On Wednesday, 8 November 2017 at 11:47:32 UTC, Jonathan M Davis
wrote:
Oh, I'm all for using FreeBSD, but most of the arguments for
using FreeBSD over Windows apply to Linux. And if you can't get
someone to switch from Windows to Linux, you're not going to
get them to switch to FreeBSD. FreeBSD and Linux are definitely
different, but the differences are small when compared with
Windows.
Except, that Linux/GNU is basically a clone of a clone.
BSD is...just BSD..from which all the clones are made ;-)
More importantly, is the GPL vs BSD licence thing.
If you examine GPL code, and think..mmm..that looks good, I might
use it in my app....then you're in trouble is you distribute that
app without also distributing your code.
BSD gives you 'genuine freedom' to use the code as you see fit -
just don't try claiming that you wrote it, or you'll be in
trouble.
There is also the 'distribution' thing...FreeBSD is a single,
managed, complete distrbution. Linux is just a kernel. It's
combined with various GNU stuff to make up a distribution, and
most distrubtions make their own little changes here and there,
and you never really know what's going on. With FreeBSD there is
only the FreeBSD distribution.
So there maybe similiarities between FreeBSD and Linux/GNU, but
their differences are really significant and warrant attention.
Oddly enough, whatever draws me to FreeBSD, also draws me to D -
I'm still not sure what it is...but the word 'freedom' keeps
coming to mind. I cannot say that for Linux as much. I cannot say
that for golang. They offer freedom, and at the same time setup
out to restrict it.
