Comments on: More FreeBSD Stuff http://austringer.net/wp/index.php/2006/05/28/more-freebsd-stuff/ Wesley R. Elsberry's personal weblog, talking about falconry, science, antievolution, computation, and the broken body he lives in. Tue, 07 Feb 2012 21:25:08 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Austringer http://austringer.net/wp/index.php/2006/05/28/more-freebsd-stuff/comment-page-1/#comment-17895 Austringer Wed, 31 May 2006 19:07:22 +0000 http://austringer.net/wp/?p=296#comment-17895 My experience with the FreeBSD ports system, which compiles applications from source, is that is is uncommon for an up-to-date port to fail to compile, install, and run. The ports system automatically figures out the dependencies and will install those, too. Back in 1993, I plugged Linux on my bulletin board as a capable Unix for the i386 architecture. I still have a Linux 0.95a floppy disk boot set. So in 1996, when i wanted to set up a server of my own at TAMUG, I naturally got the latest Linux and tried to make it go. It just didn't happen. My friend Marc sent me a FreeBSD 2.1.5 install disk. Within two hours, I had a fully installed and working system, with email and web server running.That was an eye opener. My experience with the FreeBSD ports system, which compiles applications from source, is that is is uncommon for an up-to-date port to fail to compile, install, and run. The ports system automatically figures out the dependencies and will install those, too.

Back in 1993, I plugged Linux on my bulletin board as a capable Unix for the i386 architecture. I still have a Linux 0.95a floppy disk boot set. So in 1996, when i wanted to set up a server of my own at TAMUG, I naturally got the latest Linux and tried to make it go. It just didn’t happen. My friend Marc sent me a FreeBSD 2.1.5 install disk. Within two hours, I had a fully installed and working system, with email and web server running.That was an eye opener.

]]> By: Matthew http://austringer.net/wp/index.php/2006/05/28/more-freebsd-stuff/comment-page-1/#comment-17854 Matthew Wed, 31 May 2006 00:13:35 +0000 http://austringer.net/wp/?p=296#comment-17854 I used to have Fedora (from Red Hat) on my computer and loved it. The load time was spectacular. Loading the computer was only comparable to Windows (a little faster, I believe), but the loading of applications was much, much better. and the computer never gets busy and slows down. The reason I don't still use it is 1) compatibility issues with hardware. I think this can vary depending on which unix-like package you pick, but I had some issues. Some of them I was able to resolve, but it took me a lot of work to do so. Some of them I wasn't, and I'm pretty sure it just wasn't going to happen. Also there is a problem of installing anything as being a major pain. If it's not available as RPMs it's almost worthless to even try. I don't know how many times I tried to compile something and I found out it needed dependencies. Then those dependencies needed dependencies and so forth towards infinite regression. Nevertheless, there was always some problem and my experience of successful compiles was like 10%. I used to have Fedora (from Red Hat) on my computer and loved it. The load time was spectacular. Loading the computer was only comparable to Windows (a little faster, I believe), but the loading of applications was much, much better. and the computer never gets busy and slows down.

The reason I don’t still use it is 1) compatibility issues with hardware. I think this can vary depending on which unix-like package you pick, but I had some issues. Some of them I was able to resolve, but it took me a lot of work to do so. Some of them I wasn’t, and I’m pretty sure it just wasn’t going to happen. Also there is a problem of installing anything as being a major pain. If it’s not available as RPMs it’s almost worthless to even try. I don’t know how many times I tried to compile something and I found out it needed dependencies. Then those dependencies needed dependencies and so forth towards infinite regression. Nevertheless, there was always some problem and my experience of successful compiles was like 10%.

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