tlug: Late-model Linux

[Chris Sekiya <sekiya@example.com>]

On Fri, Jun 02, 2000 at 12:23:59AM +0900, Austin Kurahone wrote:

> Then again I take bigger issue with people choosing Linux not because of
> what little merits it may have but because it sounds cool and is `31337'.

*chuckle* Exactly right.

Linux isn't as cool as it used to be.  The quality of the kernel code has
ceased to impress me, especially when compared to that of NetBSD.  The kernel
code base has become large and convoluted.  There's _way_ too many _major_
last-minute changes, especially during a putative code freeze.

Support for "esoteric" hardware, such as sun4c, has been neglected in favor of
whiz-bang new features (such as reiserfs, which destroyed partitions in a rather
spectacular fashion when I used it a month ago).

Hell, support for non-intel platforms has seriously suffered in the
2.3.x tree (but this will the the subject of a separate rant, essentially
indicting RedHat for determining the sparc hardware support priorities).

Experiment: take two ss2s, identical configuration.  Load up one with
NetBSD-1.4.x, the other with RedHat 6.  Then grab the latest kernel from
NetBSD-current, and 2.4.0pre1 from kernel.org.  Configure and compile.  Which
machine actually boots?  If both, compare performance and stability.

Now take two ss10s, repeat.

Now take two alphas.  Repeat.

Now take two amiga 3000s.  Repeat (although you may die of old age while waiting
for the kernel to compile).

There _is_ a pattern.

-- Chris
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