I'm currently a Slackware user prepping for making the jump to FreeBSD and wanted some clarity on this topic purely out of interest in coding.
Note: This isn't a 'which is better' debate. I know the two have different philosophies and goals and a comparison is bound to be almost completely subjective. This is more of a discussion about the coding practices of the two according to a few pre-established (relatively) objective standards.
A few years back, when I was a newbie in Linux, a friend/colleague introduced me to the BSDs and told me the reason he preferred OpenBSD over FreeBSD was because of its 'superior code quality'. The points he gave to explain this 'superiority' in code quality were:
1) Accomplishing more in very less lines of code compared to FreeBSD. Therefore, easier for code audits and maintenance.
2) Regular code audits and reviews. Therefore, lesser bugs/security holes.
3) No 'bloatware'
With respect to these three points, how does the code quality of FreeBSD compare to that of OpenBSD? To slightly increase the objectivity of the comparison,
1) FreeBSD has (supposedly) better hardware support and more programs compared to OpenBSD. Do these justify the difference in the number of lines of code between the two?
2) How frequent are code audits in FreeBSD compared to OpenBSD? How quickly are bugs resolved?
3) This is the most subjective of the three. Let's take the definition of bloatware as:
Unwanted software included after a new installation
The goal of FreeBSD is: To provide a stable and fast general purpose operating system that may be used for any purpose without strings attached.
Does the most stripped-down installation of FreeBSD give you any programs/features you can't modify/remove?
To the Mods - Sorry if this forum isn't the right place for this. FreeBSD Development seemed too much of a technical discussion forum than befitting such a general question. I'll move the thread if needed.
Thanks in advance.
Note: This isn't a 'which is better' debate. I know the two have different philosophies and goals and a comparison is bound to be almost completely subjective. This is more of a discussion about the coding practices of the two according to a few pre-established (relatively) objective standards.
A few years back, when I was a newbie in Linux, a friend/colleague introduced me to the BSDs and told me the reason he preferred OpenBSD over FreeBSD was because of its 'superior code quality'. The points he gave to explain this 'superiority' in code quality were:
1) Accomplishing more in very less lines of code compared to FreeBSD. Therefore, easier for code audits and maintenance.
2) Regular code audits and reviews. Therefore, lesser bugs/security holes.
3) No 'bloatware'
With respect to these three points, how does the code quality of FreeBSD compare to that of OpenBSD? To slightly increase the objectivity of the comparison,
1) FreeBSD has (supposedly) better hardware support and more programs compared to OpenBSD. Do these justify the difference in the number of lines of code between the two?
2) How frequent are code audits in FreeBSD compared to OpenBSD? How quickly are bugs resolved?
3) This is the most subjective of the three. Let's take the definition of bloatware as:
Unwanted software included after a new installation
The goal of FreeBSD is: To provide a stable and fast general purpose operating system that may be used for any purpose without strings attached.
Does the most stripped-down installation of FreeBSD give you any programs/features you can't modify/remove?
To the Mods - Sorry if this forum isn't the right place for this. FreeBSD Development seemed too much of a technical discussion forum than befitting such a general question. I'll move the thread if needed.
Thanks in advance.