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Ever More NetBSD Packages

Posted by timothy on from the running-away-with-your-hardware dept.

Dan writes "Alistair Crooks says that by his calculations, at the end of January 2003, there were 3461 packages in the NetBSD Packages Collection, up from 3402 the previous month, a rise of 59. The package of the month award goes to rdesktop (pkgsrc/net/rdesktop), nominated by Andrew Brown and Ross Harvey. Rdesktop is a "dependency-free" utility to manage a session on a Windows box in an X window."

22 comments

  1. Rdesktop by glitchvern · · Score: 5, Interesting
    The package of the month award goes to rdesktop (pkgsrc/net/rdesktop), nominated by Andrew Brown and Ross Harvey. Rdesktop is a "dependency-free" utility to manage a session on a Windows box in an X window.

    Sweet. I've been using rdesktop on the linux boxes at work to connect to the one Windows machine when I need to do something off of it occasionally for a few months now. For those who don't know what it is it's a remote desktop client for X to connect to Windows machines running Remote Desktop. It's right up there with samba and wine for unix/Windows compatibility in my opinion, but it seems like there aren't many people who know about it.
  2. No 'depenencies' but license issues by nurb432 · · Score: 1

    MS still has license issues for each connecting client ( CAL ). .. and it isn't cheap :)

    Though I agree its a GREAT tool.. just that its not the holy grail in "Terminal Server Land'.. Only a fully functional WINE has that potential.. someday...

    --
    ---- Booth was a patriot ----
    1. Re:No 'depenencies' but license issues by ralphart · · Score: 1

      CAL seems to be an issue only with Win2K Advanced Server editions. Windows XP Pro (but not home) has the ability to run a single "Remote Desktop Connection" session without complaining about licensing. RDesktop works fine with it.

      Incidently, should you have the Terminal Services client, especially the 16 bit version for Windows 3.1, it can be used to set up a Remote Desktop Connection with Win XP as well.

  3. Great, but... by Istealmymusic · · Score: 2, Insightful

    FreeBSD's ports collection already has well over 7000 ports. I can see how NetBSD is useful to run Unix on esoteric hardware, but for i386 or Alpha platforms FreeBSD is king.

    --
    "The lesson to be learned is not to take the comments on slashdot too literally." --Vinnie Falco, BearShare
    1. Re:Great, but... by Arandir · · Score: 1

      Don't look back now, but I think NetBSD is gaining on us...

      --
      A Government Is a Body of People, Usually Notably Ungoverned
  4. Techincally that is true by nurb432 · · Score: 1

    However, you need to check the license issues more closely. And remember they have consultants who's entire life is just sorting out Microsoft licensing issues..

    When you have 2000 pro you get a CAL for TS.. ( or at least you used too.. that may have been dropped )

    Rdesktop was mainly designed for W2KTS, the ability to run XP remote desktop just came along as a bonus later on. ( the project started before XP was out ). However its not legal to use unless you have a corresponding XP license, and matched application license. ( its really screwy how they have it setup ).

    I'm going under the assumption you only have Linux, which then CAL'a come into play. ( regardless of version of TS server )

    There are also restrictions of what client you can legally use to connect to XP..

    Do I agree with the restrictions, not in the least.. I just was stating the license issues.. not the technical ones..

    --
    ---- Booth was a patriot ----
  5. Re:Why do you even need BSD? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    It's more pure to Unix. bash is different than sh, tcsh is different than csh, vim is also different than vi (just to differ some of them). Besides, I like BSD better (I used Linux before), but found BSD easier in a way