FreeBSD vs Linux

[kfizzle]

i have a quick question:

it seems like there are lotsa different linux's out there:
ive tried knoppix, debian, fedora, slackware, dsl, you name it ive prolly tried them all out to some extent

so far from experience, i prefer knoppix and debian most more than anything else

in fact im getting a new notebook for work/travel
and i was wondering about putting the new debian etch on it, except
etch isnt fully finalized or it wont come out till the end of the month i believe

so a friend told me maybe its better to put knoppix on it instead and just upgrade it later on using the new etch


but this is a weirder question outa the blue:
what about freebsd??

i know freebsd is the same thing as linux but its still different in the fact it uses a different technology actually or berkley unix, also it has a different type of partitioning, slices or whatever

but is freebsd better than linux?

what would be the benefits if i use a freebsd instead? instead
of just installing knoppix and upgrading to etch later on?

just a hypothetical question, and no i havent tried out freebsd for more than five minutes so i cant tell the difference..

-fiz

[oz]

but is freebsd better than linux?

Hi, kfizzle

It's really a matter of opinion, so you'll need to try freebsd yourself to see if it's better for you. Try each for a month, or two. Some like Linux more while others prefer BSD.

[techieMoe]

but is freebsd better than linux?

"Better" is a loaded and very subjective term. What's "better" for one person isn't "better" for another. Only you can define what makes something "better" for you, and the only way to do that is to try it out.

just a hypothetical question, and no i havent tried out freebsd for more than five minutes so i cant tell the difference..

-fiz

I recommend you do. You're likely to receive a lot of varied opinions about what's great or what's not great regarding FreeBSD (or any other BSD in general), but when it comes right down to it, nobody's opinion matters worth a hill of beans except your own.

[fingal]

... but when it comes right down to it, nobody's opinion matters worth a hill of beans except your own.

That's almost a quote from Casablanca! Sorry ... film buff ...

I can't vouch for any BSDs as I haven't tried any. However, I love Knoppix. While it's certainly true that 'better' is subjective, Knoppix is excellent. Just my 10 pence worth.

[Wifi_is_evil]

Well I'll tell you this: FreeBSD IS better but because of the small publicity it recieved, it has a much smaller community and much less hardware support. But.. if you do get it working I really recommend it!

PC-BSD is excellent as it is so easy and everything works but it is a little feature lacking so if you go for that be prepared to test out your new ports and PBI system .

FreeBSD and others are also very good, but may be a little harder than Linux. The thing is, Linux tries to embrace the world where as FreeBSD just tries to be the best. Different ideas. Because of this, Linux does everything in its power to be really, really easy (sometimes it isn't :P). Although don't be scared, by reading the FreeBSD documentary I'm sure you'll feel VERY confident.

But really, if you are interested, then I am telling you YOU MUST give them a try. Also, do what I started to do: jot down negatives and positives and give each Operating System you try a score system until you find the most perfect or close to perfect one for your needs. (I am still looking for my perfect OS )

If anything the ONE thing I hate about Linux is that when you change computers, or your use for computers, you either have to spend a lot of time learning new things about your old distro or go back to the distro search. Luckily, searching for a new distro is really fun but it does waste quite a lot of time.

But the ONE thing I hate about BSD/OSs are that if you don't have supported hardware (with drivers out of the box or easily obtainable), you are wasting your time because it will take FOREVER to get it working.

[anomie]

but is freebsd better than linux?

I use both GNU/Linux distros (keeping in mind that there is a large variety of them) and FreeBSD, and like both very much.

My parrot impression: Try both. Decide for yourself.

[Vergil83]

in fact im getting a new notebook for work/travel
and i was wondering about putting the new debian etch on it, except
etch isnt fully finalized or it wont come out till the end of the month i believe

You can download etch cds. It is currently frozen and they only thing they are doing are the last bug fixes. If you comfortable with debian, I would stick with it, especially when you are out traveling.

You can also try out http://www.freesbie.org/, the live cd freebsd version.

[Cabhan]

You'll forgive me if I disagree with virtually every point that Wifi_is_evil makes...

I have tried setting up FreeBSD before, and I strongly advise against it. Having said that, you definitely should try PC-BSD, which sets it up for you. People can say whatever they want about Linux and FreeBSD, but you should try it yourself to see what you prefer.

[apoorv_khurasia]

I have been running FreeBSD since three months now and I have realized that it is not that difficult as it seems. It is quite similar to Linux. Since then I have installed FreeBSD on many different machines and have never encountered any problem. I would say give it a shot.

[likwid]

IDK what FBSD is like these days but when I used it, it was pretty difficult to get it working completely. Probably a lot nicer now, what are they at 6.0? I think I used it when it was 4.2.