Re: *BSD

[Jonathan <j.e.drews@worldnet.att.net>]

On Thu, 2004-03-11 at 18:58, Harold Crouch wrote:
> I know that I'm opening a hugemongous can of worms here, but I just
> can't seem to help myself...

No -- I have great confidence that our fellow list members will not go
bonkers in a flame war.

> Jonathan, what exactly is it about *BSD that makes it, for your needs,
> superior to Linux?  What does it do that Linux can't do (or can't do
> as well)?  

Ok this is why I like *BSD (including my new found affection for NetBSD
)

This is just my opinion (I stress IMHO):

1) Every idea becomes a commentary on some other idea so it's a good
thing to learn about other paradigms.
  a) FreeBSD and NetBSD are just alternate "distros". You study them to
     be able to get good insights into Debian or Fedora (and vice 
     versa). 
  b) *BSD is descended from UNIX code. Linux is a new implementation of
     UNIX that does not use the original AT&T code. This is according
     to Greg Lehey. Again you use one to learn about the other.
  c) You do this for the same reason old time scholars studied Latin.
     It's true that Latin is not used any more but many romance 
     languages use Latin cognates or derivatives. Knowing Latin (*BSD)
     helps you to understand the modern languages (Fedora, Debian) 
     better.

2) NetBSD and FreeBSD reinforce UNIX paradigms. Let me explain:
a) When you operate Windows you are just using the software.
   When you use Fedora, Debian or *BSD you *are* the sys admin.
   Big difference here; in one case your are operating an appliance.
   In the other you are encouraged (required) to become self reliant.
   I don't say that to offend the Windows people here but it is true. 
   Open source, and *BSD especially, stresses the need to acquire the
   ability to know how to know. You have to become a self learner.

    Let me give an example. When the FDA required a backup server for
   it's scientific instruments, we invited software companies to give 
   bids on solutions. We invited the windows companies and three open
   source companies, namely KSPEI, PCXperience, and a FreeBSD provider
   named Day Light enterprises. All the windows vendors wanted us to
   sign contracts for every little detail. On the other hand, *all* the
   open source bidders stressed the following point: "you need not rely
   on anyone. We will instruct your people so that they can be
   autonomous". Amazing difference! This is why I asked in a previous
   e-mail, in response to a Windows like GUI dialer, if what newbies 
   wanted was a free version of Windows or an Open Source UNIX.

 b) To install *BSD is to become part of an open source community. I
    know that may be hard to believe. However in due time you are almost
    compelled to become part of this *BSD community. In *BSD no one is a
    bystander.

3) The *BSD's accentuate the differences between doing things the UNIX
   way as opposed to doing things the Windows way.
 a) The Windows way is to have this easily perceived interface that
    ultimately becomes very laborious to use. Namely copy and paste huge
    amounts of data with a mouse. Worse yet: print out reams of copy
    from one computer and then go to another and retype it all back in
    again.
 b) The UNIX way of doing things is much harder to learn but the end
    result is much better. Namely, identify laborious tasks and then 
    write scripts to do them. In so far as possible, those scripts are
    triggered by At or CRON jobs.
 d) Windows is an appliance you operate; UNIX operates as a computer
    should. autonomously and without intervention. 


This is the main merit to learning the *BSD's. To argue whether ports or
pkgsrc is better than apt_get or yum is silly. 

 I will give some great links on UNIX stuff later. I am off to bed for
now.





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