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FreeBSD For The Linux Administrator

Posted by Nik on from the NP:-Now-and-Then dept.

LinuxWorld carries an article by Michael Lucas, Customizing The FreeBSD Kernel. The twist is that it's written partly from the perspective of a Linux user, highlighting the similarities and differences between the two systems.

5 of 17 comments (clear)

  1. Re:A nice addition by howardjp · · Score: 2

    I have thought long and hard about such a tool (like a Tcl/Tk or Java program) that let you do a kernel build from config to installation but I am not quite certain that the *current* format of LINT would lend itself to that. Maybe if someone went through LINT and created a standard and unified format for the nots and documentation, it would work, but not until then.

  2. Re:Nice by hattig · · Score: 2
    Agreed - I have done both Linux and FreeBSD kernal compiles with success - although I cheat and write the Linux compiles to a boot disk so I can test them before committing my changes.

    I like the fact the FreeBSD will keep a rescue kernal which is easy to boot if all goes wrong, but LINT is not the best type of documentation in the world. OTOH it is pretty easy to compile out all the crud like redundant ethernet and scsi and whatever that is installed by default, and you can be guaranteed to edit the kernal config file remotely via a text terminal without the useless interrogation of the Linux system.

    MenuConfig on Linux is okay, fine for brutalising a kernal first time around before fine-tuning it. FreeBSD would benefit from a tool like this, but done better.

  3. Re:Nice by SirGeek · · Score: 2
    I have been using Linux for about 2 years and FreeBSD for about 3 years.. I still find that the FreeBSD kernel rebuild is lots easier.

    Also, the fact that its more difficult to make your system unbootable with FreeBSD (since by default when you install a new kernel it saves your old one) and if your new kernel doesn't work, you can get back to the old one more easily [ no worries about munging up the system so bad you need a recovery disk to re-do LILO ].

    I was able to get a working kernel from FreeBSD the 1st try (because of the Online Handbook being decent...)

    I have only rebuilt a linux kernel once (when I needed more than the default 4 software raid drives in RH 5.2).

    I also think editing 1 file verses the 5 miles of check boxes for a Linux kernel is easier. You can also more easily change 1 thing then rebuild your kernel and keep going..

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    UPS Sucks
  4. Re:A nice addition by howardjp · · Score: 3

    That would be cool if it could generate pre-built kernels or custom installation floppies that way via the web :)

  5. Unfortunately... by DES · · Score: 3

    ...the article in question contains multiple factual errors. The general feeling I get from reading it is that it obscures rather than clarifies the issue. FreeBSD does have a handbook which goes to some lengths to explain these things. Oh, and people, never do "make depend all install" like the article suggests. Make doesn't rescan the dependency file after the "depend" step, so the kernel is built with possibly incorrect dependency information.

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