ibm just loves netBSD!!!

**capybara** · 12-12-2006, 02:09 PM

this article is from ibm developerworks, the writer is
hugely flattering of netBSD
http://www-128.ibm.com/developerwork...au-netbsd.html
if ur thinkg of trying a bsd distro, this should put a bee in ur bonnet

**tuxette** · 01-13-2007, 07:52 PM

The article focuses on NetBSD for use in servers and embedded systems. What has your experience been with using it in desktops? I'm not very familiar with BSD. Does it support packages in the way other distos support RPMs or DEBs?

**capybara** · 01-14-2007, 03:33 AM

hi tuxette! netBSD boots to the command line.
its package management system is super easy,
way better than rpms and debs.
#pkg_add kde-3.2.0 (for ex)
<<<and it does it!!! >>>
#pkg_add firefox-1.5.0
<<<and it does it >>>
#startx
#startkde (syntax ???)
#startfirefox (syntax ....i forgot exactly????)

now your online with a rather linux-looking and linux acting system!
and yes its that easy ....in my experience.
But, there is less hardware drivers in BSD than linux, so use relatively modern hardware (not a 4 MB viper video card).
Some BSD distros (FreeBSD) have install problems with that power management system called [if i recall correctly] ACPI. And FReeBSD also gave me install prob with a USB keyboard or mouse producing the infamous
"fatal error 12."

so to cut to the chase (as my wife would say)
1. all BSDs - great pkg management system pkg_add
2. Free BSD - hardest most error prone install FOR ME, ymmv
3. NetBSD and OpenBSD - you cant be afraid of the command line here
4. PcBSD - trivially easy linux-like install, click next, next, next ....
but it doesnt give u a taste of what BSD is really like, so i prefer
netBSD or OpenBsd.

try one, if i can do it, u can! and it'll be a good learning experience and create a ultra-secure system!

**Schotty** · 01-14-2007, 02:49 PM

Well here is the spiel:

NetBSD is the one FLOSS OS that will probably be able to install on anything from a toilet bowl to the microwave. In all honesty, I dont think Debian even has the breadth of architectures that it can be installed upon, and Debian is no joke in that area.

OpenBSD is all (read this as %110) about secure code and a rock hard network presence. This is not necessarily the best overall solution, since it is currently incapable of SMP amongst a few other nifty things that Linux has done for some time now. But if you are building a network endpoint, I would definitely have this on your short list from the beginning. Really, the best FLOSS OS I think out there for server based duties.

FreeBSD is the linux of the camps. It is aimed at all things (desktops, servers, embedded) and most linux apps are available and many of the friendlies to the FLOSS communities make proprietary drivers for this alongside their linux cousin. FreeBSD is a different beast than linux, but it can be worth it to try it out. There are places that linux will fall short on FBSD and vice-versa.

**capybara** · 01-14-2007, 10:54 PM

Oh, and altho Schotty is not one to brag.....
his article "OpenBSD Gateway Howto" found here
http://www.schotty.com/wordpress/?page_id=12
is the clearest and easiest to follow instructions anywhere!
it helped me alot.

**Schotty** · 01-15-2007, 11:56 PM

Originally Posted by capybara

Oh, and altho Schotty is not one to brag.....
his article "OpenBSD Gateway Howto" found here
http://www.schotty.com/wordpress/?page_id=12
is the clearest and easiest to follow instructions anywhere!
it helped me alot.

Thanks for the vote of confidence

From what I hear though, FreeBSD has now adopted pf as the firewall, so my guess would be that some of the instructions may still be useful beyond OBSD.