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NetBSD 2.0 vs FreeBSD 5.3 Benchmarks

Posted by CowboyNeal on from the default-install-shootout dept.

diegocgteleline.es writes "According to OSnews, Gregory McGarry benchmarked NetBSD 2.0 against FreeBSD 5.3 and found that NetBSD 2.0 surpasses FreeBSD 5.3 in most of benchmarks. The machine used for benchmarks is a 3 Ghz P4 so it doesn't reflect the improvements of FreeBSD 5.3 in the SMP arena, which is where their developers have put their efforts in the last years and where NetBSD is still using a "big-lock" model. Newsforge is also carrying a interview with some NetBSD developers about the technology behind NetBSD 2.0."

3 of 110 comments (clear)

  1. One flaw with tests by ebrandsberg · · Score: 2, Insightful

    I would assume that FreeBSD has a "default install" as tested that supports at least 2-way SMP, given the focus that has been made in FreeBSD. This compared with NetBSD could make a huge difference, is NetBSD's default install also setup for SMP. It is a known fact that using an SMP compiled kernel on pretty much ANY OS will result in slower performance on a single processor, as the added overhead of locking data structrues will have to occur.

    1. Re:One flaw with tests by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Insightful

      Read the benchmarks test pal, FreeBSD 5.3 doesn't ship with SMP enabled anymore. All this proves, as it's been mentioned elsewere, is that the NetBSD hackers do more with less resources, while FreeBSD's over engineered and over ambitious project fails to deliver, while they keep letting Poul-Henning push his personal agenda.

      Remember that Matt Dillon, John Dyson and many others warned about this years ago, but the core team only listens to themselves. Too sad, FreeBSD used to be the culprit of performance and correct code once, not anymore. Viva NetBSD!

  2. Re:Microbenchmarks... by kernelistic · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Under load, I find that my RELENG_5 machines have higher network throughput than my RELENG_4 boxes. I am using mainstream server hardware with a nicely fine-grained set of network (nge) and SCSI RAID (amr) drivers. Would you care to share what kind of hardware you are using?

    Matt and John aren't the only people that have worked on the locking of the kernel and drivers. Credit also goes out to Poul-Henning Kamp, Alan Cox, Jeff Robertson, Robert Watson and a lot of others that have reviewed, commented and submitted patches to all of sys/dev/ and sys/kern/.

    As a sidenote, Dillon has also said a number of things that have been greatly unpopular, some of which have shown his unwillingness to think outside the box. I think the whole episode where core removed his bit, shows just how hot-headed he could be at times. That said, I have great respect for him as a programmer -- His stuff works.