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MicroBSD Is No More

TrumpetPower! writes "Recently there's been quite a row in the OpenBSD community over copyright infringement by the OpenBSD spinoff, MicroBSD. Many parts of MicroBSD would seem to be a wholesale search-n-replace of the two names...including copyright notices. As a result, MicroBSD has shut down. It's worth noting that, as of this story submission, the MicroBSD Web site is still up and running with no special notices."

278 comments

  1. MicroBSD.. by grub · · Score: 0, Offtopic


    Netcraft confirms it: MicroBSD is dying.

    what? oh.. again I'm late for the party.

    --
    Trolling is a art,
  2. /. Strikes Again! by s1r_m1xalot · · Score: 5, Funny
    It's worth noting that, as of this story submission, the MicroBSD Web site is still up and running....

    We'll see about that michael... we'll just see about that.

    Definitely a just punishment in this case, though.

    1. Re:/. Strikes Again! by Sloppy · · Score: 1

      Oh great, just what the beleaguered BSD community needs: another crippling bombshell in the form of a Slashdotting. As if the Netcraft results weren't enough!

      --
      As copyright owner of this comment, I authorize everyone to defeat any technological measure which limits access to it.
    2. Re:/. Strikes Again! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      What do you get when you cross Kreskin the magician with an insurance-peddling duck? "Hypno Duck" -- The latest AFLAC commercial. This spot received the highest consumer recall score for television ads in the bi-weekly Intermedia consumer survey. Our congratulations to Kreskin, star of AFLAC. Many will recall the Amazing Kreskin as being the omniscient seer who correctly predicted the death of *BSD.

  3. Search & Replace by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Why is that a problem? Is that a licensing issue? Would the GPL be any different?

    1. Re:Search & Replace by ajs · · Score: 4, Informative

      The concern was not that they had modified the code or docs, but the copyright messages. You are not allowed to simply re-assign copyright to yourself (under US and international copyright law).

      This has nothing to do with licensing at all. You could put the code under the GPL, MPL, or any of MS EULA for Office, and you would still have the same problem. The only time you can take a work and assign copyright to yourself is if that work is in the Public Domain, which of course means that it has no copyright at all.

    2. Re:Search & Replace by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The only time you can take a work and assign copyright to yourself is if that work is in the Public Domain, which of course means that it has no copyright at all.

      Even then, you have to make significant changes to the work. (And your copyright applies only to those changes.)

    3. Re:Search & Replace by Karamchand · · Score: 1

      The only time you can take a work and assign copyright to yourself is if that work is in the Public Domain, which of course means that it has no copyright at all.

      Which is not even possible in some countries of the world (think Europore for example).

    4. Re:Search & Replace by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      So in other words, the BSD license has something in common with the GPL: it's not 100% "free". Why do people make this huge distinction between BSD and GPL all the time then??

    5. Re:Search & Replace by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      ...and the US, contrary to popular belief. There is no such thing as "Public domain". Unless you sign over your copyright to some other party, you still have it. The fact that you don't *enforce* it doesn't change anything.

    6. Re:Search & Replace by dfcox530 · · Score: 1

      From what I understand about it here's the difference. If it's under the BSD license then you can use the code (with copyrights intact) in your software and sell it without owing anyone anything. The only way anyone would know it's there is to have access to the source code but it's not required that you give anyone access to it. I belive that Microsoft has done this in the past, but if the code is covered by the GPL then you can't just absorb the code into your project without re-releasing the code (entire project?) back to the community.

    7. Re:Search & Replace by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Wrong, there is public domain. You just can't officially place your works in it. Instead you have to wait until your copyright lapses.

    8. Re:Search & Replace by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You are wrong. If you promise the world that you will not enforce your copyrights, and anyone relies on that statement, then you may not then change your mind and as a court to enforce your copyrights. Which means you don't have any. Which means it's in the public domain.

    9. Re:Search & Replace by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
      It is official; Netcraft now confirms: *BSD is dying

      One more crippling bombshell hit the already beleaguered *BSD community when IDC confirmed that *BSD market share has dropped yet again, now down to less than a fraction of 1 percent of all servers. Coming on the heels of a recent Netcraft survey which plainly states that *BSD has lost more market share, this news serves to reinforce what we've known all along. *BSD is collapsing in complete disarray, as fittingly exemplified by failing dead last in the recent Sys Admin comprehensive networking test.

      You don't need to be a Kreskin to predict *BSD's future. The hand writing is on the wall: *BSD faces a bleak future. In fact there won't be any future at all for *BSD because *BSD is dying. Things are looking very bad for *BSD. As many of us are already aware, *BSD continues to lose market share. Red ink flows like a river of blood.

      FreeBSD is the most endangered of them all, having lost 93% of its core developers. The sudden and unpleasant departures of long time FreeBSD developers Jordan Hubbard and Mike Smith only serve to underscore the point more clearly. There can no longer be any doubt: FreeBSD is dying.

      Let's keep to the facts and look at the numbers.

      OpenBSD leader Theo states that there are 7000 users of OpenBSD. How many users of NetBSD are there? Let's see. The number of OpenBSD versus NetBSD posts on Usenet is roughly in ratio of 5 to 1. Therefore there are about 7000/5 = 1400 NetBSD users. BSD/OS posts on Usenet are about half of the volume of NetBSD posts. Therefore there are about 700 users of BSD/OS. A recent article put FreeBSD at about 80 percent of the *BSD market. Therefore there are (7000+1400+700)*4 = 36400 FreeBSD users. This is consistent with the number of FreeBSD Usenet posts.

      Due to the troubles of Walnut Creek, abysmal sales and so on, FreeBSD went out of business and was taken over by BSDI who sell another troubled OS. Now BSDI is also dead, its corpse turned over to yet another charnel house.

      All major surveys show that *BSD has steadily declined in market share. *BSD is very sick and its long term survival prospects are very dim. If *BSD is to survive at all it will be among OS dilettante dabblers. *BSD continues to decay. Nothing short of a miracle could save it at this point in time. For all practical purposes, *BSD is dead.

      Fact: *BSD is dying

  4. What ? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I thought the BSD license allowed incorporation into any project commercial or otherwise ? I suspect that changing copyright banners is a no-no, but that hardly seems a reason to shut down.

  5. Hmmm by cca93014 · · Score: 5, Funny
    It's worth noting that, as of this story submission, the MicroBSD Web site is still up and running with no special notices.
    It's worth noting that most sites are still up and running at the point the story is submitted. After that, however, they are fucked.

    1. Re:Hmmm by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Flamebait
      It is official; Netcraft now confirms: *BSD is dying

      One more crippling bombshell hit the already beleaguered *BSD community when IDC confirmed that *BSD market share has dropped yet again, now down to less than a fraction of 1 percent of all servers. Coming on the heels of a recent Netcraft survey which plainly states that *BSD has lost more market share, this news serves to reinforce what we've known all along. *BSD is collapsing in complete disarray, as fittingly exemplified by failing dead last in the recent Sys Admin comprehensive networking test.

      You don't need to be a Kreskin to predict *BSD's future. The hand writing is on the wall: *BSD faces a bleak future. In fact there won't be any future at all for *BSD because *BSD is dying. Things are looking very bad for *BSD. As many of us are already aware, *BSD continues to lose market share. Red ink flows like a river of blood.

      FreeBSD is the most endangered of them all, having lost 93% of its core developers. The sudden and unpleasant departures of long time FreeBSD developers Jordan Hubbard and Mike Smith only serve to underscore the point more clearly. There can no longer be any doubt: FreeBSD is dying.

      Let's keep to the facts and look at the numbers.

      OpenBSD leader Theo states that there are 7000 users of OpenBSD. How many users of NetBSD are there? Let's see. The number of OpenBSD versus NetBSD posts on Usenet is roughly in ratio of 5 to 1. Therefore there are about 7000/5 = 1400 NetBSD users. BSD/OS posts on Usenet are about half of the volume of NetBSD posts. Therefore there are about 700 users of BSD/OS. A recent article put FreeBSD at about 80 percent of the *BSD market. Therefore there are (7000+1400+700)*4 = 36400 FreeBSD users. This is consistent with the number of FreeBSD Usenet posts.

      Due to the troubles of Walnut Creek, abysmal sales and so on, FreeBSD went out of business and was taken over by BSDI who sell another troubled OS. Now BSDI is also dead, its corpse turned over to yet another charnel house.

      All major surveys show that *BSD has steadily declined in market share. *BSD is very sick and its long term survival prospects are very dim. If *BSD is to survive it will only be among OS dilettante dabblers. *BSD continues to decay. Nothing short of a miracle could save it at this point in time. For all practical purposes, *BSD is dead.

      Fact: *BSD is dying

    2. Re:Hmmm by grub · · Score: 1


      Un-fucking-believable.. A "*BSD is dying" troll actually got modded as "Interesting". Methinks some hot place just froze over.

      --
      Trolling is a art,
    3. Re:Hmmm by Bert64 · · Score: 1

      Well but its true for once, atleast MicroBSD is dying, and its even on topic!

      --
      http://spamdecoy.net - free throwaway anonymous email - avoid spam!
  6. An Unholy alliance by TheIronDuke · · Score: 4, Funny

    Maybe MicroBSD can get help from Microsoft in the patent fight.

  7. Not Entirely Functioning by Oculus+Habent · · Score: 4, Informative

    You'll note the "Get MicroBSD" links are all 404.

    Apache/2.0.43 Server at www.microbsd.com Port 80

    --
    That what was all this school was for... to teach us how to solve our own problems. -- janeowit
    1. Re:Not Entirely Functioning by Oculus+Habent · · Score: 1

      And in another segement of "Me Paying Attention", none of the other links work, either, expecting the non x86 links under Platforms, which link back to the main page.

      --
      That what was all this school was for... to teach us how to solve our own problems. -- janeowit
    2. Re:Not Entirely Functioning by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Sir, I believe the word you are looking for is "segment" not "segement".

    3. Re:Not Entirely Functioning by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Also, "excepting," not "expecting."

    4. Re:Not Entirely Functioning by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
      Elegy For *BSD

      I am a *BSD user
      and I try hard to be brave
      That is a tall order
      *BSD's foot is in the grave.

      I tap at my toy keyboard
      and whistle a happy tune
      but keeping happy's so hard,
      *BSD died so soon.

      Each day I wake and softly sob
      Nightfall finds me crying
      Not only am I a zit faced slob
      but *BSD is dying . . .
  8. Of course by arvindn · · Score: 1, Funny
    It's worth noting that, as of this story submission, the MicroBSD Web site is still up and running with no special notices.

    It won't be once we're done slashdotting it ;^)

    1. Re:Of course by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
      Get with the program.

      Anyone with a grain of common sense realizes this one irrefutable truth: *BSD is dead.

  9. Discussion by AnonymousCowheart · · Score: 4, Informative

    Discussion continues on IRC: irc.microbsd.net #microbsd

    1. Re:Discussion by essdodson · · Score: 0

      Not anymore:

      %nslookup irc.microbsd.com
      Server: resolve01.roc.ny.frontiernet.net
      Address: 66.133.170.2

      Non-authoritative answer:
      Name: irc.microbsd.com
      Address: 127.0.0.1

      --
      scott
    2. Re:Discussion by essdodson · · Score: 1

      nevermind, looks like irc.microbsd.net still works, my mistake.

      --
      scott
    3. Re:Discussion by AnonymousCowheart · · Score: 2, Funny

      "Discussion continues on IRC: irc.microbsd.net" and you do %nslookup irc.microbsd.com see your problem?

    4. Re:Discussion by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      =-= YOU have been booted from #microbsd by ChanServ (This channel may not be used.)

  10. Functioning.. but barely by leerpm · · Score: 1

    The home page is still up and running. But that's about it. The rest of the links off the page all return 404.

  11. go to microbsd.net instead by FiDooDa · · Score: 5, Informative

    www.microbsd.net has the anouncement.

    1. Re:go to microbsd.net instead by photonrider · · Score: 5, Interesting

      Rather than bail out completely I'd like to see them become part of the OpenBSD project and provide a slimmed down OpenBSD option. It was extremely promising to have OpenBSD features on a device with only a minimal RAM disk. It was poor judgement to replace the copyright info. It's good they've fessed up. The idea of a microbsd is still a good one.

    2. Re:go to microbsd.net instead by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      they didn't fess up shit until tdr made it known on misc@

      and even some of their first responses were "we didn't do anything wrong"

    3. Re:go to microbsd.net instead by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
      It was extremely promising to have OpenBSD features on a device with only a minimal RAM disk.

      bsd.rd
      cdromXX.fs
      floppyXX.fs
      and building your own isn't that difficult.

    4. Re:go to microbsd.net instead by homer_ca · · Score: 4, Informative

      EmBSD is a similar project, but they haven't had a release in almost 2 years and the main embsd.org site is down, although the download mirrors and sourceforge page are still up.

    5. Re:go to microbsd.net instead by photonrider · · Score: 1

      I am not a programmer and I don't play one on the internet. I recently read that bsd.rd is the bare bones ramdisk enabled bsd kernel, cdromxx.fs and floppyxx.fs are basically boot images with selected sets of drivers and bsd.rd. Building my own might should good to you programmers or others with coding skills. But I'm guessing it would take me years to get to the point of being able to do that. I have my "Learn C in 21 Lessons" book but I think that'll just make me dangerous. Or maybe I just don't know what's involved in building my own? Hmmm...there's an idea, is there something that tells me how to build my own?

    6. Re:go to microbsd.net instead by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Im sure they can't wait to work with these thieving shitheads

  12. You want copy and paste of Linux by JOW · · Score: 1

    If you think this is good, why not look at UniSql and UniUnix from Korea
    http://www.unisql.com/ if it looks like MySql or PHP let me know

    --
    I just hate bit SPAM, (www.netnoise.com.kh)
    1. Re:You want copy and paste of Linux by binaryDigit · · Score: 1

      Huh, UniSQL is a full blown object-relational database that has been around for years. It is nothing like MySql, completely different league. Don't know about UniUnix, is it just another Linux distro?

  13. MicroBSD's site isn't really up. by scottj · · Score: 4, Informative

    The head of the MicroBSD project wrote to misc@openbsd.org last night that he had just finished removing everything from his site. Go ahead and check it out. Every link I clicked on microbsd.com gave me a 404. MicroBSD is dead. It is no more. They blatantly violated OpenBSD's copyrights. In fact most of MicroBSD was just:

    $osname =~ s/Open/Micro/g;

    --
    .-.--
    1. Re:MicroBSD's site isn't really up. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      >> They blatantly violated OpenBSD's copyrights

      But the BSD license says do what you want with the shiznit. What's wrong with s/Open/Micro anyways?

      Sure they probably shouldnt have modified some of the copyright notices, but if they just did a blind search and replace it's no wonder they got changed. Sounds like a lot of hair-splitting and whining for the sake of whining. Probably take 2 seconds to fix.

      So now whiny OSS zealots have once again bitten off their nose to spite their face. Perhaps MicroBSD would never have gone anywhere, perhaps it would have contributed something worthwhile. Noone will ever know.

    2. Re:MicroBSD's site isn't really up. by scottj · · Score: 1

      Yes, the BSD license does say that you can do what you want with the code, but it requires that the copyright notices be left intact. The searh and replace wasn't totally blind, as there were several references to OpenBSD left intact. The search and replace was more intentional and devious than the MicroBSD folks would have you believe.

      --
      .-.--
    3. Re:MicroBSD's site isn't really up. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Flamebait


      Well, no one sued Theo for doing this:

      $osname =~ s/Net/Open/g; :)

    4. Re:MicroBSD's site isn't really up. by scottj · · Score: 1

      That's perfectly legit, so long as the "Net" remains in the copyright notices. I believe you'll find that Theo didn't alter copyright notices.

      --
      .-.--
    5. Re:MicroBSD's site isn't really up. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      There are still NetBSD copyrights in OBSD...

      Theo also changed a lot of things... Significant kernel modifications... Better SPARC drivers IIRC. Whereas these people, they hardly changed anything.

  14. after reading the various links... by WPIDalamar · · Score: 5, Insightful

    After reading the various links given, it looks to me like the MicroBSD guys had an idea, started working on it, one of their developers screwed up and changed come copyright info, people complained, the project wasn't going anywhere anyways, so it just stopped. Didn't look like there was willfull copyright infringment, and I'd like to believe that it really would have been fixed, like the micro guys said.

    Don't attribute to malice what stupidity can explain (or whatever the exact quote is.)

    1. Re:after reading the various links... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
      Never attribute to malice what can be adequately explained by stupidity.

      -Nick Diamos

      the same man who also said "Everybody lies, but it doesn't matter because nobody listens."

    2. Re:after reading the various links... by MisterFancypants · · Score: 4, Interesting
      Agreed. It seems pretty clear that they weren't trying to pull something over on people -- I mean they made the code available and had to know that people 'in the know' would see their code. Seems like it was just a cut & paste screwup on the part of one developer.

      I don't entirely blame them for closing down shop in this case. As a long-time proponent of Open Source I must admit it sometimes sickens me how annoyingly 'victimized' OSS authors can act when they sense a license violation.

      I mean, sure, you *should* bring attention to license violations when you see them, but the OSS response tends to be way overboard, calling for boycotts, fatwahs, and whatever else before all the facts are known and before it is clear if the violation was really underhanded or just an oversight. It is this kind of religious zealot behavior that is holding OSS back from wider commercial adoption, IMO.

    3. Re:after reading the various links... by someonehasmyname · · Score: 4, Funny

      Uhh.. It looks as if they did a search for "OpenBSD" and replaced it with "MicroBSD." Quoting one of the links:

      Around line 30, it says this:
      You are STRONGLY urged to use ssh instead of telnet, rlogin, or rsh! ssh is
      included in all MicroBSD systems. The implementation is OpenSSH, which we are
      the developers of.

      --
      Common sense is not so common.
    4. Re:after reading the various links... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Insightful

      No, there is more to it than this...

      From microbsd.com:
      "MicroBSD is stripped down hardened secure version build." ... "Systems features address all aspects of security."

      You just don't commit changes to your source tree, no matter how big or small, without looking at them closely. VERY closely.

      If they were careless and did a global search and replace (which they denied), they don't understand the basics of security and code quality, a bad sign for users.

      If they were ignorant of the issues of copyright and license, that is a bad sign for users.

      If they were malicious, again, a bad sign for users.

      I don't know what the heck they did, how it happened, and how they didn't detect it. I don't really care. It happened, whatever the means, their proceedures are just plain BROKE for any group claiming "security" and "quality". This isn't how it is done. You don't introduce problems then fix them "later".

      As for how "annoying 'victimized' OSS authors can act", you have to have created something to understand the pain of someone else taking it away.

    5. Re:after reading the various links... by yomegaman · · Score: 1

      If I was doing a security review the very first thing I'd do is audit all of the comments in the code for accuracy. Safety first!

      --
      ...wearing a skin-tight topless leather jumpsuit, with cutaway buttocks and transparent crotch panel.
    6. Re:after reading the various links... by lamp540 · · Score: 1

      >As for how "annoying 'victimized' OSS authors can act", you have to have created something to understand the pain of someone else taking it away.

      No one took anything away. You can't steal information.

  15. Call me uninformed... by locknloll · · Score: 1

    ...but I've actually never heard of one single case where MicroBSD was used in an enterprise-critical environment. The other BSD trees are actually quite well-known... I'd like to see some interesting examples. If there aren't any, well, then it's probably no big loss.

    --
    -- Power corrupts, but PowerPoint corrupts absolutely.
    1. Re:Call me uninformed... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      the name "MicroBSD" sounds exactly like what you would use in an enterprise-critical environment, rite?

    2. Re:Call me uninformed... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Insightful

      Ya, and I have never heard of an Estes Rocket launching a satelite, nor have I heard of an Atlas Rocket doing so while still under construction.

  16. ok, I'll bite... by Horny+Smurf · · Score: 1, Interesting
    Given the nature of the BSD license (w/o the advertising clause), I fail to see how modifying the copyright notices is copyright infringement. The same for GPL, as long as the new code is still GPL.


    Could someone enlighten me?

    1. Re:ok, I'll bite... by GammaTau · · Score: 1

      Given the nature of the BSD license (w/o the advertising clause), I fail to see how modifying the copyright notices is copyright infringement. The same for GPL, as long as the new code is still GPL.

      I admit that I don't know how the copyright issues go here. But one thing that I'm wondering is if they have been close to committing a simple fraud.

      If I'm selling a CD that has free software source code I haven't written and I claim that I've written all the source, isn't that like selling oranges when I'm saying I'm selling apples? I've not seen the MicroBSD project selling any CD's but sooner or later issues like this might have become a problem.

    2. Re:ok, I'll bite... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      your a dumbass.

      READ the copyright notice.

    3. Re:ok, I'll bite... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The respective licenses only cover distribution and modifications. The original authors retain copright. Retaining copyright allows the author(s) to do whatever they want with the code. The original authors could sell the code to another entity under a different license if they chose.It also maintains the origianl authors' right to sue for copyright infringement.

      The one thing that I'm not sure of is what you do when you make significant enhancements to the original code. Does that mean, you change the copyright to include a statement acknowledging your copyrighted portions?

    4. Re:ok, I'll bite... by poisoneleven · · Score: 1

      The problem with their use of the code isn't the actual use of the code. There is a problem with changing the copyright, it'd be like taking some GPL'd code and signing your name to it. Yes, you are allowed to use the code but the authors name still belongs on his parts.

    5. Re:ok, I'll bite... by Richerd+Stallman · · Score: 0

      Yes. I'll enlighten you. If I ever find that you've changed the copyright on *any* GPL code, you *will* receive a notice from my sweetheart, Eben Moglen.

    6. Re:ok, I'll bite... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Simple, the Copyright owner is who licenses the code. BSD and GPL lets you use and modify the code, it is NOT your code, if you want that level of freedom its called "public domain". The person who owns the code is free to set the license. If it wasn't this way completely circumventing the GPL would be a two step process. 1) Change the name on the copyright to you. 2) change the license (which the copyright holder can do).

    7. Re:ok, I'll bite... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Hey 'Richerd', who are you trying to fool with this imaginary 'Eben Moglen' character? It's so obvious when you realize that's an anagram of 'Me bone Glen'. So how long have you and 'Glen' been seeing each other?

    8. Re:ok, I'll bite... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      your a dumbass.

      Classic Slashdot! I think you're the dumb-ass. (shrug)

    9. Re:ok, I'll bite... by __past__ · · Score: 1
      I fail to see how modifying the copyright notices is copyright infringement.

      Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without modification, are permitted provided that the following conditions are met:

      • Redistributions of source code must retain the above copyright notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer.
      • Redistributions in binary form must reproduce the above copyright notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer in the documentation and/or other materials provided with the distribution.
      • ...

      What part of it is hard to understand?

    10. Re:ok, I'll bite... by Coward+the+Anonymous · · Score: 1
      If I'm selling a CD that has free software source code I haven't written and I claim that I've written all the source, isn't that like selling oranges when I'm saying I'm selling apples?


      No, it's more like selling Moby Dick and scratching out Herman Melville's name and writting yours underneath.
      --
      -- Jason
    11. Re:ok, I'll bite... by KewlPC · · Score: 1

      Claiming that you own the copyright to something, when you do in fact not own said copyright, is a violation of copyright laws in the US.

      You could probably get in trouble for fraud, too, if any money changed hands, like selling MicroBSD CDs.

  17. Message from MicroBSD.net by scottj · · Score: 5, Informative

    www.MicroBSD.net has the following announcement:

    The MicroBSD Project has Shut Down! All works have been removed.

    To the OpenBSD developers, There was no intent to modify any copyright in the CVS tree. We have publically acknowledged the issue and have shut down this project. We apologize for the inconvience and commotion this has caused the BSD community. It was never our intent to be at odds with anyone in the community to start. All MicroBSD code has been removed from our servers. The web site will go away. The project will cease to exist. This decision is based on time, efforts involved, the lack of developers, and lack of interest. I personally do not have the time, nor am I inclined to continue with a project that has caused this much negativity in the community.

    At the suggestions from various repected people in the industry who supported us, we are sorry. We feel it is not in the best interest of the project to continue its exitance. To those that opposed us from the start, We will just go away as you wish.

    Specific developer(s) who committed files with those copyright violations were planning on rectifying the issues. Instead, I have decided to completely remove the source tree and all traces of code commited.

    There is currently no CVS, cvsweb or downloads available due to a copyright issue being brought to our attention. We have ceased all development activity to address the issue and remove any violations from the cvs tree. This was an unfortunate oversight on our part, and was not intended to violate any copyright issues. We have taken pain staking measures to be sure to not modify/violate any copyrights. We assure you this copyright issue, was an oversight on our part and was not intentional.

    In closing we simply ask the the community carry on as it were, and all person(s) with MicroBSD installed, Please remove the code, and install OpenBSD. We will be providing locations to the various apsect of code we had initially committed in features to get the project off the ground before we continued with our planned unique additons to the BSD community. As of now there will be no further contributions to the BSD community as a whole. In closing, Again we apologize for such oversights, and have removed all code.

    --
    .-.--
    1. Re:Message from MicroBSD.net by PSaltyDS · · Score: 1

      At the suggestions from various repected people in the industry,...

      ...most of which were anatomicly impossible anyway,...

      Is this where the sig goes?

      --
      Any technology distinguishable from magic is insufficiently advanced. - Geek's corollary to Clarke's law
    2. Re:Message from MicroBSD.net by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

      and all person(s) with MicroBSD installed, Please remove the code

      I love the "person(s)" part. It implies that he is not sure if there is more than one person with it actually installed.

    3. Re:Message from MicroBSD.net by stonedCoder · · Score: 1

      Well that seems pretty open and straightforward. Respect for clarifying things.

      --
      ermmm... don't take any notice of me... I'm too old...
    4. Re:Message from MicroBSD.net by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I thought OpenBSD was open. With a very free license and the GPL was restrictive and taking away rights? Not?

    5. Re:Message from MicroBSD.net by scottj · · Score: 1

      The BSD license states that you can do whatever you want with the code as long as you maintain the copyright notices. MicroBSD was changing "OpenBSD" to "MicroBSD" in the copyright notices of many of their files.

      --
      .-.--
    6. Re:Message from MicroBSD.net by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You can hear the slurping sound as he sucks on Ted The Rat's big wang between each phrase of that announcement.

    7. Re:Message from MicroBSD.net by rhizome · · Score: 1

      "Persons" can be used to refer to a number of discrete individuals.

      --
      When I was a kid, we only had one Darth.
    8. Re:Message from MicroBSD.net by Sabalon · · Score: 1

      Cut & Paste
      Global Search & Replace

      Two very dangerous tools when coding :)

    9. Re:Message from MicroBSD.net by KewlPC · · Score: 1

      Writing "to all the person(s) using MicroBSD" is the equivalent of writing "to the person or persons using MicroBSD" and is indicative that the author of that statement didn't know if more than one person actually used MicroBSD.

  18. Disputes by RazzleDazzle · · Score: 2, Interesting
    There are many disputes over this topic on the openbsd misc mailing list. The lead developer of MBSD, Outback Dingo, claims all modifications which violate the copyright were unintentionally done. There is fairly good circumstantial proof that it was intentional because of examples like:
    • where they state they are the developers of OpenSSH
    • where their sendbug command e-mails gnats@openbsd.org
    • man release..... "See http://www.openbsd.org/anoncvs.html for instructions on fetching the sources for the first time...."
    • I enabled Apache and much to my surprise the page had OpenBSD logo's with "MicroBSD" alt tags!
    You get the idea. If you have the OS (I am sure it will be available somewhere, check the mirrors still) read '$man 1 banner' for a good laugh, from Miod Vallat
    --
    ZERO ZERO ONE ZERO ONE ZERO ONE ONE! Just brushing up for my next big invention: Ethernet over Voice (EoV)
    1. Re:Disputes by scottj · · Score: 1

      I don't have the OS, but I read the bit on misc@openbsd.org last night about the `man 1 banner` humor. I'm dying to know what that manpage says. Could you post the humorous exerpt?

      --
      .-.--
    2. Re:Disputes by schon · · Score: 4, Insightful

      There is fairly good circumstantial proof that it was intentional because of examples like:

      Actually, these examples all seem like proof that it was unintentional.

      Think about it. You want to fork a project, one of the first things you do is change the name. The simplest way to do that is with "s/OpenBSD/MicroBSD/g" - but oops, you forgot that this would also change all of the copyright notices.

      This would explain every single one of your examples (case-sensitivity in the web and email addresses, and it wouldn't change any graphics, but it would change the alt-tag.)

      It certainly seems unintentional to me. If they really had intended to breach copyright, wouldn't they have changed every text instance, and deleted stuff they couldn't change easily (like the OpenBSD logo)?

    3. Re:Disputes by scottj · · Score: 1

      Never mind. Somebody already posted it.

      --
      .-.--
    4. Re:Disputes by c13v3rm0nk3y · · Score: 2, Interesting

      I hate to split hairs, but running a global search and replace (which appears to not have been done, or done on a regular basis as they sucked more OBSD code in) is an intentional action. You have to know you are going to clobber some copyright strings that must remain untouched (to comply with the very terms of the copyright).

      Even the OBSD folks keep the old NetBSD CVS tags in the code, and often keep the old comments in the header files, adding their own after them.

      The reason for all the furor seems to be that there appears to be some amount of disingenuousness with the changes that were made.

      OpenBSD has a very clear copyright policy and do regular license audits. I don't know if the MicroBSD people should be held up to the same standards or not, but the point many people are making is that the OpenBSD source is not in the public domain. Certainly some of it is, but not all.

      I get the feeling that perhaps some of the MicroBSD people knew what they were doing all too well, while others didn't really consider the implications.

      I mean, there were changes to source that were nothing but changes to the copyright string (the Pentium MTRR code, for example). Perhaps this can be attributed to a mindless global sed command. It's still pretty irresponsible.

      Well, what would the OpenBSD project be without regular kerfuffles like this...

      --
      -- clvrmnky
    5. Re:Disputes by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Interesting

      I worked with "Outback Dingo" in the past, and his best skills are at self-promotion and marketing--and his worst skills are undoubtedly technical. In two years as a "software architect," he made exactly zero changes to our company's code base, showed fundamental lack of understanding between BSD and GPL licenses, and constantly urged us to write "flamboyant code" and to give our product better "authentification" ability.

      I don't doubt MicroBSD was well-intentioned, but he is simply not capable of pulling off a true new distribution, and it doesn't surprise me at all that he stepped on toes. It also bluntly wouldn't surprise me if his original hope had been to be able to sell MicroBSD without giving any direct credit to the work he used--something that the company we were both at was unfortunately very good at. (They still don't admit that their "internet gateway appliance" is a rackmount PC running FreeBSD unless they're forced to, and for a long time pretended that it was running its own OS entirely. IIRC, Outback Dingo said he was going to write an OS on his own to replace it, but that was one of those many projects he seemed to suffer mysterious hard drive failures on.)

    6. Re:Disputes by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Quit your whining, already. You sound like a little girl, crying because her brother accidently stepped on one of her stuffed toys.

    7. Re:Disputes by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It was not intentional.

      I was involved in the MBSD project for a short while, i was porting apps (and the OBSD ports framework) to MBSD, which for most apps only meant to change docs and add MBSD as an OS target.

      Already back then (Summer/Fall 2002), i was urged not to simply replace references to OBSD with such to MBSD, but rather add MicroBSD where needed (documentation, #define's, configure scripts, Makefiles and things like that).

      This was pretty obvious to me, but apparently it wasn't for other developers. The perl regexp in some comment above illustrates that pretty well.

      It was just foolishness and quite a good deal of laziness, nothing more.

      I still don't understand though why the project has completely shut down.

    8. Re:Disputes by castlan · · Score: 1

      "I hate to split hairs, but running a global search and replace (which appears to not have been done, or done on a regular..."

      "...example). Perhaps this can be attributed to a mindless global sed command. It's still pretty irresponsible. "

      If you hate to split hairs, then I'd hate to split your head open, but "I get the feeling that perhaps" your entire post was shit, and I don't mind burning karma to point that out to you and any moderators with an ounce of sense. I would give all of my karma to be able to smack you upside the head just once.

      Your post reeked less of a clever monkey then a zombie parrot. No, wait, your hollow innuendos and insightful link to openbsd.org transformed your comment into a valuable piece of insight. A mistaken search and replace was actually a sinister plot to defame OpenBSD.

      Your post was also irresponsible - it was self contradictory. Yet it contained slightly less text than the source code for an OS, and you couldn't be beothered to briefly check over it.

      "I don't know if /MicroBSD/c13v3rm0nk3y/ should be held up to the same standards or not..." You are utterly nauseating.
      "The reason for all the furor seems to be that there appears to be some amount of disingenuousness with the..." baseless accusations you make to excuse persecuting an innocent mistake.

      Do the world a favor and Open Source your internal organs.

    9. Re:Disputes by c13v3rm0nk3y · · Score: 1

      Good for you! Don't keep that rage in.

      Let it out, sunshine, let it out. Wouldn't want an opposing view threaten you with a burst blood vessel in your brain.

      --
      -- clvrmnky
    10. Re:Disputes by castlan · · Score: 1

      Thank you for providing a release. I really do feel better now.

      *phew*

      Although if you view really were an opposition, and not a party line, it really wouldn't have been as satisfying as it was.

  19. *ahem* by Atzanteol · · Score: 4, Funny

    BSD is dead!

    Appologies. :-)

    --
    "Ignorance more frequently begets confidence than does knowledge"

    - Charles Darwin
    1. Re:*ahem* by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      What about Stephen King?

    2. Re:*ahem* by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      errrr...., how do you know? I run a number of BSD servers at NASA. Just because of the "n" number of advantages they have over other OS-es. Number one would be, dummies like you, know shit about it.

    3. Re:*ahem* by caluml · · Score: 1

      Funny you should mention him actually...

      I think I read some where that he died today in his home. Some bizarre accident with a vacuum cleaner and a carrot if my memory serves me right. I'm sure it'll be on the news tonight...

    4. Re:*ahem* by MyHair · · Score: 1

      errrr...., how do you know? I run a number of BSD servers at NASA.

      Yeah, and look how that turned out.

      (In bad taste, but intended as a joke.)

  20. Re:NETCRAFT NOW CONFIRMS: by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Hey Troll...you left something here.

  21. BSD License would prevent a problem by nurb432 · · Score: 3, Insightful

    That is the core of the BSD license, as long as you give credit where it is due ,you can do what you want with the code, including selling it.

    So this doesn't really make since as a valid reason alone.

    --
    ---- Booth was a patriot ----
    1. Re:BSD License would prevent a problem by pknoll · · Score: 2, Informative
      Giving credit, sure. What they did, though, was alter the original copyright notices in the source code itself.

      You are -not- allowed to do that.

    2. Re:BSD License would prevent a problem by arvindn · · Score: 3, Informative
      That is the core of the BSD license, as long as you give credit where it is due ,you can do what you want with the code, including selling it.

      But you _can't_ claim it as your own.

      From http://marc.theaimsgroup.com/?l=openbsd-misc&m=104 570206117686&w=4
      You are STRONGLY urged to use ssh instead of telnet, rlogin, or rsh! ssh is included in all MicroBSD systems. The implementation is OpenSSH, which we are the developers of. (emphasis mine)

      So you see, they didn't give credit where credit is due.

    3. Re:BSD License would prevent a problem by stratjakt · · Score: 3, Informative

      They replaced the word OpenBSD with MicroBSD, and didnt take the time to proofread the rest of the text. They just needed to change 'we' to 'OpenBSD' and the problem is fixed.

      Much ado about nothing, a tempest in a teapot. OSS communities like to self destruct over the most minor issues.

      If it read "...OpenSSH, which we (we as in ME, stratjakt! If anyone from that slimeball group OpenBSD says different they're lying) are the developers of..." then it would be a lot easier to argue that it was done purposefully.

      In the end, just a few more developers no doubt leaving the BSD scene for good.

      --
      I don't need no instructions to know how to rock!!!!
    4. Re:BSD License would prevent a problem by ChadN · · Score: 1

      If they had expanded the "OpenBSD" to "OpenBSD/MicroBSD", and ONLY in the files where they actually made (non-trivial) additions or changes, then that would at least be potentially tolerable. But REPLACING the "OpenBSD" outright? Outrageous!

      If you can't see this, then write a book, and I'll distribute it with my name on it and not yours. Fair?

      Now, if the issue was restitution, then correcting the problem quickly would probably have been acceptable to most reasonable copyright holders (although, these are OpenBSD devleopers we are discussing). But the offense itself was significant, even if done naively.

      --
      "It's overkill, of course. But you can never have too much overkill." - Anonymous Slashdot Coward
  22. *BSD is dying! by bdesham · · Score: 0, Troll

    D00dz! *BSD sux0rz, it's dying so quick that...

    Wait, you mean it really is? Oops, never mind.

    --
    Alcohol and Calculus don't mix. Don't drink and derive.
    1. Re:*BSD is dying! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      what is funny is that on a bsd story one say bsd is dead marked up as funny... say the same thing about linux your a troll burned at the stake... what gives.

  23. News from their website ... by GreatOgre · · Score: 1

    When I click on their News1 link, I get:

    Not Found

    The requested URL /news.html was not found on this server.

    Additionally, a 404 Not Found error was encountered while trying to use an ErrorDocument to handle the request.


    So I guess no news != good news?

  24. Let's get this one out of the way by McGarnacle · · Score: 0, Troll

    [Mm]i[^([^c])r[1,1]oBSD is dying^Wdead!

    Bringing you meaningless regex's for 22 years.

    --

    I disagree with what you say, but will defend to the death your right to tell such LIES!

  25. Is... by EpsCylonB · · Score: 0, Troll

    BSD dying ? (ducks for cover).

  26. up and running... for now at least ;) by Traicovn · · Score: 1

    It's worth noting that, as of this story submission, the MicroBSD Web site is still up and running with no special notices.

    That's ok, the slashdot effect will eventually set in and then the site will no longer be up and running...

    --

    [Something witty and intelligent should have appeared here.]
    {Traicovn}
  27. a good start by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Interesting
    it's nice to see a failed project that is going nowhere admit it and give up. Unfortunately, sourceforge.net and savannah.gnu.org are full of many such projects that don't have teh good sense to throw in the towel.


    Hat's off to you. Winners never quit, and quitters never lose, but if you never win and never quit, you're just stupid

    1. Re:a good start by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      actually, sourceforge does not offer a way to close up a project and mark it as officially dead, or I'm sure it would have a lot less cruft.

    2. Re:a good start by OneFix · · Score: 1

      Umh, since when did they start telling ppl what to do with their project page? What keeps the author from editing the project comment text or opening a bug saying that the project is dead...yea, you would have to look for it, but it's not hard to do it for yourself...

      What would be helpful is an option to only show projects with files available...a lot of the projects on SourceForge are "wouldn't it be kewl if" projects...

  28. Got me thinking.... by Pharmboy · · Score: 4, Funny

    You know, when you steal something that is free to begin with, you have a problem.

    --
    Tequila: It's not just for breakfast anymore!
    1. Re:Got me thinking.... by namespan · · Score: 1

      And here I was thinking that the whole point of the @#!$%ing BSD license was that you could do whatever the hell you wanted with the code... build a baby mulcher, weapons of mass distraction, TCP/IP stack for an OS, or BSD distro that fits in a ramdisk. Or floppy. Or whatever.

      Yeah, I know, it's all about the copyright notice, because that is/was the sacrosanct part of the license -- you give a notice in your code. But seriously, if the above permissive attitude is the spirit of the law, couldn't someone at least have contacted the MicroBSD project privately and gotten this resolved without building up a big brouhaha? It sure looks like they'd've been willing to comply.

      --
      Libertarianism is rich wolves and poor sheep playing gambler's ruin for dinner.
    2. Re:Got me thinking.... by kfg · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Reputation is not free. It is "costly" to aquire (sometimes even financially) and devilishly difficult to maintain.

      This very instance may serve as a case in point of the latter.

      KFG

    3. Re:Got me thinking.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
      Elegy For *BSD

      I am a *BSD user
      and I try hard to be brave
      That is a tall order
      *BSD's foot is in the grave.

      I tap at my toy keyboard
      and whistle a happy tune
      but keeping happy's so hard,
      *BSD died so soon.

      Each day I wake and softly sob
      Nightfall finds me crying
      Not only am I a zit faced slob
      but *BSD is dying.
  29. Re:And this is differnt by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    And this is differnt than when some GNU/Linux user scrubbs a BSD copyright off exactly how?

    You mean like XFRisk 1.1 and 1.2?

  30. Sad to see it go, really by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Interesting

    MicroBSD was an interesting project, and if we Slashdotters don't kill the server completely, it's interesting to look around. However, looking at the infighting and piss-taking on the mailing lists, it's still apparent that there BSD crowd makes problems for itselves.

    Unfortunately there's too much of a "holier than thou" feeling amongst many BSD coders, but then again, getting rid of Matt Dillon (see earlier /. BSD story) won't help either. I want the BSDs to do well, but the community can be v. problematic...

    Here's an example. After using Linux for several years, I gave FreeBSD a try and was very impressed by the solid kernel and coherent userland. There were a few things I couldn't fathom out though, like getting USB joysticks working, and asking on the mailing lists or similar forums always got the same kind of responses: "Go back to Linux if you want that", "FreeBSD is brill and doesn't need to support it" etc.

    It's this zealotry, patronising attitude and belief that FreeBSD is the "one true OS" that is really damaging its acceptance. All OSes have their loudmouth advocates, but I've never seen anything like the hideous attitude that seems so common among FreeBSDers. And as said, it's all the more a shame because I was genuinely interested in the system and respected its good points.

    And note that I specifically say FreeBSD - I've found that OpenBSD and NetBSD users realise that their OS isn't going to be ideal for all situations, and don't feel threatened by alternatives. It's the stuck-up FreeBSD zealots who think their OS is better than *everything* that are the real problem.

    1. Re:Sad to see it go, really by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It's this zealotry, patronising attitude and belief

      As opposed to people who insist Linux be called GNU/Linux?

    2. Re:Sad to see it go, really by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I totally agree with you, even though I don't care about usb, and other less than traditional hardware. FB users should adopt the
      "if you can't beat them join them" say and try to become a more friendly community. I use it and most of my prefered apps were developed on Linux for Linux. Why that is so it's so obvious....

    3. Re:Sad to see it go, really by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      >> like getting USB joysticks working, and asking on the mailing lists or similar forums always got the same kind of responses: "Go back to Linux if you want that"

      That attitude blows my mind! Back when (not too long ago) the linux community was the same way about USB in general, and things like winmodems.

      "If you want USB run windoze!"

      What is about these people that they cant see the writing on the wall, and have no interest in supporting very common modern hardware.

    4. Re:Sad to see it go, really by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I've been following the FBSD mailing lists for 3 years now and have seldomly seen something happening as described in the AC's post.

      Perhaps the AC needed a lot of handholding, in which case something like bsdforums.org is more suitable.

      It occurs to me that unrelated events (verifiable? did the AC save those emails?) are just being blurred out together as to make a point.

      The only point made was probably YHBT anyway.

    5. Re:Sad to see it go, really by dinivin · · Score: 3, Informative


      Frankly, my experiencing have been the exact opposite with FreeBSD and Linux. FreeBSD users and developers have always been easier to approach and nicer to deal with.

      Dinivin

    6. Re:Sad to see it go, really by scottj · · Score: 1

      I consider myself to be a FreeBSD zealot. With the exception of a test box at the house which seems to have a different OS every week, all of my servers run FreeBSD. But I know that it's not the perfect OS for every job. That's why I run XP on my laptop and OSX on my G4.

      Don't diss the entire community because a few people on a FreeBSD list are rude. The BSD community has given a great deal to the public. And they have plenty more to offer.

      --
      .-.--
    7. Re:Sad to see it go, really by TheRaven64 · · Score: 2, Interesting

      belief that FreeBSD is the "one true OS"
      But it is :)
      "Go back to Linux if you want that"
      Really, I haven't found this. I've encountered more of a 'Yeah, sorry, that's a bit of a bitch at the moment. There's some code in -CURRENT that does that, and it should be in -STABLE by the next release.' attitude on FreeBSD users. One question relating to a NIC was answered with a diff to patch an existing driver to work. I've never seen the likes of that in the Linux community. On the other hand I have seen 'Linux users shouldn't use crappy win-modems. We won't support them, and you shouldn't use them. Go back to Windows if you want to use hardware you actually own, or buy a new modem for 3-4x the price you paid for your current one to get Linux support'. My home machine dual boots FreeBSD and Win2k (should that be GNU/Windows, since I have cygwin + The Gimp installed?) and I can often stay in FBSD for days without having to boot back to windows. On the other hand I can only handle Linux in small doses (I admin a Linux network, and it is often a joy to leave it and go home).
      I have found a lot more zealots and bigots in the Linux community, especially the GNU/Debian crowd. So many that I now make a point of actively not using Debian because I have no desire to be associated with (what I hope is) the vocal minority of 'One OS to Bring them all, and in the darkenss bind them' evangelists.

      --
      I am TheRaven on Soylent News
    8. Re:Sad to see it go, really by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Pah, FreeBSD sux and debian rocks!..., ek, OK, point taken

    9. Re:Sad to see it go, really by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      What was interesting about it. MicroBSD didnt have USB Joystick support. THey didnt have Matt Dillon, they didnt have anything but a cut and paste job on OpenBSD. How can you possibly compare the 2.

      And just to rub it in a bit

      uhid0: Logitech WingMan Attack 2, rev 1.10/0.a0, addr 2, iclass 3/0

      And to think I didnt even try to get it working. It just magically popped there. Works great with xmame too!

      I bet you didnt even look at the microbsd project.

    10. Re:Sad to see it go, really by joshua404 · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Here's an example. After using Linux for several years, I gave FreeBSD a try and was very impressed by the solid kernel and coherent userland. There were a few things I couldn't fathom out though, like getting USB joysticks working, and asking on the mailing lists or similar forums always got the same kind of responses: "Go back to Linux if you want that", "FreeBSD is brill and doesn't need to support it" etc.

      It's this zealotry, patronising attitude and belief that FreeBSD is the "one true OS" that is really damaging its acceptance.


      Golly, now perhaps you understand what longtime Windows users are made to feel like when they ask similar questions of the Linux community!

      A taste of one's own medicine, I'd say.

    11. Re:Sad to see it go, really by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You're correct. Sorry.

    12. Re:Sad to see it go, really by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Usually the "if you want Linux, you know where to find it" -type comments in FreeBSD stem from things like design philosophy issues, not hardware support.

      To illustrate, I'll take a specific (although not recent) example - compared to Linux, FreeBSD has pretty much eliminated the /proc -filesystem rather than putting everything imaginable there.

      The Linux /proc -filesystem has advantages and disadvantages.

      On one hand, formatting data for human-readable presentation doesn't belong in the kernel. Either you're providing multiple, redundant interfaces to access certain data or your userland is parsing human-readable data in order to process and present it again.

      On the other hand, if you don't know specific commands to examine various aspects of the state of a system, you might find something useful just by browsing /proc on Linux.

      Personally, I think that the best solution would be for the kernel to support a low-level interface to the data, but have an integrated, easy-to-use userland utility to browse the data, either through a tool or through mounting a filesystem based on a userland server similar to the Linux /proc -filesystem.

      Admittedly, I haven't been following FreeBSD development actively for a few years.

    13. Re:Sad to see it go, really by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      see answer given above. we are outnumbered by linux zealots even if *we* as BSD users are not zealots whether we are or not we'll be labeled as such anyway.

      They're the same people that would hunt "terrorists" or whatever. Majority rules even in minorities. "If you're not with us you're against us" is something that appears to easily get a foothold in any group or community. I suspect its inversely proportional with actual knowledge or merit but one it flies, boy does it fly...

      (the american mindset in a nutshell?)

    14. Re:Sad to see it go, really by TKinias · · Score: 1

      scripsit TheRaven64:

      On the other hand I have seen 'Linux users shouldn't use crappy win-modems. We won't support them, and you shouldn't use them. Go back to Windows if you want to use hardware you actually own, or buy a new modem for 3-4x the price you paid for your current one to get Linux support'.

      Not trolling, just don't know -- does FreeBSD support winmodems? I always assumed not, because the issue of not having the specs to write drivers should be the same as for Linux. Your comment implies that they do, however; can you expand?

      --
      In principio creauit Linus Linucem.
    15. Re:Sad to see it go, really by Hewligan · · Score: 1

      I've never actually run any of the BSDs, so take this with the sizable pinch of salt it deserves. However, my understanding is that FreeBSD supports most of the hardware for which there are open source drivers for linux. I guess the reasons for that are pretty obvious.

      In terms of winmodems, Linux actually supports quite a few of them, these days. Hell, I'm using a Linux supported winmodem now.

      But, a lot of the linux drivers for winmodems are binary only - which means that they're only supported by FreeBSD if the manufacturers also released a FreeBSD binary. Which they don't. Having said that, there are open source drivers for at least some of the winmodems, so I would assume that FreeBSD supports at least some of them.

      The point was, though, that while a particular winmodem may be supported, the response you often get for asking for assistance with getting one working, particularly in certain areas of the Linux community, is less than helpful.

      --

      "If God created us in his own image, we have more than reciprocated"

  31. Sad news ... MicroBSD dead at 55 by The+Evil+Couch · · Score: 2, Funny

    I just heard some sad news on talk radio - Operating System MicroBSD was found dead in its Maine home this morning. There weren't any more details. I'm sure everyone in the Slashdot community will miss it - even if you didn't enjoy its work, there's no denying its contributions to tech culture. Truly an American icon.

    1. Re:Sad news ... MicroBSD dead at 55 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
      The Elegy For *BSD

      I am a *BSD user
      and I try hard to be brave
      That is a tall order
      *BSD's foot is in the grave.

      I tap at my toy keyboard
      and whistle a happy tune
      but keeping happy's so hard,
      *BSD died so soon.

      Each day I wake and softly sob
      Nightfall finds me crying
      Not only am I a zit faced slob
      but *BSD is dying.
    2. Re:Sad news ... MicroBSD dead at 55 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      That was truly touching.

      Perhaps it is ironic that while I am typing this on (extended eval ver) W2K, I am installing FreeBSD 5 as a vmware virtual machine.

      The 98 vm is going to run on Redhat 8.

  32. MicroBSD is Dying! by goodEvans · · Score: 1
    In other news:
    • MicroSlashdot is Dying!
    • MicroApple is Dying!
    • MicroStephen King is Dead!
    • MicroNatalie MicroPortman with MicroHot MicroGrits down her MicroPants!

    That's all folks!

  33. Great opportunity by Bob+Abooey · · Score: 0
    This could be viewed as good thing for any aspiring coders out there who want to take over the project. I mean this pretty much falls in line with the whole open source concept that these projects can never really die.


    If you're a top flight coder who is looking to make a name for yourself then this could be your big opportunity.

    --

    All the best,
    --Bob

    1. Re:Great opportunity by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
      It is official; Netcraft now confirms: *BSD is dying

      One more crippling bombshell hit the already beleaguered *BSD community when IDC confirmed that *BSD market share has dropped yet again, now down to less than a mere fraction of 1 percent of all servers. Coming on the heels of a recent Netcraft survey which plainly states that *BSD has lost more market share, this news serves to reinforce what we've known all along. *BSD is collapsing in complete disarray, as fittingly exemplified by failing dead last in the recent Sys Admin comprehensive networking test.

      You don't need to be a Kreskin to predict *BSD's future. The hand writing is on the wall: *BSD faces a bleak future. In fact there won't be any future at all for *BSD because *BSD is dying. Things are looking very bad for *BSD. As many of us are already aware, *BSD continues to lose market share. Red ink flows like a river of blood.

      FreeBSD is the most endangered of them all, having lost 93% of its core developers. The sudden and unpleasant departures of long time FreeBSD developers Jordan Hubbard and Mike Smith only serve to underscore the point more clearly. There can no longer be any doubt: FreeBSD is dying.

      Let's keep to the facts and look at the numbers.

      OpenBSD leader Theo states that there are 7000 users of OpenBSD. How many users of NetBSD are there? Let's see. The number of OpenBSD versus NetBSD posts on Usenet is roughly in ratio of 5 to 1. Therefore there are about 7000/5 = 1400 NetBSD users. BSD/OS posts on Usenet are about half of the volume of NetBSD posts. Therefore there are about 700 users of BSD/OS. A recent article put FreeBSD at about 80 percent of the *BSD market. Therefore there are (7000+1400+700)*4 = 36400 FreeBSD users. This is consistent with the number of FreeBSD Usenet posts.

      Due to the troubles of Walnut Creek, abysmal sales and so on, FreeBSD went out of business and was taken over by BSDI who sell another troubled OS. Now BSDI is also dead, its corpse turned over to yet another charnel house.

      All major surveys show that *BSD has steadily declined in market share. *BSD is very sick and its long term survival prospects are very dim. If *BSD is to survive at all it will be among OS dilettante dabblers. *BSD continues to decay. Nothing short of a miracle could save it at this point in time. For all practical purposes, *BSD is dead.

      Fact: *BSD is dying

  34. Re:Great White... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    LOLLERCOASTER...... al-quesadilla LOL!!!!!!!! He he he he ur making me laugher! Help1 LOL! mjjjjhjjj stop it heh1!!

  35. Irc server still online. by mrkitty · · Score: 1

    ùíù Topic (#MicroBSD): The MicroBSD Project has shutdown!
    ùíù Topic (#MicroBSD): set by Dingo at Thu Feb 20 22:56:12 2003
    Doing a list of channels craploads of warez channels pop up. Looks like a kid seeking fame.

    --
    Believe me, if I started murdering people, there would be none of you left.
  36. best sample of search and replace... by vectrex · · Score: 5, Interesting

    % man 1 banner
    gives out: banner(1)
    (can't paste it here, I get that lameness junk filter because of all those # characters).

    1. Re:best sample of search and replace... by mdb31 · · Score: 3, Funny

      This reminds me of the manual for the Commodore VIC20, where the body text had been localized, but the screenshots were still all in the original English. Especially in the 'introduction to BASIC' section, this had some interesting effects:

      PRINT "REGENBOOG"
      RAINBOW

      Very impressive level of machine translation going on there for a box with just a few kilobytes of RAM...

  37. Actually... by OrbNobz · · Score: 1

    None of thier links from the main page work.
    All child pages went 404.
    FYI

  38. Update - they have notice on website by blunte · · Score: 1

    They have a statement on their website about closing the project now...

    --
    .sigs are for post^Hers.
  39. what horrible luck by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    they did the one thing that the BSD license doesn't allow!

    they must have stepped under a ladder or something.

  40. OK, i stand corrected. by nurb432 · · Score: 1

    However I don't think it was intentional, I have followed the project since its beginning, and I don't see the group as doing something misleading like that intentionally...

    More then likely it was just somone being sloppy... and should be correctable to the other parties satisfaction.. ( and be more careful in the future )

    --
    ---- Booth was a patriot ----
    1. Re:OK, i stand corrected. by scottj · · Score: 1

      If this truly was a mistake, it would have been easily corrected. And the OpenBSD community would have certainly accepted a fork that gave proper credit. But that's not what happened.

      Based upon the writings of the MicroBSD project lead, it is my opinion that the members of the project felt that it was in the best interest of their reputations to simply eliminate the project and focus their efforts elsewhere. The bad press was just too much for them.

      --
      .-.--
    2. Re:OK, i stand corrected. by The+Real+Programmer · · Score: 1

      Do you think that people as sloppy as that have anywhere near the intelligence and attention to detail needed to write a secure OS?

  41. How unfortunate... by PincheGab · · Score: 1

    This pissing match has resulted in a net loss for open source. Open source is limited only by the egos involved.

  42. File not found. Don't you mean this? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    You were looking for this document, right?

    I just wanted to emphasize the magnification of your post, because you obviously were unable to provide the proper URL. :)

  43. MicroBSD is Dead! Oh wait... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    Netcraft said so, so it must be true!

  44. winmodems by moncyb · · Score: 2, Insightful

    I don't know what people were complaining about USB or why (probably the usual trolls), but so many people against winmodems because of legitimate reasons--I think so anyway.

    • Winmodems are crap -- they are not modems. They are just soundcards with a telephone jack connector. This allows them to be cheaply made, but at the expense of using lots of CPU time on your computer. It's like getting a processor downgrade.
    • The manufacturers of these modems didn't want to give out any specs and as usual didn't produce any non-windows drivers. It's hard to write a driver when the manufacturer keeps the interface secret.
    • Even if they got the hardware specs, writing a driver for this things would be very difficult. As I said, they are not modems, so the driver code has to process the signal to understand anything and produce signal data to send anything.
    • I think at one point, some company was claiming a patent on the method for coding the signal, or something essential anyway...

    This caused a very anti-winmodem sentiment in much of the Linux community. I remember one guy announced he was trying to create a windmodem driver. He got flamed bigtime for it too. I didn't see why any anti-winmodem people should care if someone tried to write a driver, but they were'nt just "winmodems suck" posts, many of them were more like "proprietary winmodems are against free software." I wouldn't be surprised if RMS himself didn't make some anti-winmodem announcement somewhere...

    1. Re:winmodems by La+Temperanza · · Score: 1

      The funny thing is how, instead of going up in arms against propietary and closed software, the BSD world redirects its sentiment to bitchfests about the GNU toolchain and its "viral communist licensing." Then they use it anyway.

      Every so often, though, someone tries to convince the distros they should be using TenDRA instead of gcc.

      --

      --
      est modus in rebus
    2. Re:winmodems by unspecified+poltroon · · Score: 1
      Winmodems are crap -- they are not modems.
      but they were'nt just "winmodems suck" posts

      Good to know they don't suck.

      Too bad they're crap.

    3. Re:winmodems by quigonn · · Score: 1

      And what most BSD people do not know is that BSD relies on gcc for a _very_ long time. The last time I saw a 4.3BSD installation (yeah, original BSD, not FreeBSD or something), the only C compiler that came with it was an old version of gcc.

      --
      A monkey is doing the real work for me.
  45. Note this is not PicoBSD by GlobalEcho · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Whew -- for a minute I thought this was an article referring to a bizarre fallout with PicoBSD. PicoBSD is a neat little FreeBSD-on-a-single-floppy distro. Kind of an equivalent to Linux's admirable Leaf Project.

    1. Re:Note this is not PicoBSD by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Interesting

      Unfortunately, the development of PicoBSD (which I like) doesn't seem to be going anywhere. The old page was last updated sometime in 1998 and now they got this new one up and running 6 months ago, with no changes at all. A shame really.

    2. Re:Note this is not PicoBSD by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      PicoBSD has been "merged" in a sense into the FreeBSD operating system. A "man picobsd" on a FreeBSD system will yield further details. Sadly the first thing one finds when web searching for PicoBSD is the out of date website.

    3. Re:Note this is not PicoBSD by AlephNot · · Score: 1

      If "micro" is a million times bigger than "pico", does that mean that you needed a million floppies to hold MicroBSD? *rimshot*

      --
      "Feel a glory in so rolling / on the human heart a stone" --E. A. Poe, "The Bells"
    4. Re:Note this is not PicoBSD by dohcvtec · · Score: 1

      Whew -- for a minute I thought this was an article referring to a bizarre fallout with PicoBSD
      Why on Earth would you think that? The title clearly states "MicroBSD Is No More." Not PicoBSD, MicroBSD. And I haven't seen any other comments that confused MicroBSD with PicoBSD, so what's your point?

      --
      -- Never hit a man with glasses. Hit him with a baseball bat.
    5. Re:Note this is not PicoBSD by GlobalEcho · · Score: 1

      Well, I thought that because I haven't used it for a while, having switched to LEAF. And I never even heard of MicroBSD. So when I parsed BSD, I immediately thought it was my former darling.

      I thought others may have had the same problem. It's not exactly like there's a lot of discussion of either Pico- or Micro-, you know.

      Satisfied?

  46. BSD community, uh not.... by jsimon12 · · Score: 1

    Yes, these guys really screwed the pooch, not doubt about that, same source with the MicroBSD stamp on it, can't question that.

    What is stupid is the way this was handled. Rather then acting like adults Theo and others make personal attacks, against projects, against persons etc. WTF? From everything I have seen all the BSD projects seem to simply be full of arrogant babies. Grow up guys, grow the fuck up.

    1. Re:BSD community, uh not.... by bsdbigot · · Score: 3, Informative

      The heart of the BSD license, IMHO, is the "advertising clause." It means that you can do whatever you want with my code, so long as you recognize that I wrote the code. What the MicroBSD project managed to accomplish was a wholesale ripoff job, intentional or not. The "work" at MicroBSD violated the only real restriction on the OpenBSD code, which is the advertising clause.

      Theo has done a tremendous amount of work over the years, and arguably his work has contributed not just to the BSD community, but to the open source community as a whole. The man has principles, and he sticks to them. He is hard core. So, it really bugs me to hear people like you complaining about his whining when what he's really doing is standing up for his principles (and his code). I wonder if you feel the same way about RMS; He's always "crying" about the GNU/Linux designation...

      --
      main(){char I,l,O[]={'-',1-1,0,(1<<5)-1,0+'-',-10-1,-10,11-0,- 1,-100};for(I=l=0;l<10+0;put
    2. Re:BSD community, uh not.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Informative

      Well, remember that Theo was forced to resign from NetBSD for the same reason: rude behaviour towards other users and developers. I think the way this was handled, like the OpenBSD fork of NetBSD, says more about Theo than about the BSD community in general.

    3. Re:BSD community, uh not.... by SecretAsianMan · · Score: 1
      The heart of the BSD license, IMHO, is the "advertising clause."

      I don't see how, considering that the advertising clause was removed some time ago.

      --

      Washington, DC: It's like Hollywood for ugly people.

    4. Re:BSD community, uh not.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      So true. Theo has a tendency to do that with everyone--NetBSD, SSH, and everyone who doesn't think that Theo is god.

      Which is most people who are calm.

      I've heard horror stories of people dealing with Theo. Yes, he's done a lot for open source, but with his big mouth constantly running and his childish attitude, you have to wonder why people put up with his crap.

      On the other hand, you have Dug Song who has contributed just as much if not more--and doesn't act like a two year old every time he doesn't get his way.

    5. Re:BSD community, uh not.... by bsdbigot · · Score: 1

      Good point. I was mistaken. The clause I was referring to goes like this:

      Redistributions of source code must retain the above copyright notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer.

      This effectively says you must preserve the YEAR and OWNER fields associated with the copyright. It's the part that says "I did this."

      --
      main(){char I,l,O[]={'-',1-1,0,(1<<5)-1,0+'-',-10-1,-10,11-0,- 1,-100};for(I=l=0;l<10+0;put
    6. Re:BSD community, uh not.... by Arandir · · Score: 1

      Rather then acting like adults Theo and others make personal attacks, against projects, against persons etc.

      WTF are you talking about! Did you even bother to read the thread? Of course not, you're a slashdot reader. No slashdot reader ever bothers to inform themselves.

      Here is what Theo said: "I'm now going to step aside and let our user community decide how do deal with such copyright violations."

      This was the post that started it all. Doesn't sound like personal attacks to me. In fact, the only personal attacks I can find were attacks on Theo.

      From everything I have seen all the BSD projects seem to simply be full of arrogant babies.

      Relatively speaking, everyone is an "arrogant baby" to someone else. No operating system is free from this. Certainly Linux, Windows and Mac fans are not free from this trait.

      I think Linux users should clean up their own interdistro arrogancy and ad-hominem attacks before they commence with dispensing Good Housekeeping tips to other free operating system projects.

      --
      A Government Is a Body of People, Usually Notably Ungoverned
    7. Re:BSD community, uh not.... by Qzukk · · Score: 1

      I wonder if you feel the same way about RMS

      Ironically, there are quite a few people who do.

      --
      If I have been able to see further than others, it is because I bought a pair of binoculars.
  47. was it the name? by axxackall · · Score: 1

    Lindows has a problem, b/c the giant doesn't like the sound of it. Was it the reason here? Many people might be confused: MicroBSD = MICROsoft BSD.

    --

    Less is more !
    1. Re:was it the name? by TeknoHog · · Score: 1
      > MicroBSD = MICROsoft BSD.

      where BSD = Blue Screen of Death.

      Oh, by the way, [micro]BSD is dead!

      --
      Escher was the first MC and Giger invented the HR department.
    2. Re:was it the name? by axxackall · · Score: 1
      Moderation is silver; replying is golden; trolling is palladium

      Palladium is a very heavy metal. It may drag you down :)

      But it won't make [micro]BSD alive :)

      --

      Less is more !
  48. Why bother with the small fish? by iamacat · · Score: 3, Interesting
    Lindows charges lots of money for a dervitive or Linux and Wine might well be in violation of GPL because they make it so difficult to get the source. If you follow links they suggest, it asks you to buy their stuff before getting source code of the GPLed components. No word on what to do if I got a Walmart PC. There are links on their website that could mislead users to think that Lindows is just a regular commercial product with no extra obligations to customers.

    I hope GPL will be modified to require the source to be as easily available and featured as binaries and to be usable on it's own without any commercial software added on. Like Darwin distributions from Apple, not obscure changes that do not compile and do not explain what was done.

    1. Re:Why bother with the small fish? by dfcox530 · · Score: 1

      I've wondered about this myself. How come no one is up in arms about Lindows. I scoured the website for a mention of how to obtain the source but can't find it anywhere. Is it included when you buy the product because if it's not then isn't that a violation of the GPL. I'm sure it's all on the up and up since theres no uproar over it.

    2. Re:Why bother with the small fish? by WickedLittleSlaveBoy · · Score: 1

      totally off-topic, but try this:

      ftp://130.94.123.237/

      Lindows does give ftp access to at least some(if not all, no time or interest to compare packages vs. src packages) of the sources via a link('Modified source code.') in the "My Products" page after you've registered. considering they just use an IP, I guess they don't want it to be common knowledge, but do indeed make sources available.

      however, they're under no obligation to give sources to the general public under the GPL, or even provide source code with the distribution. the only thing they are required to do is provide source code IF you request it, then it must be made available under the GPL. the method of distributing the sources is not covered, either... you're just too used to the free as in beer approach that most distros take.

    3. Re:Why bother with the small fish? by WickedLittleSlaveBoy · · Score: 1

      err...

      "IF you request it"

      should be:

      "IF you request it and they distributed GPL licensed binaries to you in the first place."

    4. Re:Why bother with the small fish? by innocent_white_lamb · · Score: 1

      If you follow links they suggest, it asks you to buy their stuff before getting source code of the GPLed components.

      The GPL doesn't require them to give the source code to every Tom, Dick and Harriet. Just to those who purchase/obtain the software from them. Therefore, if you buy it from them, they have to give you the source code. Until then they can legitimately tell you to go jump off a cliff.

      No word on what to do if I got a Walmart PC.

      In that case I believe that Walmart would be required to give you the source code as they were the vendor that sold it to you.

      --
      If you're a zombie and you know it, bite your friend!
  49. The site is no more. by cyclist1200 · · Score: 2, Informative

    The site is down now, with a notice explaining the shutdown of the project.

  50. This is ridiculous by Lathiat · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Yeh OK so maybe there was a bunch of search & replace but christ everyone needs to start SOMEWHERE.
    Sure maybe someone did search and replace so they accidently replaced the copyright, maybe someone modified the copyright - what you need to realise is that there were many people with CVS commit and access and the founders probably didnt even look at the notices to check.
    Its also notable that alot of openbsd stuff is in there so they havent just done a mass search and replace rebadge and re-release.

    Obviously a rather fierce reaction was launched against the project to force them to act so abruptly, I don't see the problem with a polite "Excuse me you violated our copyright please fix it or we will XYZ" you should also reliase this is the open source community and events like this just shunt the initiative and creativity of people which shows a complete lack of maturity and disregard for the principles of open source and free software. It seems to be as if they were given no chance or time to fix the violations that existed and correct everything and felt forced to go away. Shame on anyone involved with that. You just crushed someone's dream.

    To everyone in the MicroBSD IRC channel and all the developers regardless i wish you the best you were a great bunch of guys to hang with while it lasted and we'll chat again some time, i bet on it.

    1. Re:This is ridiculous by amarodeeps · · Score: 1

      I don't know, I don't see why you should really be doing a lot of searching and replacing. Who cares if there is another project's name on some parts in the end, MicroBSD was about the whole package after all, right?

      For example, I just recently installed OS X on my old lombard. I was poking around in /etc and realized a lot of the config and scripts actually have OpenBSD there blatantly across the top. If the guys from Apple didn't feel the need to make those sorts of alterations, why did the MicroBSD folks need to? Seems a little fishy or at least kinda stupid.

    2. Re:This is ridiculous by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Theo did NOT hinder the MicroBSD project. He had some
      private email with one of their developers, and then let the
      OpenBSD community know about the situation.


      It seems like he did give them warning. They did have some time.

  51. I give it six months.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    and then you will see MicroLinux...

    Same bad time, same bad people...

  52. If they wanted to fork it by Julian+Morrison · · Score: 1

    ...then why didn't they just fork it? I thought the BSD licence allowed that.

    1. Re:If they wanted to fork it by methodic · · Score: 1

      well, technically they did, they just neglected to keep ALL copyright information in the source files. whether it was intentional or not, fact is a great project has gone down the tubes. unfortunate.

  53. it's amazing isn't it... by TerryAtWork · · Score: 1

    You give stuff away, and they still try to steal it.

    --
    It's Christmas everyday with BitTorrent.
    1. Re:it's amazing isn't it... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Isn't it amazing? You explain what happened, and no one on Slashdot listens and just assumes whatever they want.

  54. Re:Regarding *BSD in general... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I certainly agree with you as far as NetBSD and FreeBSD go. Linux security has a long way to go before it can touch OpenBSD, and until then, that is what I will use.

  55. Re:Regarding *BSD in general... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    That's a good point. So, why doesn't the *BSD community focus it's efforts on OpenBSD, rather than pooling so many resources into NetBSD and FreeBSD, which are seemingly pointless nowadays?

  56. It was stil in development, mistakes DO happen by nurb432 · · Score: 1

    It was not yet to a 'stable' or 'secure' state, they were only up to .6, and it was considerd BETA.

    The is part of the development process, getting rid of mistakes..

    Now a 1.0 'stable' release with typos would be unacceptable.. but they weren't there yet.

    --
    ---- Booth was a patriot ----
  57. Re:Regarding *BSD in general... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I agree. Look at Jordan Hubbard of FreeBSD fame. He left the FreeBSD project to go and work with Apple on it's OSX initiative and he's still there. FreeBSD is rock solid, but there is nothing amazing about it save its TCP/IP stack, which is the best in the industry. Hell, even Microsoft stole their TCP/IP stack. NetBSD is only good if you have a lot of diverse hardware, but who the hell wants to revive ancient hardware and run it short of a hobby. OpenBSD is truly, at this point, the only viable BSD game in town. Everyone else is superfluous. Like Linux, there shoulg only be one BSD kernel and then surround it with what ever you need to. The kernel is all that matters in any event. Userland can be anything.
    Withing five years, Linux will be the only game in town on the servers and Microsoft will still, most likely, have the lion's share of the desktop.

  58. Re:Regarding *BSD in general... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I completely agree, and I think that the BSD community should listen, or they'll face serious trouble in the future.

  59. I used to run a ... by TPS+Report · · Score: 4, Informative

    ... mirror of the MicroBSD files/iso images, but after some of the antics performed by the MicroBSD "team", I removed it.

    I liked some of the goals that MicroBSD had, but there were too many things I was uncomfortable with. There were "Anonymous" comments in various forums, giving praise and support to MicroBSD -- when in fact those comments were written by Outback Dingo. Failure to credit OpenBSD in any way when basically mirroring their source and customizing it (perhaps they've since added credit, but it was not originally so). The fact that the MicroBSD site was originally hosted on a "virtualhost" type server, provided by a volunteer, instead of being independently hosted.. not a big deal, but it still struck me as unprofessional.

    In the end, although I liked the premise of MicroBSD, I just didn't feel comfortable with the way it turned out, and ended up removing the mirror.

    --
    I was told that I could listen to the radio at a reasonable volume from nine to eleven...
  60. What's wrong with renaming after a split? by g4dget · · Score: 1
    To be frank, it will be very hard to convince me that this has been an honest mistake, or whatever.

    A global search-and-replace of the project name as the first part of splitting an open source project makes a certain degree of sense. After all, you don't want users of the new distribution getting confused. Of course, the MicroBSD project didn't do this right. On the other hand, the complaints about this sound like just more of the kind of language that is already going back and forth between the developers of the various existing BSD distributions.

  61. Ego vs. good of the community by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Insightful

    I don't have any specific information, so the following is conjecture, but I'd call it educated because of other situations that have arisen around OpenBSD and development for it. Theo DeRaadt is a really brilliant guy but he should probably have someone around to make him count to 10 when stuff like this happens. As with the ipfilter, pf fiasco earlier, this is probably a case of somebody's ego getting bruised. Sure, the MicroBSD guys were totally ripping off OpenBSD, but why should the Open people care? They're not making any money off of it. Is it a lame thing to do? Yes. And it seems that Micro never really went anywhere, but say that they had developed just one or two nice features that they had released under a BSD license (as they probably would have). That's a net gain for the BSD community, which should be priority #1 for anyone who considers themselves a member of that community. If you want glory and money, go write code for a commercial concern.
    As with the afore-mentioned pf/ipfilter thing. Sure, pf is great and the community came together to create it, but what if people had just kept their heads about them, checked their egos at the door and backed off? Then, instead of having a bunch of coders working to replace functionality that ALREADY EXISTED in the product, they could have been forging ahead in new territory, making OpenBSD capable of doing yet another thing.
    That's the problem with the whole world. Everybody wants credit and accolades. How about just keeping your mouth shut and solving the damn problem.

    1. Re:Ego vs. good of the community by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Interesting

      I agree to a point, but the entire thing about Open Source software is that you do it for the love of the coding and to solve problems. You get paid in kudos and peer respect not by $$$. Peer respect is something that all hackers strive for and something that does not come easy in the coding communities.
      Solving problems is fine and dandy, but expecting credit for solving those problems is more than reasonable.

    2. Re:Ego vs. good of the community by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Troll
      It is official. Netcraft now confirms: *BSD is dying

      One more crippling bombshell hit the already beleaguered *BSD community when IDC confirmed that *BSD market share has dropped yet again, now down to less than a fraction of 1 percent of all servers. Coming on the heels of a recent Netcraft survey which plainly states that *BSD has lost more market share, this news serves to reinforce what we've known all along. *BSD is collapsing in complete disarray, as fittingly exemplified by failing dead last in the recent Sys Admin comprehensive networking test.

      You don't need to be a Kreskin to predict *BSD's future. The hand writing is on the wall: *BSD faces a bleak future. In fact there won't be any future at all for *BSD because *BSD is dying. Things are looking very bad for *BSD. As many of us are already aware, *BSD continues to lose market share. Red ink flows like a river of blood.

      FreeBSD is the most endangered of them all, having lost 93% of its core developers. The sudden and unpleasant departures of long time FreeBSD developers Jordan Hubbard and Mike Smith only serve to underscore the point more clearly. There can no longer be any doubt: FreeBSD is dying.

      Let's keep to the facts and look at the numbers.

      OpenBSD leader Theo states that there are 7000 users of OpenBSD. How many users of NetBSD are there? Let's see. The number of OpenBSD versus NetBSD posts on Usenet is roughly in ratio of 5 to 1. Therefore there are about 7000/5 = 1400 NetBSD users. BSD/OS posts on Usenet are about half of the volume of NetBSD posts. Therefore there are about 700 users of BSD/OS. A recent article put FreeBSD at about 80 percent of the *BSD market. Therefore there are (7000+1400+700)*4 = 36400 FreeBSD users. This is consistent with the number of FreeBSD Usenet posts.

      Due to the troubles of Walnut Creek, abysmal sales and so on, FreeBSD went out of business and was taken over by BSDI who sell another troubled OS. Now BSDI is also dead, its corpse turned over to yet another charnel house.

      All major surveys show that *BSD has steadily declined in market share. *BSD is very sick and its long term survival prospects are very dim. If *BSD is to survive at all it will be among OS dilettante dabblers. *BSD continues to decay. Nothing short of a miracle could save it at this point in time. For all practical purposes, *BSD is dead.

      Fact: *BSD is dying

    3. Re:Ego vs. good of the community by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      bullshit.

      OSS needs *more* people like Theo. does he go overboard? I don't think so. he is keeping OpenBSD *free*. why do you think vrrp isn't in cvs? because it's covered by a non-free patent. they have working code, but he refuses to let it be in cvs because of the patent.

      on the other hand, you have developers like David Miller who are sellouts and sign NDA/CDAs left and right to get docs.

  62. Re:Got me thinking yet again.... by Pharmboy · · Score: 1

    After I posted the parent, I remembered this discussion recently here about Castle using the Linux kernel in their ROMS.

    Similar but different, since Castle doesn't seem to want to release their source, even though they are using Linux code and linked to proprietary code.

    I guess free just ain't cheap enough sometimes.

    --
    Tequila: It's not just for breakfast anymore!
  63. Not the useful one... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    MicroBSD seemed to be an effort to merge 'TrustedBSD' (FreeBSD ACL project, etc) with OpenBSD. It never did get very far, and judging from the project lead ("Outback Dingo")'s posts on various lists, while he might be a decent guy, he was in no way up to the task. [Hey, no insult; I couldn't manage an entire *NIX-like OS project, either.]

    However, don't mistake this for the similarly-named CompactBSD distribution.

  64. MicroBSD is dead. by Crusty+Oldman · · Score: 1

    Slashdot finally gets one right.

  65. The real infringement... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    was on an ego classified as a supergiant with an apparent magnitude of -32767. > cat LICENSE ... 3) All users must reproduce the sacred ritual of kneeling on a carper, facing the holy city of Alberta, and intoning "Theo de Raadt is my god." five times a day. > sed 's/god/bitch/' LICENSE

    1. Re:The real infringement... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      i already do that. so what your saying is that because of people like me who see Theo as god we are now contributers to the OpenBSD codebase even though we can't code? SWEET

  66. They DIDN'T change copyright notices. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Too many people here don't know the most basic aspects of IP law.

    The copyright notice is the short thing which names the copyright owner and copyright date. In the example I saw, that was completely untouched.

    The ingoramous who wrote the license only required that the copyright notice not be changed. There was nothing in the license about not modifying the license text or even about not replacing it completely.

  67. heh. by pb · · Score: 1

    Maybe they are if you tell them you're running FreeBSD; there are zealots everywhere. Stupid, uninformed zealots that ignore and exterminate rational thought and parrot back their zealotrous crap.

    My personal favorite moronic Linux-bashing comment from the *BSD zealot crowd is that "Linux isn't Unix"; this has to be one of the stupidest fallacies ever, unless these self-same morons are willing to admit that "FreeBSD isn't Unix" either (which they aren't).

    First, the only "UNIX" out there is from SCO, because they own the trademark. So we aren't talking about "UNIX", but rather "Unix". If you read books like "The Design of the Unix Operating System", then you might get the impression that Unix is more like an API that can be copied and implemented; this is what Linux did.

    However, the *BSD zealots actually interpret "Unix" as meaning "Derived from original AT&T UNIX source code". However, they conveniently forget that by law, any free *BSD variant must contain no proprietary AT&T UNIX source code, and therefore it must contain just as much of this code as Linux does, which is to say... none.

    Incidentally, while Linux was gaining popularity, FreeBSD was taking the time to reimplement the missing AT&T code; if Linus Torvalds had had a free copy of FreeBSD to hack on, he might never have had to write Linux in the first place.

    It's amusing that the fact that *BSD "isn't a Unix" as per the *BSD Zealot definition is possibly one of the main reasons that Linux became such a success. Too bad it isn't a Unix, eh?

    --
    pb Reply or e-mail; don't vaguely moderate.
    1. Re:heh. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
      First, the only "UNIX" out there is from SCO, because they own the trademark. So we aren't talking about "UNIX", but rather "Unix". If you read books like "The Design of the Unix Operating System", then you might get the impression that Unix is more like an API that can be copied and implemented; this is what Linux did.

      Actually the UNIX trademark is owned by the Open Group, and any Unix-ish operating systems need to be submitted (at great cost) to be certified official UNIX. SCO own the source of the original AT&T UNIX, but they need to have it certified by the Open Group just like everyone else.

      That said, the difference between BSD and Linux as far as UNIX-ness goes is that while Linux implements a lot of UNIX functionality, it does it in its own peculiar fashion that goes against the grain of what UNIX was originally, and what BSD built from. One of the tiny examples that noone in the Linux community seems to notice or care about is /bin/[. Where is it? Sure i could use /bin/test and make a symbolic link, but the point is noone thought it worthwhile to do in the first place. This, combined with the woefully bad Bourne shell emulation in Bash, makes a lot of old scripts fall over. You end up with lines of code like if test -f blah -o "$i" == "" ]... huh? Not to mention Bash dies if it encounters [[ or ]], which are standard. It's just these tiny design issues where Linux deviates from the way things have always been done in the UNIX world that makes the difference. I'm sure someone could, with enough effort, patch Linux, libc, the userland etc and create a very UNIX-ish Linux, but noone seems to care. This is why Linux is arguably "less" UNIX than BSD.

  68. Re:Great White... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
    Your post has been reported to the corporate headquarters of Taco Bell. You are likely to soon be hearing from their lawyers, for slandering the Quesadilla by linking it to terrorism.

    Great White's label has been contacted as well, and you'll be hearing from them soon. Even if they can't find their guitarist, they'll claim millions from you in a nasty lawsuit.

    Some days you'll find it is easier for all involved when you keep your mouth shut.

  69. It's not under a BSD license. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Copyright 1999 Matthieu Herrb .\" Modification and redistribution in source and binary forms is .\" permitted provided that due credit is given to the author and the .\" OpenBSD project (for instance by leaving this copyright notice .\" intact).

    The MicroBSD people (at least in the example quoted by Mr. OpenBSD) didn't violate his license. They retained his copyright notice, leaving in the openbsd.org address, thus giving due credit to the author and the OpenBSD project (and I suppose they credit the OpenBSD project elsewhere too).

    There's nothing in the above license which requires that the license text be left unmodified, just the referenced copyright notice. Of course, the fact that the license notice has been replaced in a derivative doesn't change the fact that the copyright owner's code still under the original license, even though the derivative is under another license too.

  70. Micro BSD No More? by BigJimSlade · · Score: 1

    I think you mean "Micro BSD is dead".

  71. Who uses *BSD, he asks... by fmaxwell · · Score: 3, Informative

    ...who uses any *BSD anymore?

    Networking professionals and ISPs are often *BSD users. The security, stability, and performance of *BSD makes it an ideal choice in such roles. While Linux has made great strides, it is still not on a par with *BSD in many respects. Conversely, *BSD is certainly not as suitable for use on the average desktop.

    1. Re:Who uses *BSD, he asks... by WickedLittleSlaveBoy · · Score: 2, Interesting

      hmmmm...

      install freebsd... cvsup, make buildworld, make buildkernel, shutdown now, make installkernel, make installworld, reboot, cd /usr/ports/x11/XFree86-4, make install clean distclean, cd ../kde3, make install clean distclean, xf86cfg, tweak your XF86Config to add "drm", install mozilla, download OpenOffice(cause the port sucks)... kill a few getty's, a few unnecessary daemons, etc...

      after all that, the responsiveness of FreeBSD will easily blow the doors off of any Linux distro... hell, even before all that, IMO.

  72. Control by compudroid · · Score: 1

    Ok its obvious the microbsd project branched from openbsd and they did a search/replace for all mentions of the string openbsd to microbsd. Every project has to start somewhere. For certain individuals to put pressure on them to shut down is very un-opensource-like. The problem could have been corrected through more civilized channels. By pressuring them to close shop is taking the route of everyone's favorite conglomerate, MicroSoft. It stifled a project that in the future could have been very useful to the opensource world and other operating systems like OpenBSD could have eventually learned from. Instead the project is now over something trivial. I can't imagine the OpenBSD community honestly thought that MicroBSD was trying to steal credit for writing code such as openssh. Let's all remember that OpenBSD essentially started as a branch of NetBSD. Now MicroBSD branches from OpenBSD and they are persecuted for making a mistake...

    --


    -CompuDroid
    http://www.zoo-crew.org
  73. shutdown announcement by joe_bruin · · Score: 2, Informative

    posted to the openbsd misc list. let the blatant karma whoring begin:

    From: OutBack Dingo
    Organization: MicroBSD
    To: misc@openbsd.org
    Subject: MicroBSD has Shut Down
    Date: Fri, 21 Feb 2003 06:17:23 -0500

    The MicroBSD Project has Shut Down! All works have been removed.

    To the OpenBSD developers, There was no intent to modify any copyright in the
    CVS tree. We have publically acknowledged the issue and have shut down this
    project. We apologize for the inconvience and commotion this has caused the
    BSD community. It was never our intent to be at odds with anyone in the
    community to start. All MicroBSD code has been removed from our servers. The
    web site will go away. The project will cease to exist. This decision is
    based on time, efforts involved, the lack of developers, and lack of
    interest. I personally do not have the time, nor am I inclined to continue
    with a project that has caused this much negativity in the community.

    At the suggestions from various repected people in the industry who supported
    us, we are sorry. We feel it is not in the best interest of the project to
    continue its exitance. To those that opposed us from the start, We will just
    go away as you wish.

    Specific developer(s) who committed files with those copyright violations were
    planning on rectifying the issues. Instead, I have decided to completely
    removed the source tree and all traces of code commited.

    There is currently no CVS, cvsweb or downloads available due to a copyright
    issue being brought to our attention. We have ceased all development activity
    to address the issue and remove any violations from the cvs tree. This was an
    unfortunate oversight on our part, and was not intended to violate any
    copyright issues. We have taken pain staking measures to be sure to not
    modify/violate any copyrights. We assure you this copyright issue, was an
    oversight on our part and was not intentional.

    In closing we simply ask the the community carry on as it were, and all
    person(s) with MicroBSD installed, Please remove the code, and install
    OpenBSD. We will be providing locations to the various apsect of code we had
    initially committed in features to get the project off the ground before we
    continued with our planned unique additons to the BSD community. As of now
    there will be no further contributions to the BSD community as a whole. In
    closing, Again we apologize for such opversights, and have removed all code.

  74. It was a stupid idea, anyway by SecretAsianMan · · Score: 3, Interesting
    MicroBSD was an embedded-Linux-like approach at making a smaller BSD. Now I'm not trying to sound high and mighty here; I'm merely trying to point out factual differences between the Linux way and the BSD way. Linux and BSD are both great, but they are different from each other.

    One of the distinctive things to note about Linux is that its code base is rather distributed. The kernel comes from here, cc comes from there, and the $other_thing comes from somewhere else. The boundary between the base Linux OS and additionally-installed software is sometimes not very defined. The BSDs' code bases are organized differently, each BSD having its own (mostly) centralized, integrated code repository and build system. BSDs do include some "contrib" software (e.g. Less or OpenSSH) that comes from other sources, but contrib releases are still merged and adapted into the main repository. BSDs have a very definite boundary between what is the base OS and what is a third-party package, or "port".

    Either way is a great way to structure an OS code base. However, the organizational differences do have some effect upon what is the best way to make a small or embedded version of the OS. With Linux, it's good to fork off a separate distribution, so that packages and a build system can be most effectively engineered. Granted, I never looked at MicroBSD closely (so I could be totally wrong), but that seems to be the approach they took. With BSD, however, it just doesn't make sense to do it that way. If I just wanted to recompile the entire FreeBSD OS, I would do this:

    # cd /usr/src
    # make world
    Yadda yadda yadda, similarly in the other BSDs. To expand from this, I could build a fully functional embedded system with a measly few hundred lines of sh(1) script. Note how this did not require me to create another, entirely separate open-source OS project. I just piggybacked on BSD's existing, highly-integrated code base and build system.

    To conclude: making it easy to make a small BSD is at most a minor job, easily (and best) doable within the fold of one of the existing BSDs. Forking BSD doesn't make sense for this.

    And before someone flames me, let me say this: I prefer BSD, but both Linux and BSD make great small or embedded OSes. Each has its own strengths and weaknesses. I don't wish to knock Linux; my only argument concerns the lack of necessity to fork BSD.

    BTW, no puns intended by "forking BSD". :-)

    --

    Washington, DC: It's like Hollywood for ugly people.

    1. Re:It was a stupid idea, anyway by evilviper · · Score: 1

      No pun intended eh?

      So what you are saying is... The BSDs rarely get Forked up, while Linux is always Forked over.

      --
      Slashdot gets worse every day... Pipedot: News for nerds, without the corporate slant
    2. Re:It was a stupid idea, anyway by SecretAsianMan · · Score: 1
      :-)

      I was actually referring to the BSD mascot: a red daemon holding a big fork. The mascot itself refers to the fork() system call, which was one of Unix's wow-cool features back in the day.

      --

      Washington, DC: It's like Hollywood for ugly people.

  75. Re:but I thought the BSD license was TRULY FREE! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    +1, Insightful Smartass.

    People like you make my day. (Yes it's a complement.)

  76. There were 18 (c) changes in CVS by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Informative

    - despite the bonehead story intro, there were only 18 (c) changes in the MicroBSD cvs files, more of an indication of sloppy editing rather than intent to deceive...

    - one person on an OpenBSD-related forum labeled the person in charge of MicroBSD as a wanted felon who fled N. Carolina...

    - why didn't the OpenBSD folks work with MicroBSD?

    - MicroBSD offered something OpenBSD doesn't - a freely downloadable .iso, and in fact, a rather nice compact .iso image (about 60MB)...

    - glad i snarfed one before MicroBSD shut down! it installs a 220MB filesystem with gcc (no X)...

    - does this mean that MicroBSD is dead?

    1. Re:There were 18 (c) changes in CVS by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      No iso? Wtf is the cdromXX.fs doing on the ftps then?

  77. voices... by suhit · · Score: 1

    When I read that heading - "MicroBSD Is No More" - I was reminded of the StarWars line by Obi-Wan Kenobi - "I felt a great disturbance in the Force, as if millions of voices suddenly cried out in terror and were suddenly silenced". :)

  78. For the memory of MicroBSD by Pervertus · · Score: 2, Interesting

    I am fathomly shocked from this story. MicroBSD used to be an important part of my life. I did anything with it, from opening doors, through driving my car, to having sex with girls. I drew all my courage from MicroBSD, and their antics were good, yes they were.

    After a while I switched to another OS whose name won't be mentioned due to chastity (hint: it begins with W), but from time to time I moved to my old 486 box just to see how my old childhood friend, MicroBSD, was doing. And tonight I've found out that it's dead!!!

    This is simply awful. Words can not describe the depression I feel.
    MicroBSD, you may be dead, but there will be always a place for you in my ass.

  79. Re:Regarding *BSD in general... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
    An Elegy For *BSD

    I am a *BSD user
    and I try hard to be brave
    That is a tall order
    *BSD's foot is in the grave.

    I tap at my toy keyboard
    and whistle a happy tune
    but keeping happy's so hard,
    *BSD died so soon.

    Each day I wake and softly sob
    Nightfall finds me crying
    Not only am I a zit faced slob
    but *BSD is dying.
  80. Re:Regarding *BSD in general... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Other than OpenBSD, the other *BSD variants are hobby projects. The guys playing on them are pretty hard core hobbyists so they will continue to play with their "toys". If you need a hobby (which I don't) they are ok. But don't expect to use them in any business setting where support and software are important.

  81. MicroBSD ISO image by methodic · · Score: 1

    http://ftp.comu.edu.tr/pub/BSD/microbsd/

    Get it before it's taken down forever. Other mirrors have already taken theirs down.

  82. Micro BSD is dead. Few to go. by axxackall · · Score: 0, Flamebait
    BSDi was dead way ago. Micro BSD is dead now. Who's next? Free? Open? Net?

    Anyway. They are already dead. Only zombi use them. The rest of the world just ignores them. So do I.

    --

    Less is more !
    1. Re:Micro BSD is dead. Few to go. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      That's okay. We ignore you too.

    2. Re:Micro BSD is dead. Few to go. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      If you ignore BSDs, then why did you post, retard! Have you even ever held a BSD CD in your hand?

  83. Outback Dingo by Keitarou · · Score: 2, Funny

    You must be wondering about the leader of MicroBSD, Outback Dingo, and his life story. So let me pour some light on the subject.
    I had the questionable honor of working with Outback Dingo, and I did it for five years, when we both worked in the now-defunct Calamada Industries. It was horrible at first, but I managed to develop survival techniques that helped me to avoid him and his "work noises".

    Yes, every day he was coming to the office and claiming he got work to do, and then he entered his room, put some George Michael music and started making noises. I don't even want to contemplate on what he was doing there.

    After around 6 hours he would come out, all sweaty and dripping, and say: "Well, I believe I can call it a day". A real outback dog or what?

  84. Don't feel sorry for them by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Some obnoxious developer for MicroBSD was always starting flamewars at Deadly.org He seemed to love saying how MicroBSD had X feature before OpenBSD, despite the fact that the OpenBSD team found many bugs in the mentioned software before merging. The MicroBSD team seemed to be about copy and pasting code. They may have done some interesting things, but the way they promoted their product...

  85. Re:Great White... by yomegaman · · Score: 1

    We've got the War on Drugs and the War on Terror, can we please have a War on Crappy-Hard-Rock-Bands? At least then something good will come from this tragedy. Suggested first target: Creed.

    --
    ...wearing a skin-tight topless leather jumpsuit, with cutaway buttocks and transparent crotch panel.
  86. One good thing... by grub · · Score: 1


    Domain Name:MICROBSD.ORG
    Created On:20-Jul-2002 12:28:15 UTC
    Last Updated On:20-Jul-2002 12:28:20 UTC
    Expiration Date:20-Jul-2003 12:28:15 UTC


    At least they didn't buy the name for 10 years from NetSol..

    --
    Trolling is a art,
  87. Uh, gotta say I am informed on this...... by jsimon12 · · Score: 1

    Give me a break, I saw this whole shitstorm start the other day on the Misc mailing list, I saw Theo's orginal post about 2 minutes after he made it and I knew it was going to start trouble.

    In my opinion it should have been taken to the developer or team lead on MicroBSD and discussed in a civil manner. Making a huge public scene about it solve nothing and only starts fights. Adults handle things civilly and without a damn knock down drag out. There is no need to be a jackass to others in public, it solves NOTHING. Here is my assesment of how it was handled, MicroBSD is GONE, completely, a bunch of people are burned and probably will think twice before they contribute. Hmmm sounds like it sure as hell wasn't solved for the best. And this isn't the first time people have fought like crazy over OpenBSD. WHAT IS THE POINT?

    As for the whole "Theo is smart he can be rude or mean if he wants" line I hear all the time. I personally don't care how smart someone is, if they can't work civilling in a group then they aren't that smart. You can be a genius and not be a social retard.

    And you seem to miss the whole point, there is no need to be an "arrogant baby", period, it is wasted effort, pointless energy spent, I don't care if you are damn Einstien or Hawkins or freaking Linus or Theo, be civil, it isn't hard, it will get you a damn lot farther then being an ass.

  88. Still not an excuse.... by jsimon12 · · Score: 1

    I don't care how smart he is, or how great a programmer he is; he can be civil to other. I agree, he is a great asset, but you know what he really could be an even greater asset if he could just work with others.

    Personally, I wouldn't want anyone who can't work in a group working any where near me, no matter how good they are at whatever they do. Humans are social creatures and if you can't work in that, even a little then you are considerably more worthless then someone who can. Haven't you heard the whole saying "No man is an island", well it holds true here.

  89. Cached MicroBSD homepage on Google by AlanS2002 · · Score: 1

    If anyone is interested here's a link to a cached MicroBSD homepage on Google

    http://www.google.com.au/search?q=cache:K_65U0wD DF 0C:www.microbsd.net/+&hl=en&ie=UTF-8

    --
    Not all conservatives are stupid,
    but it is true that most stupid people are conservative.
    - Hume
  90. Micro BSD 0.6 RC2 by AlanS2002 · · Score: 0, Redundant

    Glad I got myself a copy before they went arse up.

    --
    Not all conservatives are stupid,
    but it is true that most stupid people are conservative.
    - Hume
  91. Re:Man, I knew it.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Ever heard of NetBSD? Ohh.. I didn't think so.. you're just an average Linux user, huh? All you know are Redhat, and Mandrake.. LOL.. Can't even name BSD Operating Systems? HAH! and you think BSD is dying... hahaha.. fool

  92. You have a good point. by castlan · · Score: 1

    ... However, the issue wasn't restitution, so the offence can never be absolved, despite the destruction of the project and the alienation of hopeful developers for an innocent mistake made by one of them.

    I am certain that you have never made a careless mistake when executing a UNIX command line. Even if you ever could have, it would have never caused you any harm because of your real-time streaming backup system, so if you accidentally made a less then comprehensively correct Regular Expression, you could easily prevent the problem from ever being caught by immediately powering off your system.

    Strangulation with red tape would be too good for unhuman scum like you. A "core dump" on your face would be generous. Burn those witches, Idiot.

  93. interesting nitpick... by pb · · Score: 1

    pb root # which [
    which: no [ in (/bin:/sbin:/usr/bin:/usr/sbin:/usr/local/bin:/opt /bin:/usr/i686-pc-linux-gnu/gcc-bin/3.2:/opt/intel /compiler60/ia32/bin:/opt/rar/bin:/opt/RealPlayer8 :/usr/X11R6/bin:/opt/blackdown-jdk-1.3.1/bin:/opt/ blackdown-jdk-1.3.1/jre/bin:/usr/qt/3/bin:/usr/qt/ 2/bin)
    pb root # type [
    [ is a shell builtin
    pb root # which test /usr/bin/test
    pb root # type test
    test is a shell builtin

    I never noticed that before! I suppose if I ever ran into a problem with that I would symlink (or more likely hardlink) [ to test.

    But seeing as how Linux was originally modeled after SunOS, I'd say your point is better served as a generic SysV vs. BSD argument instead of a Linux vs. BSD argument. There are far stranger Unix variants out there than Linux... like SCO, HP/UX, ULTRIX, AIX, etc., etc. :)

    --
    pb Reply or e-mail; don't vaguely moderate.
  94. At least you admit I had a good point. by ChadN · · Score: 1

    Yo' momma!

    --
    "It's overkill, of course. But you can never have too much overkill." - Anonymous Slashdot Coward
    1. Re:At least you admit I had a good point. by castlan · · Score: 1

      "It (wa)s overkill, of course. But you can never have too much overkill."

      About my momma, that would be your second good point. Kudos.

  95. LOL ! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    As if BSD needed that kind of think, do they want to make themselves even more ridiculous ? I mean apart from kids who believe they are system administrators by running a BSD machine in their bedroom, who wants to use that crap anyway ?
    Way to go Linux !

  96. *BSD's behaving badly by RLiegh · · Score: 0

    This is exactly the kind of hostile chest-thumping that Greg Lehey was warning about in this month's Daemon's Advocate. And we can see the extention of the behavior he was pointing out. Potentially worthwhile contributors have been chased off simply because they made some not-maliciously-intended mistakes in their [b]beta[/b] releases.

    If this kind of hostile enviroment continues; the "BSD is dying" trolls may just be proven right!

  97. Elegy for *BSD by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    the Elegy For *BSD

    I am a *BSD user
    and I try hard to be brave
    That is a tall order
    *BSD's foot is in the grave.

    I tap at my toy keyboard
    and whistle a happy tune
    but keeping happy's so hard,
    *BSD died so soon.

    Each day I wake and softly sob
    Nightfall finds me crying
    Not only am I a zit faced slob
    but *BSD is dying.