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Thread: FreeBSD vs. Linux
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06-07-2005, 07:16 PM #1Junior Guru Wannabe
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FreeBSD vs. Linux
Hello, I've used a few different Linux distros (CentOS, and Fedora Core 2 and 3 i think) but i've never used FreeBSD. Im fairly comfortable with Linux, will FreeBSD be too hard? From my understanding, FreeBSD is the way to go over most other RH Operating Systems, is this correct?
Back to the original question, is FreeBSD much different than Linux?
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06-07-2005, 07:21 PM #2Web Hosting Master
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Hey zhs, glad to see your still doing your research. FreeBSD is based on the UNIX distribution, so many things will be completely different. CentOS/RHE are both VERY stable Linux distros. We use CentOS on multiple servers and it is nothing short of exceptional.
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06-07-2005, 07:24 PM #3Junior Guru Wannabe
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So out of CentOS 3.4. FreeBSD, Fedora 1/2/3, RH9, you would recommend CentOS since im not familiar with FreeBSD?
^^ Windows was also in that list, but i refuse to use it so i just removed it :-p
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06-07-2005, 07:26 PM #4Web Hosting Master
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Nothing against FreeBSD, but if you are familiar with Linux, then choose Linux. Put it this way, if you were familiar with UNIX, I would recommend FreeBSD, but since you already have some experience with Linux, I'd stay with CentOS or Redhat Enterprise. On a side note, Fedora, as stable as people say it is, IMO is not fit for production servers.
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06-08-2005, 12:52 AM #5Web Hosting Guru
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If you actually take the time to learn the OS rather than just install and go, the learning curve going from linux to Freebsd isnt that bad. Most of the people I know who use both much prefer freebsd for various reasons, and personally it just feels "right" to use. What exactly will the server be running? if you are going to want to install certain bits of software you may do better with one or the other, so it might help a bit to mention what you would be doing with the machine.
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06-08-2005, 02:41 AM #6WHT Addict
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I have tested Debian, Red Hat, Fedora, SlackWare, Gentoo, and FreeBSD. Needless to say, I prefer to run FreeBSD for any web server that I have. If not FreeBSD I would run Debian. Install FreeBSD on a test box at home and learn how to use the ports collection. I think FreeBSD puts Red Hat to shame. I don't know about CentOS because I have never used it. I have never used it because it is based on Red Hat. Should you ever have any questions just pm me and I will help you. Also playing dumb in #freebsdhelp on efnet works great as well.
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06-08-2005, 02:48 AM #7Web Hosting Master
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I use FreeBSD on most of our servers for 3 simple reasons:
1. More secure. You'll find 100 exploits for linux for each exploit for FreeBSD. It's way of doing things is also safer.
2. The ports tree. The easiest way to install new software without broken installs or missing deps.
3. sysinstall. An "almost graphic" menu-driven interface that assists you while setting up your FreeBSD box.
We used linux in our servers for over 8 years, then switched to OpenBSD as we were looking for something more secure, however it was harder for our customers and admins to use, the we started using FreeBSD about 2 years ago and I really don't think we'll be moving back to OpenBSD nor Linux.
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06-08-2005, 09:26 AM #8WHT Addict
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This really depends on what you will be running on it. If you are running cpanel, I would still recommend linux of any flavor over BSD. If you will no be running a control panel, I would recommend whichever you are more comfortable with. I personally prefer FreeBSD, and use it mainly because I know with much more confidence how to secure a FreeBSD box versus a linux one.
That said, the point that SEATi brought up about 10 linux exploits for every 1 FreeBSD exploit is, to my awareness, not true. Most exploits are actually problems with installed software, not the bas distribution. In other words, when Apache has a exploit, it is usually cross-platform, not just linux.
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06-08-2005, 12:50 PM #9Junior Guru Wannabe
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im talking about performance though. im going to be hosting game servers, no control panel on it at all (well maby a low-resource one for my gameserver clients to edit there server with, but thats all). i want to use the best OS (not windows) that will run game servers the fastest, and run with the most stability. which OS, FreeBSD or Linux, with no CP installed, for running gameservers, would you recommend?
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06-08-2005, 01:06 PM #10WHT Addict
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For a game server Linux is the way to go. If you use FreeBSD you will probably wind up using Linux Compat mode and that can have an impact on performance. For a gaming server FreeBSD is not the way to go.
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06-09-2005, 05:25 AM #11Newbie
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And what you'll recomend for a Web Server mainly used for serving pages with apache+php+mysql, what's will give more performence and reliability, FreeBSD or Linux ?
p.s: the use of a control panel is not very imortant for me ...
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06-09-2005, 06:23 AM #12Web Hosting Master
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I would reccomend centos because firstly it is the best and you are used to linux so stick with linux.
Custom Cloud Solutions - innoix.com
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06-09-2005, 06:46 AM #13Newbie
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Do they come at the same or comparable price ?
Hotmail runs or used to run on freebsd.
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06-09-2005, 07:18 AM #14Web Hosting Master
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Hotmail runs or used to run on freebsd.Custom Cloud Solutions - innoix.com
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06-09-2005, 02:20 PM #15Web Hosting Master
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Hotmail runs or used to run on freebsd.
Do they come at the same or comparable price ?
That said, the point that SEATi brought up about 10 linux exploits for every 1 FreeBSD exploit is, to my awareness, not true. Most exploits are actually problems with installed software, not the bas distribution. In other words, when Apache has a exploit, it is usually cross-platform, not just linux.
FreeBSD is widely used for servers, and you can visit almost every digital attacks archive and see the stats, you'll see that there are more than 10 root compromises/mass defacements done to linux boxes for each FreeBSD box.