Comparison between linux and BSD-type systems

[tom]

Greets Mel, List;

Mel Roman <melroman at canada.com> wrote:

>Hi:

Hi:


>I've been using linux for a while now (previously Caldera, and now Mandrake).  
>I've been doing a little investigation concerning FreeBSD and OpenBSD 
>(alternative unix-like operating systems).  I haven't yet found an objective 
>comparison between the two.  I know this is a linux forum, but I was wondering 
>if someone could provide an informed comparison between the linux and 
>BSD-type systems:
>
>What are their relative strengths and weaknesses compared to each other?
>
>In what roles might one be preferred over the other?  Why?  
>
>Do they really occupy different niches, or are they competing systems?
>
>I look forward to everyone's opinion.

Here's mine then;

First off, between FreeBSD, NetBSD, and OpenBSD ( which I currently
use ).

FREEBSD has tcsh installed as /bin/csh.  NETBSD and OpenBSD do not.
OPENBSD can encrypt swap. FREEBSD and NETBSD can't.
NETBSD can run on a COBALT Qube2. OPENBSD and FREEBSD can't.

LINUX can utilize a variety of Filesystems, *BSD's can utilize
only a limited number


OPENBSD now uses PF.  FreeBSD and NETBSD cannot, and they use
  IPF ( due to licensing, Theo has opted to drop IPF entirely ).

OPENBSD has sendmail set up via cron to mail root about system
integrity every 30 minutes on default, and the mailserver is
setup to listen strictly to the loopback port at 127.0.0.1.
FreeBSD, and as far as I know not many Linux distributions
have this setup.

Linux utilizes a variety of security filters as the code has
changed ( kernel 2.0 > ipfwadm; kernel 2.2 > ipchains; 
kernel 2.4 > IPTABLES/NETFILTER ).  *BSD's do not use any of
these filters.

FREEBSD is by far more heavily documented, user friendly, and
easier to set up. OpenBSD by default is a locked down system, with
the administrator being responsible to open/install/patch services
when needed.  

OPENBSD has an uptodate man page database, and it is located on the
website.   It is by far more current than any Linux distro's
'info' or 'man pages' or even the 'HOW-TO' documentation.

Compared to Linux, *BSD's update employing the CVS more heavily 
than even linux, utilizing 'ports packaging'.   Linux distro's
use rpm, the Debains package system, or direct source.

Application Source Code is also more troublesome on BSD, since
compared to Linux the code is not based on GNU/GPL, but on
the original AT&T Unix C code.  Therefore, there is not as much
software available for *BSD, especially OpenBSD, as compared
to Linux ( say 75X ).  BSD's are heavily POSIX complient, whereas
some Linux applications are not.

Syntax/abilities of common commands between Linux and *BSD is
subtle, but very very different.  For example: You cannot run 'top -s'
in *BSD, as you would Linux.  There is no '-s' option, or even
an option of a secure form of top in existance for *BSD.

Caldera employs System V init scripts ( these are start up scripts
like 'S10network' which exist in subdirectories of /etc/rc.d/
rc.0, rc.1->rc.5 ). You  stop/start/restart processes from
performing /etc/rc.d/init/<daemon> stop.  In BSD, this is not
the case.  You will, I think, miss it :)

BSD's use a BSD style init script scheme, where everything is run
from a script, within rc.init file from within /etc/.  There
are not a lot of individual scripts to start/stop processes, and
therefore, you must in most cases send a SIGHHUP, or KILL to
a PID to stop a process.  

The closest comparision to this form of scripting is Slackware
Linux.  It also uses BSD init scripts, but not as heavily as
BSD does.

X is not installed by default on BSD.  Furthermore, there are
libraries and other dependancies that are required for X to 
be installed on the target system before X can be 'configured'.

To date, there is no graphical system for OpenBSD, nor will
there be.  The installation system is somewhat tedious and
not very 'friendly' for those not familair with OpenBSD 
installer.  It's numbering scheme is somewhat mixed up when
installing on i386 systems. 

To shorten this up a bit, the last item about OpenBSD, is
that the root partition can only be installed on the first
8 GB of the first harddisk.  Everything else can be located
elsewhere, but if OPENBSD does not have root located there
( and therefore it's kernel ), it will never, ever, boot.


Hope this helps



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