FreeBSD 6.2 review

[Valour]

It's been a long road to recovery, but after years of mediocre releases, and months of delays in the development process, FreeBSD is finally back on its feet with 6.2-RELEASE. Though it is an excellent operating system, even this latest version offers few or no competitive advantages over Solaris or the other BSDs in a server role, and can never hope to compete with commercial GNU/Linux distributions for desktop computers. FreeBSD 6.2 is what FreeBSD 5.0 needed to be, and for those who have already switched to other operating systems, there are few or no compelling reasons to go back.

FreeBSD 6.2 review

[beranger]

Jem, do you have any opinion of PC-BSD?

I usually don't favor derivatives over the original, however PC-BSD has some nice parts.

[Valour]

Originally Posted by beranger

Jem, do you have any opinion of PC-BSD?

I usually don't favor derivatives over the original, however PC-BSD has some nice parts.

I started to test PC-BSD last week, but ran into the same keyboard problems I had with FreeBSD. I didn't figure out how to solve that until I had already set it aside to concentrate on other things (like finishing the FreeBSD review!). I'm going to pick it up again this week and review it, now knowing how to work around the keyboard issue.

[DrkShdw]

Valour,

I see you moved my response to the Hall of Shame thread (http://www.tjrforum.com/showthread.p...1363#post21363) and am curious as to why.

I feel I was very calm and collected in that reply, and took the time to explain things. I'm even willing to remove whatever part you consider to be "flaming" (and hence deeming it appropriate for hall of shame) if you'll move it back to this thread where it is appropriate. I feel you have done the BSD community in general a disservice with the review, and implore you to move my post back into it's deserving thread. I've reread my post, and I don't see any flames, nor personal attacks.. so I don't see any reason for it to have been moved. Again, if you feel otherwise, tell me specifically what parts are flames, and I'll remove them if you'll bring it back to this thread.

Thanks,

Drk


Edit: I see what you may have thought was a flame. the part about being ignorant. rest assured I didn't mean it in a derogatory sense. I'm ignorant of a lot of things. I simply meant it in the "doesn't have a full understanding" aspect. not the "you are a fool" meaning.

Edit2: Thanks for moving it back!

[Valour]

Originally Posted by DrkShdw

Valour,

I see you moved my response to the Hall of Shame thread (http://www.tjrforum.com/showthread.p...1363#post21363) and am curious as to why.

I feel I was very calm and collected in that reply, and took the time to explain things. I'm even willing to remove whatever part you consider to be "flaming" (and hence deeming it appropriate for hall of shame) if you'll move it back to this thread where it is appropriate. I feel you have done the BSD community in general a disservice with the review, and implore you to move my post back into it's deserving thread. I've reread my post, and I don't see any flames, nor personal attacks.. so I don't see any reason for it to have been moved. Again, if you feel otherwise, tell me specifically what parts are flames, and I'll remove them if you'll bring it back to this thread.

Thanks,

Drk

I want this forum to remain an at least mostly polite place where people can feel safe asking technical questions. It can't be that way if people insult one another when they should be addressing specific points or issues. Flamewars make people feel unsafe in a community, and they derail the discussion so that others can't participate. Please keep this in mind in future posts here. You are never forbidden to disagree, but if you come here calling me names and assaulting my credibility, then I can't abide that.

[Valour]

I think perhaps you have not been properly educated in the practice of reading reviews. I will refer you to this guide that I wrote on the matter: http://www.thejemreport.com/mambo/content/view/290/

[DrkShdw]

Originally Posted by Valour

I will refer you to this guide that I wrote on the matter: http://www.thejemreport.com/mambo/content/view/290/

I'm not sure if you directed me to that link because you have nothing to debunk my comments above, or if it's because you've had people in the past rebute your methodology with justifciation.

perhaps you have not been properly educated

Holy, pot calling the kettle black much? Regardless, I'll make this my last post as I feel I'm wasting my time. I'm reminded of the "arguing on the internet" quip that became popular a little while back.

- Drk

[cuny]

May I specify I just registered specifically to obtain the privilege of replying this thread (and waited for so long) so please pay a little attention. Thank you in advance.

I stumbled upon this review and felt a bit disoriented.
I'm new to the open source world and used Ubuntu for six months, now I'm on PC-BSD since six more.

To me open source didn't even exist until a friend of mine made me try the ubuntu live CD and I then felt in love with the ideology, the mindset and the security of the thing!
I'm using PC-BSD just because the "friend of mine" introduced me to install it because of the PBI package installation technology so I don't know about the infamous FreeBSD 5.x series but I tried, just for learning purposes, to install the 6.2 version myself on an old PIII.

I can't tell what differences are there between Debian, Red Hat and BSD's unless I read them in REVIEWS LIKE YOURS!

And, as far as I can argue, you Valour and DrkShdw both seem to be right. Often "truth lies in the middle" and, even if I feel FreeBSD difficult to say the least, I too think you should look more deeply at it because It's truly a matter of philosophy.

To reply to the "What's FreeBSD point now?" debate, I'd say the key lies into the nature of the BSD license itself.
It surely can be the "Linux" of the UNIX world which would mean a really open, flexible, various and potentially endless platform for whatver you want. "Free" standing for total freedom in the fist place.
The BSD license allows it to differenciate from GNU/GPL operative systems because it really can become a commercial/enterprise secure and performing multi-purpose cost effective platform. Both for servers both for desktop as it features an unprecedented collection of programs, an outstanding compatibility, an all-inclusive infrastructure and a professionally helpful documentation and unmatchable UNIX long-time proven qualty.

Speaking of myself, I find the exclusive PBI technology of the modern FreeBSD based desktop environment PC-BSD and the capability of integrating multi-million proprietary commercial software can seriously make the difference in the big numbers market.

To conclude, I find that the blend of free open-minded and professional attitudes that can be found in FreeBSD can be a real winner in this world made of many different and specific needs.
I think we could foresee a very bright and exciting future to this open-source, high-capability Operative System (or Infrastracture allow me to say) as I wish it to all al you, my unknown open source fellows.

Thank you very much for having spent some of your precious time for this!

[Valour]

I have other, more important things to do than continue to argue with you, and you've said so many ridiculous things that it would take a long time to properly respond. Secondly, I am not at all convinced that anything I say to you will not be turned back at me to suggest that FreeBSD is always right and users are always wrong, so rather than waste my time, I'm referring you to the standard article for people who are upset that I did not glorify their favorite product. You really should read it.

[BSDBoy]

Jem,

We are not looking for glorification, but we are expecting competency and humility.

BSBBoy