FreeBSD 5.0 RC3 Now Ready

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Posted by Hemos on Monday January 13, 2003 @03:16AM from the go-out-and-get-it dept.

Dan writes "Scott Long announces that FreeBSD 5.0 RC3 has been released and available at all mirrors sites. Release notes can be viewed here, you can download 5.0 RC3 from ftp.freebsd.org or from one of your favorite mirror sites. Many thanks to the FreeBSD Release Engineering team for their work efforts!"

16 of 291 comments (clear)

Look it moved by Anonymous Coward · 2003-01-13 03:17 · Score: 5, Funny

So it can't be completely dead!
You know... by sofo · 2003-01-13 03:25 · Score: 5, Funny

...saying *BSD is dead is dead.
Re:*BSD Vs. Linux by Anonymous Coward · 2003-01-13 03:30 · Score: 5, Informative

Common question, what you will hear:

1. BSD can do everything Linux can do

2. Better server OS though in recent years linux has greatly caught up

3. Not as good on the desktop on Linux

4. FreeBSD ports system is better than anything linux offers

5. Not as good hardware support on FreeBSD as Linux, or games.

6. I think FreeBSD is easier to install(others think I am crazy)

7. Java sucks on FreeBSD

7. BSD is dead

I switched from linux to FreeBSD and prefer FreeBSD so take my comments with a grain of salt.

Since I don;t want to label a linux-haters and watch my karma drop like a rock, I'm posting ac
Excellent System by martinmcc · 2003-01-13 03:31 · Score: 5, Interesting

I've just changed my Desktop OS from Mandrake to FreeBSD - I'd been running FreeBSD as my server OS for a few years now and have always been impressed by its stability (NEVER had a crash) and ease of configuration. I was unsure about it as a desktop system since in that I want something that just works without any fuss, and Mandrake seemed to do the job. After 4 hours I had FreeBSD running kde with kdm, my mail/news/browsers, sound etc. all set up and working without any touble at all. All I have left is to get my scroll mouse working and I have everything I need, and I am confident I will have much less problems then with Mandrake (a fair few crashes and awkward to troubleshoot).

I would now recommend FreeBSD as the unix of choice for any purpose, it may not have a fancy graphical install program, but you will really appreciate this simplicity when you come to make changes/ do something a little out of the ordinary.

My OS catagories -

Windows XX - For the clueless masses, and often a neccassary evil (esp. games)
Linux Mandrake - Good when it is good (i.e. installs without a problem and no strange configurations), but a hog to troubleshoot.
FreeBSD - The king of server OS's, and by the look of things a great Desktop system.
1. Re:Excellent System by Tyler+Eaves · 2003-01-13 03:49 · Score: 5, Informative
  
  Edit in rc.conf:
  
  moused_enable="YES"
  
  moused_flags="-z 4"
  
  moused_port="/dev/psm0"
  
  moused_type="auto"
  
  In your XF86Config:
  
  Section "InputDevice"
  
  Identifier "Mouse0"
  
  Option "Protocol" "auto"
  
  Option "Device" "/dev/sysmouse"
  
  Option "Buttons" "5"
  
  EndSection
  
  That's my setup in 4.7-RELEASE with an MS Optical. Should be generic though.
  
  --
  TODO: Something witty here...
2. Re:Excellent System by Wylfing · 2003-01-13 04:01 · Score: 5, Interesting
  
  Linux Mandrake - Good when it is good (i.e. installs without a problem and no strange configurations), but a hog to troubleshoot.
  This is what keeps Mandrake from being a great OS -- desktop, server, or otherwise. If something doesn't come out of the box from Mandrakesoft, you can pretty much forget about it. I have moved every machine that once had MDK to something more, er, alterable like Debian or FreeBSD (which really shines in the turning-old-machines-into-dedicated-servers department).
  
  --
  Our intelligent designer has never created an animal that we couldn't improve by strapping a bomb to it.
Java integration just rocks! by Spotless+Tiger · 2003-01-13 03:40 · Score: 5, Interesting

From the changelog:
1/10/2003: Integrated Java VM into kernel and replaced /usr/bin and /bin with keithw's java byte-code versions. Platform independence, here we come!
This is great news, although as I understand it, this doesn't mean Java itself is integrated, just the byte-code JVM part of the thing. /bin/sh, for example, uses BSD type calls, but it's compiled Java byte code (using jgcc) rather than i386 code.
And this is great because it's a start on making binary formats less of an issue. Sure, there's always going to be those who want the fastest versions of, say, "rm", but for the rest of us, being able to compile something on one system and then just move it across anywhere will help tremendously.
Does anyone know if the OpenBSD and NetBSD projects are doing anything similar?

--
Racists should be sent back to where they came from
1. Re:Java integration just rocks! by jandrese · 2003-01-13 04:39 · Score: 5, Funny
  You forgot to include the second bullet point:
  
  1/10/2003: Dropped floppy based installer for CD only approach to accomodate the extra 55MB of compressed kernel needed for boot.
  
  1/10/2003: Upped minimum requirements from a 386 with 5MB of ram to a Pentium II-400 with 64MB of ram, 128MB of ram if you want to run X.
  
  1/10/2003: Upped minimum reccomended size of root partition to 1 GB to fit new kernel and associated files
  
  1/10/2003: Redirected FreeBSD download page to Sun's site. Users wishing to download FreeBSD will need to click through badly worded and or hidden links on 5 different pages, sign up twice, and click through at least three liceneses, then do it all again for the patch set.
  --
  
  I read the internet for the articles.
2. Re:Java integration just rocks! by jayed_99 · 2003-01-13 05:06 · Score: 5, Funny
  
  Damn! I missed that commit message! Thanks for pointing it out!
  
  It must have come fast on the heels of the following commit message that so enthralled me:
  From the changelog:
  "1/10/2003: Replaced our TCP/IP stack with one licensed from Microsoft. Work continues on porting over the Linux virtual memory management system. "
  No wonder I missed it.
  
  *grumbles at the trolls -- even the funny ones*
Re:*BSD Vs. Linux by Test+Drive · 2003-01-13 03:42 · Score: 5, Informative

FreeBSD, NetBSD, and OpenBSD are available for you to try out in the HP Test Drive Program. We also have several Linux distributions available for you to try, as well as HP-UX, Tru64 UNIX, and OpenVMS. Personally, I've found the *BSDs to be quite stable and easy to comprehend. Try them out for yourself in Test Drive and see what you think.
I may work for HP, but I don't speak for them.
Watch out. SCO might sue you! by Newer+Guy · 2003-01-13 03:48 · Score: 5, Funny

After all, you're an OS that runs on a computer. They have a patent for that you know!
Darn! by leomekenkamp · 2003-01-13 03:52 · Score: 5, Funny

My prediction is one day off...

Can anyone recommend a display cleaner?

--
Wenn ist das Nunstueck git und Slotermeyer? Ja! Beiherhund das Oder die Flipperwaldt gersput.
I feel like such an old fogey by AssFace · 2003-01-13 04:06 · Score: 5, Insightful

(however one spells "fogey")

I can recall my days in college where I would always install the newest, latest and greatest stuff on my pc and then learn it and think I was cool... well, I don't know if I ever thought I was cool.

but nowadays I'm constantly just thinking "why should I upgrade? this stuff works just fine for me the way it is now!"

I think it is because I'm more business minded now and the "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" mentality has an effect on costs in that world.

after reading through what is new in FreeBSD 5, I see no reason for me to change. it looks like things that I don't have much need for in my world.
4.whatever works just dandy for me.

--

There are some odd things afoot now, in the Villa Straylight.
Re:*BSD Vs. Linux by big_groo · 2003-01-13 04:13 · Score: 5, Informative

6. I think FreeBSD is easier to install(others think I am crazy)

As a relative noob here, I have to say that I've found the exact same thing. I've tried Redhat, Mandrake, Debian, Slackware(fav. linux distro - since 4.0) Caldera and SuSE. After trying all these, I found that the BSD install just makes sense (and talk about your options!!) Kind of like Slackware.
5.0 Chicken or Egg Conundrum by FrandGunk · 2003-01-13 04:57 · Score: 5, Interesting

FreeBSD 5.0 is as important a milestone
as ever seen in the *NIX world. Many new
features and core technologies are
incorporated in this release.

The main problems with this release will be
caused by the "Chicken or Egg Conundrum",
in that the release will spur many new 5.0
users, whose input will come "after" the
pre-release testing process, finding bugs
that are not apparent in the release candidate
series due to limited testing on the incredibly
varied hardware and software systems found
in the "wild".

This is not a FreeBSD specific problem, this is
a reflection of the reality of a volunteer based
project with limited resources.

The incredible speed that FreeBSD developers,
contributers, and users update and solve
problems is amazing. Just check the mail
list archives for *many* examples of this!

IMHO many of the best and brightest minds in
the *NIX world have gravitated to the BSD's
stability and more structured development
model. For younger readers a "structured"
development model may seem to be a turn off,
but a few years of real world experience
will certainly temper this argument.

Thanks and Best Wishes to the BSD community,
and when the dust settles FreeBSD 5.X will
be the standard others are compared to.

--
Sig em Duke !
Re:Upgrade path from 4.x-STABLE to 5.X-STABLE? by Geekboy(Wizard) · 2003-01-13 07:15 · Score: 5, Informative

Yea, super easy.

make buildworld
make buildkernel
make installkernel
rm -r /usr/include/c++
make installworld
mergemaster
reboot

(Check UPDATING for more precise instructions.)