NetBSD 3.1 and 3.0.2 Released

hubertf writes, "The NetBSD release engineering team has announced that the NetBSD 3.1 and 3.0.2 releases are now available. NetBSD 3.1 contains many bugfixes, security updates, new drivers, and new features like support for Xen3 DomU. NetBSD 3.0.2 is the second security/critical update of the NetBSD 3.0 release branch which includes a selected subset of fixes deemed critical in nature for stability or security reasons. See the NetBSD 3.1 Release Announcement and the NetBSD 3.0.2 Release Announcement for more information."

Woo woo

[BeeBeard]

Thank you both for the insights! No no, I'm not flaming (but given how moderation point lottery winners are, I'll probably be modded down for some reason nevertheless). I've read your post and the poster above you. I appreciate that the people behind the NetBSD Project aren't trying for a hard sell here, just to create a useful operating system.

My question should have been read like "I'm already a nerd, what would I find most appealing about NetBSD? What would I fall in love with if I installed it?"

As it stands, I think I'll do the classic turn-the-old-computer-into-a-firewall trick with it. NetBSD looks like it could run admirably on an old, 166 MHz Pentium that I still have. The short install time and better-than-iptables CLI tools have be sold.

Thanks again!

Re:I don't get it

[petrus4]

I strongly suspect that this is a troll, but I'll bite:-

Why run one of the BSDs?

• Pkgsrc/ports - package management that works. (unlike some systems for Linux which will remain nameless ;)) Ports also has some other great features such as the vulnerability database, which you can use to check installed packages for security holes.
  
• A core system which is developed in a centralised and generally more disciplined way, as opposed to Linux's more organic, chaotic modularity.
  
• A system developed by people who don't see the UNIX heritage as a liability, and who aren't afraid to let UNIX *be* UNIX, as opposed to desperately trying to turn it into a Windows clone.
  
• Free, open source UNIX, without the tyrannical, narcissistic scourge [google.com.au] of Richard Stallman and his Red Army. (Praise be to God in the highest! ;))
  
• A system with a license (and culture, more importantly) that allows you to write your own extensions/improvements, fork it off, and then (wonder of wonders!) sell a completely closed source version if you wish! There's no hoarse, wild-eyed Trotskyite screaming about the supposed hell-spawned evil of daring to want to make money from your work. Vive la Capitalism, baby!
  

In other words, you've basically got a system which is very similar to Linux in terms of nearly all of Linux's positive characteristics, without the elements of Linux that really suck.

Re:I don't get it

[LizardKing]

I've found doing anything in *BSD is more painful than it should be.

I'm struggling to think of an example. For instance, installing init scripts for third party software is far more painful on Linux:

cp foo.sh /etc/init.d/
ln /etc/init.d/foo.sh /etc/rcS.d/K69foo
ln /etc/init.d/foo.sh /etc/rc0.d/K69foo
ln /etc/init.d/foo.sh /etc/rc1.d/K69foo
ln /etc/init.d/foo.sh /etc/rc2.d/K69foo
ln /etc/init.d/foo.sh /etc/rc3.d/S69foo
/etc/init.d/foo.sh start

Unless your Linux distribution supports one of the other half-baked init schemes of course.

Meanwhile, on NetBSD it's:

cp foo.sh /etc/rc/
vi /etc/rc.conf (add the line foo=YES)
/etc/rc/foo start

Basically, anything administrative I can think of is more tedious or complex on Linux than on NetBSD.

Re:Woo woo

[Anonymous Coward]

As it stands, I think I'll do the classic turn-the-old-computer-into-a-firewall trick with it. NetBSD looks like it could run admirably on an old, 166 MHz Pentium that I still have. The short install time and better-than-iptables CLI tools have be sold.

If you want to run an old Pentium as a firewall, I'd choose pf over ipf and OpenBSD over NetBSD.

Not wanting to start an BSD war here, since I enjoy using Free, Net and Open, but for BSD firewalls, OpenBSD is a big hub of active development. Development which NetBSD and FreeBSD are now tracking and soon (shh, don't tell anyone) Mac OSX. A fast, feature rich, easy to use packet filter, running on an over-the-top security focused OS.

OpenBSD also takes minutes to install, like NetBSD. However if you have never installed either of them, you will likely not be running one after minutes. Since you might re-install a few times before you get what you want.