A Linux guy looks at NetBSD
Source: News Forge
I have been a Linux user since 1995. It has been my desktop and server of choice since about 1997. But there is more in the Open Source operating system world than just Linux. So, I decided to play with the Wasabi Systems' distribution of NetBSD. The basic distribution comes on two CDs with a small instruction booklet.
Overview
When perusing the CDs, I became aware of certain differences between the NetBSD and Linux approaches to creating an operating system. First, NetBSD is fiercely multi-platform. Linux has a remarkable number of ports to its credit, but the lion's share of activity has been on the i386 platform. Most Linux CDs you encounter contain binaries for a only single platform. If you want to install Linux on a different hardware architecture, you will need to obtain a new set of CDs for that architecture. And, beyond the top half dozen ports, you will likely need to burn those CDs yourself.
Not so for NetBSD. According to its documentation, NetBSD has been ported to 32 architectures consisting of 12 distinct families of CPUs. The basic Wasabi NetBSD 1.5.2 kit contains binaries for installation on 20 machine architectures. So, with a single kit, I successfully installed NetBSD on a Pentium, a VAX, and a MIPS-based DEC system. This is definitely not a bad thing if you are hoping to revive a number of retired machines of different architectures.
