SIMSON L. GARFINKEL
Before you deploy Linux within your organization, you should look
beyond the hype and consider other Unixlike operating systems. Like
Linux, these systems can be deployed without paying licensing fees.
And like Linux, they are open source. But in many cases, these other
Unixlike systems deliver
better performance, more security and other features that today's
Linux offerings still can't touch.
These other Unix systems are descended from Berkeley Software
Distribution and were originally developed by the University of
California at Berkeley's Computer Science Research Group. The three
systems -- FreeBSD, NetBSD and OpenBSD -- have strong followings
among Unix insiders for their performance, reliability and security.
To be fair, the differences between the BSD systems and Linux are
minor compared with the differences between these systems and
Windows NT. All of the Unix systems use the same graphical user
interface based on the X Windows System. They all have the ability
to share files and printers to Windows 95/98/NT desktops using the
Samba remote file system. They can all run the Apache Web server.
And they all come with the free GNU C Compiler and development
environment.
But there are significant differences between Linux and the BSDs.
The differences result from philosophy and the mix of individuals
working on the different distributions.
For years, the Linux developer community was a rowdy bunch of
hackers who were interested in just putting together a Unixlike
operating system that they could freely distribute. Development was
fast and furious -- sometimes a little too much so. The frenzy
produced great diversity, a number of different Linux versions, some
incompatible changes with other Unix systems and more than a few
security bugs.
The BSD developers have had different motivations. The NetBSD
group (www.netbsd.org) has concentrated on making its system run on
as many different platforms as Linux; today it runs on more than
twice as many architectures. NetBSD is also the only free Unix
operating system that comes with support for the next-generation
Internet Protocol, IPv6.
FreeBSD (www.freebsd.org) was developed by a NetBSD group that
splintered largely over management issues. Today, the FreeBSD
developers strive to make their operating system as fast and
reliable, but they stick largely to Intel-based hardware. Like
Linux, FreeBSD supports symmetric multiprocessing (the ability to
run on computers with multiple CPUs), but it also has automatic
memory allocation, diverting to programs or the disk cache as
necessary. FreeBSD also has a very easy-to-use installation and
configuration system.
OpenBSD (www.openbsd.org), despite its name, was designed to be
the most secure Unixlike system. More than a dozen people in the
OpenBSD group have spent several years auditing the operating
system's source code, correcting bugs like potential stack-overflows
and buffer overruns. OpenBSD is also Unix that comes with 128-bit
cryptography built-in, skirting U.S. export restrictions because
it's distributed from Canada.
One common, yet interesting feature in all the BSDs is that they
can run software compiled for Linux as well as one another. This
lets you choose an operating system based on its strengths rather
than on which applications it happens to support.
I know of several Internet service providers that use FreeBSD on
their Web server farms. Others have set up old 486s or low-end
Pentiums running NetBSD or OpenBSD as low-cost routers and virtual
private network boxes.
If you have a traditional Microsoft-based environment and you're
making your first foray into free operating systems, go with the
more established Linux brand. You can buy it preinstalled on a
variety of systems, you can get service contracts for
around-the-clock support and if you ever get static from senior
management you can always refer them to Red Hat's stock price.
But if you're trying to get the most for your money or if you
want a higher level of security, take a look at the BSDs. The
rewards can be considerable.
