Window is better than linux

FreeBSD: It might be a better Unix than Linux is - Product Information

Free Unix, in the form of Linux, was one of the top stories of 1998. With an estimated seven to 10 million installations, Linux grabbed the attention of IT shops, the media and even Microsoft. When something comes along that's exciting, growing rapidly and challenging NT, that's news.

What was less heralded in the press is that Linux is not the only free Unix available, nor even necessarily the best. Many Unix veterans will tell you that FreeBSD, Linux's kissing cousin, is their system of choice for Intel boxes. FreeBSD sports some impressive credentials, not the least of which is its direct descent from Berkeley's BSD Unix 4.4 Lite.

Renowned for its solid performance under a heavy load, FreeBSD has been the choice of many an ISP. Among the high-traffic sites powered by FreeBSD are Yahoo.com and Walnut Creek's FTP site -- ftp.cdrom.com -- the busiest public FTP site on the Internet.

So, how are Linux and FreeBSD different?

Overall FreeBSD and Linux are more alike than they are different. Both make extensive use of open-source software, offering many of the same programs and utilities. Both employ the XFree86 X Window system and the GNU C++ compiler. The systems have a similar look and feel, and both OSs outrageously outperform Microsoft operating systems. Adherents from both camps can cite impressive success stories.

The biggest difference between them is how the distributions are developed. While "Linux" is generally taken to be the whole Linux distribution, Linux really only refers to the Linux kernel. The kernel development is controlled by Linus Torvalds and his close circle of developers.

What gets packaged along with kernel becomes the task of each distributor. For this reason, Linux distributions have distinctly different personalities. Red Hat, Caldera, SuSE, Debian and Slackware each offer different flavours of Linux.

In contrast, there is only one official distribution of FreeBSD. Kernel development is similar to Linux, but FreeBSD development goes beyond the kernel itself. The development team works to ensure that both the kernel and all the packages in the distribution are co-ordinated and tested together. This contributes to FreeBSD's reputation for consistency and reliability.

FreeBSD uses CVS (Concurrent Versions System) to manage its releases. This allows the core developers to maintain generic development branches called Release, Stable and Current that all FreeBSD users can access. Because the whole system is unified, upgrading to a new release is more cohesive than with Linux upgrades.

Licensing agreements underscore a philosophical difference between the two systems. Linux has adopted the GNU Public Licence (GPL) that forces developers to distribute source code along with their products. The FreeBSD licence, in contrast, is simpler and freer of political ends.

It allows developers to distribute their work with FreeBSD without distributing source code -- still free, but with more sympathy for developers who wish to protect their assets.

Which free Unix is best for your shop? It depends on your needs and preferences.

Both are excellent, and choosing either is a safe bet. The CD-ROM distributions are so inexpensive you might wish to try out both.

Linux supports a greater range of hardware and brings with it the excitement of being at the leading edge of development. It is generally easier for a Unix novice to get up and running, and there have been some important commercial applications ported to Linux. Distributions such as Red Hat have increased the quality control of Linux to near-FreeBSD standards.

There are numerous books, newsgroups and support sites available.

FreeBSD may be more to your taste if you're a Unix pro and don't need as much hand-holding. FreeBSD tends to be minimalist, not making many assumptions about how you wish to set up your system.

But all the goodies are there if you want them, and FreeBSD can also run most Linux software without a hitch. While there are fewer books and newsgroups available, they're of uniformly high quality.

FreeBSD offers proven high-load performance and a sterling Unix pedigree. And, not to be overlooked, the FreeBSD daemon mascot is way cooler than the Linux penguin.

For additional information on FreeBSD, check www.freebsd.org.

Gene Wilburn is ITS manager at the Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto. He can be reached at genew@rom.on.ca