On Fri, Jul 1, 2011 at 8:13 PM, Mayuresh <[email protected]> wrote: > I don't intend to start any BSD/Linux or anything vs anything flame. > > There is ample material on such comparison on the web some of which I > have browsed through. > > If somebody has used any of the BSD systems (FreeBSD or NetBSD), I'd have > just liked to know the experience with them, any significant advantages or > pain areas felt etc. > > I am a largely command line user, never use any feature rich desktop > manager. I use a regular x86 desktop computer / laptop. For such a usage > profile and hardware, which flavor of BSD will be good to use? [...]
I use OpenBSD (and nothing else). Have been using it for about 4 yrs. now, and it does everything what I want it to do. I know you don't have it in the above list, but since it is a "secure sibling" of the BSDs' you mention, I thought you may be interested. If you want to run a "secure" machine, OpenBSD is for you. Some interesting features (I am not going to bore you with common stuff, but things that make it stand out): * installs in 10 minutes flat on a standard laptop/desktop - most painless install if you give it the entire disk. * runs in "secure by default" mode, which enables only ssh, and disables remote root logins (the ps ax listing occupies less than 1 terminal page). * focus is primarily on security and correctness - including the man pages and the docs they produce. code in the man pages can be "copied and used as-is". Uses strong crypto and never had any export restrictions, since it gets developed and distributed from Canada. * does have X, default window manager being FVWM. * uses no "blobs" - binary-only drivers for hardware from the manufacturer. developers write drivers using specs. so h/w that has closed specs may not have a driver. the only binary they accept is the firmware on the h/w device. * has primitive or no support for latest and greatest cutting/bleeding edge technologies like logical volume manager, and a lot of other bells and whistles linux has. focus is more in improving what you already have, than adding a lot of new and untested things. * ports system has ~6000 ports (compare with more than 22K for FreeBSD). * developers write code for themselves. typical mentality is "shut-up and hack", and the mailing list is considered to be very rude by many. A lot of emphasis is on RTFM, rather than stupid newbie questions (this turns-off most folks who want to make a switch to OpenBSD). To summarize, you either get OpenBSD, or you don't. Take your pick. :-) -Amarendra _______________________________________ Pune GNU/Linux Users Group Mailing List
