On Saturday 13 September 2003 00:34, Steve wrote:
> On Friday 12 September 2003 11:18 pm, you wrote:
> > > My question is to what degree are they interchangeable for a desktop
> > > [NOT a
> > > server or router] box? Exactly how difficult would it be for say a RMS
> > > to use
> > > any one of the four kernels is say a Mandrake or a Red Hat?
> >
> > If you're talking about that elusive "desktop experience" then you can
> > fairly easily duplicate your KDE or Gnome desktop on FreeBSD. If you're
> > looking for the same tools as RedHat or Mandrake provide then it's not so
> > easy.
> >
> > To clarify, the GNU tools (compilers, shells, utilities), X, window
> > managers (Gnome, KDE, fluxbox, among others) work fine on FreeBSD. In
> > fact, many may have been on FreeBSD before Linux. The default shell is
> > different, as are things like startup scripts and file locations, but
> > this is trivially changed.
> >
> > The problem arises in two main areas:
> > Manufacturers tend not to release FreeBSD drivers.
> >
> > The Linux distributors built their identifying toolset (installers,
> > configuration utilities, etc) assuming an underlying Linux system. They
> > make assumptions about where files are located, the setup of /proc,
> > threading system and other "linuxisms". These are not so easily
> > duplicated and may require significant rewrites.
>
> Which in the end probably means that if you have to ask the question it's
> going to be so much a battle that you would not pull it off.
Note as the person asking the original question.
I would not attempt it nor am I qualified to attempt it.
The question is ask in light of how difficult it would be for a Red Hot, SuSE,
or Mandrake to do this strictly because of comments maid about the SCO
situation by RMS.
Frank
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