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Is FreeBSD attractive enough to garner a community today? I used to be a FreeBSD user back in the days of walnut creek CD-ROM. But today I see very little rea

Is FreeBSD attractive enough to garner a community today? I used to be a FreeBSD user back in the days of walnut creek CD-ROM. But today I see very little reason to torture myself with FreeBSD. So why should anyone else? I get the sentiment that it's good to have diversity and competition, but if you want to get a job done then Linux is the best out right now.

jedberg 3y ago
FreeBSD still has the superior networking stack. If throughput and latency are your primary bottlenecks, then you want FreeBSD. Netflix used FreeBSD for their entire CDN.
- ThePowerOfFuet 3y ago
  >Netflix used FreeBSD for their entire CDN. No need for the past tense; they still do.
  - grahamjperrin 3y ago
    Maybe not exactly the entire CDN. I mean: I think of the CDN having its control system in addition to controlled appliances, and so on. "Netflix delivers streaming content using a combination of intelligent clients, a central control system, and a network of Open Connect appliances. …" Netflix portrays FreeBSD in the Open Connect software context: https://openconnect.netflix.com/en/appliances/#software https://openconnect.netflix.com/en/appliances/#software
- INTPenis 3y ago
  Ok so Netflix use FreeBSD, but literally everyone else use Linux. Is their throughput worse?
  - kettunen 3y ago
    Yes, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=36qZYL5RlgY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=36qZYL5RlgY
    - INTPenis 3y ago
      It's funny how nothing has changed in 20 years. We used to say "hotmail uses FreeBSD" and now you guys are saying "netflix uses FreeBSD" as your source of pride. Well, I still get more done on Linux.
      - jedberg 3y ago
        > Well, I still get more done on Linux. No doubt, so do I. FreeBSD is good for very specific things like rock solid stability and intense networking. But for general purpose use I too prefer Linux, because it gets all the new toys first. If I want to build a rock solid stable internet service, I reach for FreeBSD. If I want to use a Unix desktop I reach for MacOS. If I want to have a personal server for messing around with or running some proof-of-concept app or website, I reach for Linux. Each has its uses.
      - grahamjperrin 3y ago
        > It's funny how nothing has changed in 20 years. Not as funny as things changing without you noticing ;-)
nortonham 3y ago
>But today I see very little reason to torture myself with FreeBSD. So why should anyone else? Torture is a little dramatic lol. Why should anyone else? If it meets their needs, if they feel comfortable using, or it has a particular feature they like/need.
grahamjperrin 3y ago
> … why should anyone else? … Check out the use cases and testimonials: https://freebsdfoundation.org/freebsd-project/what-is-freebsd/ https://freebsdfoundation.org/freebsd-project/what-is-freebs... https://freebsdfoundation.org/about-us/testimonials/ https://freebsdfoundation.org/about-us/testimonials/ If you wonder why the first of those two pages is entirely rewritten: see what's going on with the Enterprise Working Group. https://wiki.freebsd.org/EnterpriseWorkingGroup https://wiki.freebsd.org/EnterpriseWorkingGroup Please note, that group's work is necessarily focused. There's a definition of 'general purpose enterprise server', and so on. Other groups have focii that differ from, or overlap with, general purpose enterprise server. Most obvious: desktop and embedded. HTH

jedberg 3y ago

FreeBSD still has the superior networking stack. If throughput and latency are your primary bottlenecks, then you want FreeBSD. Netflix used FreeBSD for their entire CDN.

ThePowerOfFuet 3y ago
>Netflix used FreeBSD for their entire CDN. No need for the past tense; they still do.
- grahamjperrin 3y ago
  Maybe not exactly the entire CDN. I mean: I think of the CDN having its control system in addition to controlled appliances, and so on. "Netflix delivers streaming content using a combination of intelligent clients, a central control system, and a network of Open Connect appliances. …" Netflix portrays FreeBSD in the Open Connect software context: https://openconnect.netflix.com/en/appliances/#software https://openconnect.netflix.com/en/appliances/#software
INTPenis 3y ago
Ok so Netflix use FreeBSD, but literally everyone else use Linux. Is their throughput worse?
- kettunen 3y ago
  Yes, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=36qZYL5RlgY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=36qZYL5RlgY
  - INTPenis 3y ago
    It's funny how nothing has changed in 20 years. We used to say "hotmail uses FreeBSD" and now you guys are saying "netflix uses FreeBSD" as your source of pride. Well, I still get more done on Linux.
    - jedberg 3y ago
      > Well, I still get more done on Linux. No doubt, so do I. FreeBSD is good for very specific things like rock solid stability and intense networking. But for general purpose use I too prefer Linux, because it gets all the new toys first. If I want to build a rock solid stable internet service, I reach for FreeBSD. If I want to use a Unix desktop I reach for MacOS. If I want to have a personal server for messing around with or running some proof-of-concept app or website, I reach for Linux. Each has its uses.
    - grahamjperrin 3y ago
      > It's funny how nothing has changed in 20 years. Not as funny as things changing without you noticing ;-)

nortonham 3y ago

>But today I see very little reason to torture myself with FreeBSD. So why should anyone else? Torture is a little dramatic lol. Why should anyone else? If it meets their needs, if they feel comfortable using, or it has a particular feature they like/need.

grahamjperrin 3y ago

> … why should anyone else? … Check out the use cases and testimonials: https://freebsdfoundation.org/freebsd-project/what-is-freebsd/ https://freebsdfoundation.org/freebsd-project/what-is-freebs... https://freebsdfoundation.org/about-us/testimonials/ https://freebsdfoundation.org/about-us/testimonials/ If you wonder why the first of those two pages is entirely rewritten: see what's going on with the Enterprise Working Group. https://wiki.freebsd.org/EnterpriseWorkingGroup https://wiki.freebsd.org/EnterpriseWorkingGroup Please note, that group's work is necessarily focused. There's a definition of 'general purpose enterprise server', and so on. Other groups have focii that differ from, or overlap with, general purpose enterprise server. Most obvious: desktop and embedded. HTH