[Info-vax] systemd boycott call was: Re: Why so much Unix envy?

[Bill Gunshannon]

In article <11d4f87f-f52d-4ba8-99d8-f4e793c4aadd at googlegroups.com>,
	wendellxe at yahoo.com writes:
> On Tuesday, September 9, 2014 10:04:58 PM UTC-7, terry+go... at tmk.com wrote:
>> > haven't liked the un-Unix-like evolution of Linux for some time, but 
>> > moving away from it is generally unfeasible.
>>
>> I've been using FreeBSD for years and years...
>> FreeBSD supports a reasonably large set of hardware...

We have been using BSD (mostly FreeBSD) here since SunOS was killed and
Solaris was a piece of crap.

> I agree with you. To avoid confusion, I should specify server vs. workstation use. If I were only concerned with servers, I might just switch to *BSD. My comment regarding Linux was motivated by its prevalence in technical computing, where you have a much wider variety of hardware and a vast, Windows/Linux tool ecosystem.

While we periodically put up Linux Systems for short term use for special
projects, we are mostly Windows and FreeBSD.  And I have used FreeBSD on
the desktop and it works as well as Linux and runs on most of the various
laptops I have floating around.  At the moment, all of my non-Windows
laptops have different versions of Linux Desktop on them but that was for
aparticular demonstration project and they are not used in production.

All that FreeBSD really lacks from being a viable desktop is a decent
install.  :-(

> I'm now even seeing systemd supporters saying that if you don't like it, you should just leave Linux and go to FreeBSD. But if your shop has a large knowledge investment in Linux, there is a natural reluctance to start supporting an additional OS.

But we are talking about Linux making a major change that would invalidate
a lot of that knowledge while it would still be very close to the BSD way
of doing things.

> There is another factor to consider regarding FreeBSD, which is the nature of the community. Why was FreeBSD with its cohesive development model and (initial) technical superiority so dramatically trounced by Linux in industrial acceptance? I believe a major factor was a pervasive "we are so special" attitude. (Not that Linux fanboys aren't bad.) Really, I can't hang out in a FreeBSD forum for long before getting the urge to distance myself. So, partly for the attitude and partly for the clean design, I'd rather go with OpenBSD. (Yeah, a bit of attitude there, too.)

I have always found the lack of BSD dominance to be caused by something
everyone here is already very familiar with.  Lack of marketing.  Ever
see a BSD magazine?  Ever see a BSD conference? (Well, we used to have
USENIX but that was never specifically BSD and I expect what is left of
it is mostly Linux today.)

> Although comp.os.vms has its curmudgeons, it is relatively well focused on just getting work done and avoiding that sort of egotism.

You're joking, right?

bill

-- 
Bill Gunshannon          |  de-moc-ra-cy (di mok' ra see) n.  Three wolves
billg999 at cs.scranton.edu |  and a sheep voting on what's for dinner.
University of Scranton   |
Scranton, Pennsylvania   |         #include <std.disclaimer.h>