[ale] [OT]FreeBSD Resources

[Bob Toxen]

On Wed, Feb 25, 2004 at 10:12:42AM -0500, Geoffrey wrote:
> Bjorn Dittmer-Roche wrote:

> >>>>Bob Toxen <bob at verysecurelinux.com> wrote:


> >>>>>Why?

> >>>>>For 99% of applications BSD has no advantages over Linux.


> >If Bob really believed that they were the same 99% of the time, I don't
> >think he would have said "Why?" in immediate response to the suggestion of
> >using something other than Linux. I don't want to put words in his mouth
> >-- only he can tell us what he meant -- but, intended or not, I think the
> >implication is there that Linux is better than FreeBSD. As a fan of both
> >OSes, I'd just like to know more about possible advantages and
> >disadvantages in case, for example, I'm ever installing a firewall.

> You are putting words in his mouth by making that statement.  If he had 
> meant that Linux is better than he would have said something like:

> For 99% of applications Linux is better than BSD.

> He did not say that.
Thanks Geoffrey!

What I said was that in 99% of the time there is no reason to use BSD
instead of Linux.  With my knowing that Jonathan knows Linux well and he
is asking for help from a Linux group, I was asking him why even bother
with BSD.  His answer was that he wanted to learn more about BSD.

My quote of performance was based on old benchmarks, as I noted.

As for security, I was aware of several recent Linux kernel problems.
I had not heard about the recent BSD problems.  The BSD folks are quick
to harp about Linux problems (kind of like M$) but are mum when they
suffer problems

As for which is better, I find Linux far easier to use and that it supports
far more equipment and this from someone who had 20 years of Unix experience
before getting started with Linux so it wasn't a case of "what you know"!

At this point besides Linux being more sophisticated and better supported,
there are far more people knowledgeable in it and more up-to-date books
and it is less fragmented -- firewalling or CIFS support or Journaling
File Systems on one Linux Distro is the same as another.  The same is not true
between different Unix versions or vendors.

> There's nothing wrong with asking for more information, as in where one 
> is better than the other, but don't change the meaning of what he has 
> stated.
Again, thanks.

> -- 
> Until later, Geoffrey                     Registered Linux User #108567
> Building secure systems inspite of Microsoft

Bob Toxen
bob at verysecurelinux.com               [Please use for email to me]
http://www.verysecurelinux.com        [Network&Linux/Unix security consulting]
http://www.realworldlinuxsecurity.com [My book:"Real World Linux Security 2/e"]
Quality Linux & UNIX security and SysAdmin & software consulting since 1990.

"Microsoft: Unsafe at any clock speed!"
   -- Bob Toxen 10/03/2002