[NTLUG:Discuss] Linux vs FreeBSD

[Leroy Tennison]

MadHat wrote:

> Off topic really.
> Go to FreeBSD.org and read.  Or read one of the many papers on BSD vs  
> Linux.
>
>
> On Oct 19, 2005, at 7:39 AM, Burton Strauss wrote:
>
>> FreeBSD traces itself back to 4.4BSD (AT&T Unix) directly.
>>
>> In those days AT&T gave Universities the source code for Unix, but  
>> wouldn't
>> allow it to be re-released.
>>
>> Berkeley was distributing patches/bug fixes/additional features.   
>> There was
>> a big court case, resolved via a secret settlement.  From that,  AT&T 
>> went on
>> with it's proprietary Unixes and Berkeley released a non-infringing  
>> version,
>> which became known as 4.4BSD.
>>
>> Linux was developed from the SPECIFICATIONS of an 2nd tier Unix clone,
>> Minix.
>>
>>
>> Head over to Groklaw - there are postings of a (now) 19 part series  
>> on the
>> history of Unix.
>>
>> -----Burton
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: discuss-bounces at ntlug.org [mailto:discuss-bounces at ntlug.org]  
>> On Behalf
>> Of Leroy Tennison
>> Sent: Wednesday, October 19, 2005 2:31 AM
>> To: NTLUG Discussion List
>> Subject: Re: [NTLUG:Discuss] Linux vs FreeBSD
>>
>> steve wrote:
>>
>>
>>> Leroy Tennison wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>>> Heard good things about FreeBSD today, don't know anything about it.
>>>> How does it compare/contrast with Linux?  Just looking for a
>>>> high-level overview.  Thanks.
>>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> FreeBSD is a kernel - it's a an OpenSourced UNIX derivitive just like
>>> Linux - so it's similar to - and largely compatible with - Linux.
>>>
>>> Since a vast percentage of end user applications are identical under
>>> the two OS's, and if they aren't identical, they are at least mostly
>>> compatible - and because the windowing systems we use under Linux  also
>>> run under FreeBSD, a typical FreeBSD distro can tend to look and feel
>>> very similar to a Linux distro - almost to the point of being
>>> indistinguishable to the end user.
>>>
>>> However, there are deep issues where Linux and BSD differ - the
>>> architecture of the two systems are very different internally. They
>>> also differ in areas of security, system admin and setup.
>>>
>>> There are other BSD flavors out there too.  NetBSD being another
>>> reasonably popular one - aimed more at being lean and slimmed-down,
>>> OpenBSD being another whose goals are high security, cryptography,  etc
>>> for the ultra-paranoid.
>>>
>>> Apple's MacOSX uses the FreeBSD kernel - so the Mac is a FreeBSD
>>> system.  It appears very different from Linux to the end user because
>>> Apple uses their own windowing system and sells their own line of
>>> applications software.
>>>
>>> The various BSD flavors can trace a direct line of descent from the
>>> original UNIX kernel - Linux is a from-the-ground-up rewrite.  Linux
>>> development is administered in a very different way to BSD.
>>>
>>> One huge difference (for some people) is the licensing. Linux uses  GPL
>>> and LGPL - BSD has it's own licence that basically allows you utter
>>> freedom to do anything with the code - including to redistribute it
>>> without offering source code.
>>>
>>> Overall though - if you are just an end user, the differences are
>>> somewhat invisible.  Picking the more popular of the two (undoubtedly
>>> Linux) gets you a wider range of support and available, ported,
>>> applications.
>>>
>>> However, if you were a sysadmin of a major website or something, you
>>> might choose BSD for a myriad of other reasons.
>>>
>>> If you were someone like Apple - then BSD's simpler licensing  might be
>>> attractive.
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> https://ntlug.org/mailman/listinfo/discuss
>>>
>>> However, there are deep issues where Linux and BSD differ - the
>>> architecture of the two systems are very different internally. They
>>> also differ in areas of security, system admin and setup.
>>>
>>
>> You left me "hungry", how is the architecture very different and  
>> security,
>> system admin and setup different?  Again, all I'm looking for is a  high
>> level.  Thanks.
>>
>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> https://ntlug.org/mailman/listinfo/discuss
>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> https://ntlug.org/mailman/listinfo/discuss
>>
>>
>
> -- 
> MadHat (at) Unspecific.com, C²ISSP
> E786 7B30 7534 DCC2 94D5  91DE E922 0B21 9DDC 3E98
> gpg --keyserver wwwkeys.us.pgp.net --recv-keys 9DDC3E98
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> https://ntlug.org/mailman/listinfo/discuss
>
>
OK, I'll grant that this thread is at best 50% on topic.  I just Googled 
and saw mostly threads with a few articles but no papers.  I'll look a 
little further before pursuing it here.