Mario Lobo <lobo@bsd.com.br> To: "freebsd-questions@freebsd.org" <freebsd-questions@freebsd.org> Subject: Re: Why does FreeBSD not use the Linux kernel? Message-ID: <CA%2ByoEx-xY5DsaVZrNAoCmVtcPkgJxbsCyk8nWso9WWZdy5zbug@mail.gmail.com> In-Reply-To: <20200617141857.b208232a.freebsd@edvax.de> References: <3a48ab1ab198c330400be3e942f921f2cd3c3e11.camel@tom.com> <20200617141857.b208232a.freebsd@edvax.de>
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On Wed, Jun 17, 2020 at 9:19 AM Polytropon <freebsd@edvax.de> wrote: > On Wed, 17 Jun 2020 11:33:25 +0800, kindu smith wrote: > > Why does FreeBSD not use the Linux kernel? The structure of FreeBSD is > > very good, such as the startup and directory structure, and the user > > island program. The only shortcoming is poor hardware support. This is > > mainly due to the lack of drivers provided by the kernel. > > While there are certain basic drivers in the kernel, the > majority of drivers is provided by loadable kernel modules, > either developed by the FreeBSD team itself, or available > from the ports collection. They use interfaces provided by > the kernel. > > NB: Terminus technicus: "userland". :-) > > > > > The Linux > > kernel is assisted by developers around the world. Changing to the > > Linux kernel can make up for this shortcoming. For the system > > architecture, package management pkg, and user island programs can > > still use the original FreeBSD. > > But in fact, that wouldn't be FreeBSD anymore. > > When we say "Linux", we usually refer to a "GNU/Linux distribution", > which means the Linux kernel + GNU userland + preinstalled and > preconfigured packages, depending on the distribution's choice. > The problem that occurs when FreeBSD is deprived of the FreeBSD > kernel and it is replaced by the Linux kernel is that the result > is no longer FreeBSD: It's a something/Linux. That "something" > would be... yes, what would it be? FreeBSD userland that no > longer works because the Linux kernel is not compatible? > > By the way, there was (is?) a GNU/kFreeBSD project where a GNU > userland is combined with a FreeBSD kernel. Interesting, isn't > it? Assuming that the FreeBSD kernel is so "inferior"... ;-) > > > > > Among the unix-like systems, the most popular except macos is ubuntu. > > This does not mean that ubuntu is good enough. > > In my opinion, it is _exactly_ the proof that Ubuntu is good > enough. :-) > > > > > It is still very poor > > compared to archlinux and other distros. > > Depends. Arch Linux is not designed for novice users primarily. > While it offers a Linux experience that is, more or less, quite > comparable to a UNIX experience, it's not what "Joe Q. Sixpack" > would expect - "too complicated"; this is where Ubuntu delivers > a much more welcoming experience. > > > > > But it is still the most > > popular because it takes a road from users, servers, to the cloud. > > FreeBSD is a multi-purpose operating system; it is _one_ OS to > be used in appliances, desktops, laptops, servers, VMs ("cloud > instances"), and you don't have to choose a different "distribution" > if you want to move from one field of application to the other. > In my experience, only the "lower level Linusi" offer such a > wide range of possibilities, while "advanced Linusi" are already > taylored to fit exactly one of those fields mentioned above. > So the Ubuntu that you run on your home laptop is hardly suitable > to run as a "cloud instance" to process heavy database load. > > > > > That > > is to first increase the user's utilization rate, then increase the > > popularity, and then seek the popularity of the server and cloud > > fields. > > Isn't that basically the same way FreeBSD also goes? > > > > > I think the reason why FreeBSD has reduced the number of users is > > because it does not take care of the experience of ordinary users, and > > it takes the opposite path from a server, cloud to users. > > As I mentioned, this doesn't seem to be the case. However, you > can hardly tell anything about the number of people who use > FreeBSD. It's quite possible that the Linux system you're using > that the moment on your home PC (assumption) connects to the > Internet using a device that runs FreeBSD - and you don't know > about it! So it's quite possible (but cannot really be proven) > that the "usage share" (derived from "market share") is much > higher than one might think. > > As with any operating system, users and admins are involved. > Especially admins choose FreeBSD for specific reasons, and > if you ask for those reasons, they can explain them in a > technical way, rather than just "No Sir, I don't like it.", > and sometimes they will choose FreeBSD over Linux for valid > reasons. They do so because they judge from a technical point > of view, instead of looking at the shiny packaging paper. :-) > > > > > Positioning > > such an excellent operating system as just server usage has greatly > > reduced its popularity. > > Again, I don't think this is correct. FreeBSD has been > positioned for decades as a multi-purpose OS, and has been > in use as such for many many years. > > Trying to simply exchange the kernel doesn't lead anywhere, > I would say. > > > > -- > Polytropon > Magdeburg, Germany > Happy FreeBSD user since 4.0 > Andra moi ennepe, Mousa, ... > _______________________________________________ > freebsd-questions@freebsd.org mailing list > https://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions > To unsubscribe, send any mail to " > freebsd-questions-unsubscribe@freebsd.org" > Poly; Your politeness, articulation and reasoning commands agreement. +1 to everything you said. -- Mario Lobo http://www.mallavoodoo.com.br FreeBSD since version 2.2.8 [not Pro-Audio.... YET!!]
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