LET BSD Thread!

jsg · September 2024

As I have been invited by OP / @FrankCastle (in my comparison) thread and @concept also asked why I use FreeBSD on pretty much all my servers ... here you go:

Main reason: one of my major clients (already years ago) is FreeBSD only (and probably OpenBSD for firewall and the like; don't know, didn't ask or care) and basically demanded for FreeBSD being used. As I had quite some years experience with OpenBSD and Unix in general (e.g. Solaris, anyone?) I didn't hesitate.

Once having worked (more) on FreeBSD it grew on me and I began to really like it.

Another reason being in part more about linux than FreeBSD: linux increasingly became bloated, too "user friendly and GUIy" and finally a shitshow (main example: the poettering pestilence), or in other words, while the "cathedral" stood firm and reliable the "bazaar" increasingly turned into a mental asylum (Hint: I'm in IT security software and crypto and while I don't care a whole lot about "UX" BS, I do care and very much so about reliability and consistency).

So, I'm pretty much using FreeBSD only on servers. I do use linux though on my workstation, mainly for one reason, "weird" and "exotic" software I use and need, things like e.g. diverse verifiers, static and dynamic analyzers, etc. and exotic languages are available and/or easily buildable on linux.

Being at it: IMO Python (which I like and use for a lot of housekeeping and other scripts) has become quite fat (just compare say, 1.5 and 3.9), so I was looking (for quite some time) for a good replacement. I found some candidates but they all had some disadvantage I don't tolerate. But, as luck would have it, I came across 'kuroko', a "kind of Python"; they don't compile each others code but are close enough that I'm able e.g. to simply click "Python" as language and get almost perfect syntax colouring. (And yes, kuroko compiles and works fine on FreeBSD).

Finally, I like, and I mean really like, things that just work, no fuzz, no feature galore, no frequent (not insignificant) changes, etc., hence -> FreeBSD.

jsg · October 2024

A nice video which I'd title "problems and solutions" showing among other points how using BSD (in particular FreeBSD) instead of linux can make one's life easier and better. Based on about 20 years professional experience. Bonus: That guy doesn't use Windows at all and also avoids systemd like the pestilence it is.

Enjoy!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=19285&v=u_bdSqqHm58

Side note: What he says matches my own experience quite well (modulo me being more tolerant re linux).

cmeerw · October 2024

@jsg said: I came across 'kuroko'

Never heard about it. But I wonder, why not use lua (which is already included in NetBSD base and where you have the option to use luajit if you need performance)?

jsg · October 2024

@cmeerw said:

@jsg said: I came across 'kuroko'

Never heard about it. But I wonder, why not use lua (which is already included in NetBSD base and where you have the option to use luajit if you need performance)?

Simple. Because lua does not meet my requirements and needs. Btw and FWIW lua is available - without building it first or installing a package - in FreeBSD as well. In fact lua code is used during boot/startup.

But what I wanted was a reasonable slim (kind of) Python. And that's what kuroko is.

Not_Oles · October 2024

@jsg said: Btw and FWIW lua is available - without building it first or installing a package - in FreeBSD as well. In fact lua code is used during boot/startup.

I didn't know this. Thank you for mentioning it!

I found https://man.freebsd.org/cgi/man.cgi?query=loader_lua&format=html

May I please ask if you have additional insights based on your experiences with lua in the context of booting FreeBSD?

Thanks!

jsg · October 2024

@Not_Oles said:

@jsg said: Btw and FWIW lua is available - without building it first or installing a package - in FreeBSD as well. In fact lua code is used during boot/startup.

I didn't know this. Thank you for mentioning it!

I found https://man.freebsd.org/cgi/man.cgi?query=loader_lua&format=html

May I please ask if you have additional insights based on your experiences with lua in the context of booting FreeBSD?

Thanks!

Sure. Depends on what you mean by "additional insights" ...

Concretely I have adapted some lua scripts in /boot, added my own lines, changed existing lines, etc, but nothing I'd call major scripting. Works really fine and feels faster than sh. Had no problems whatsoever so far although I tend to adapt and change quite a lot, incl. and in particular in /boot.

Also and probably important to "normal" or new users: don't worry, unless you hack kernel, boot, and similar stuff, you won't notice anything. Feels and works basically just like older releases (11.x?, 10.x - sth. like that; I seem to remember that lua boot scripts entered with 12.x).

Btw. I occasionally not just compile my customized kernel but actually do even system updates the hardcore way (with my own scripts), mainly on critical servers where even the (known to be very reliable and trouble-free) official FreeBSD way looks too risky to me *g
Also works like a charm.