From: "Bill Pechter" <pechter_at_pechter.dyndns.org>
>
> My recommendation on an intel or alpha platform -- FreeBSD 4.2 (release
date
> should be tomorrow or later tonight).
Without this turning into an age-old OS war - actually, I would recommend
against FreeBSD even on an Intel platform. With OpenBSD, at least I know
what's being installed, and I know that the installation has gone thru the
OpenBSD audit process (which is the top selling point of this flavour). If
you install from the ports or packages, you're on your own, but even their
version of X has been audited.
With FreeBSD, I'm not sure what's being installed even when I specify the
installation options! I don't want GNOME or KDE. I'm mildly old-fashioned,
and prefer twm derivatives, such as ctwm. Somehow GNOME or KDE always end up
being installed.
Of course, I am awaiting FreeBSD 4.2, I've been following it, and will
download the ISO when it's available. I like NetBSD, but each time I start
using it, I get mildly annoyed over trivial things, but they add up, so I
usually end up going back to OpenBSD.
btw: in reference to another thread, I'm a local too :) I have a lurking
friend who ran a Citadel BBS. It was fun. Even tho UUCP is dead, I still
have an entry in the maps for a 3B1 I ran back in 1990 or thereabouts. There
used to be a computer store in Rockaway NJ called "Second Byte" (they may
still be there), and their original selling method was refurbs. They were
spun off from Rockaway Recycling. RR would bid on discarded computer lots,
from various companies. They'd get pallets of IBM AT's, spiff them up and
sell them. Associated with Second Byte was "the warehouse" (no name), where
they'd put the big iron. People there were CLUELESS (heavy emphasis) on big
iron, most of it would be scrapped for the gold. They had grunts with
hammers (literally). I picked up one of my VAX 730's, and perhaps two
PDP-11's - an extremely well-stocked 11/73 for $100 (this was back in 1992).
They had dozens of 11/780s which I used to drool over. Just too big for me.
One day, me and a friend of mine were wandering the depths of the warehouse,
and WAAY in the farthest corner, packed behind lots of junk and generally
just forgotten was some model IBM 360. It had a university asset tag on it,
I forget. Perhaps Columbia? Anyways, one day, some woman walked in trying to
sell an "AT&T 3B1" to this store, but they had no clue. It didn't run DOS.
So they sent her packing. We intercepted her outside and made a back-alley
deal :)
Oh I babble. The warehouse doesn't exist anymore. they closed it either for
lack of interest or for insurance liability (things were stacked on three
story racks; I used to be monkey boy trying to see what they had). Rockaway
Recycling still exists, and as far as I know, and Second Byte does, but
they're Just Another Dealer.
Received on Sun Nov 19 2000 - 12:27:30 GMT