Subject: Re: BSD == NIH
To: NetBSD-current Discussion List <current-users@netbsd.org>
From: John Nemeth <jnemeth@cue.bc.ca>
List: current-users
Date: 03/22/1999 16:22:23
On Mar 21, 11:39pm, Greg A. Woods wrote:
} [ On Sunday, March 21, 1999 at 20:13:35 (-0800), John Nemeth wrote: ]
} > On Mar 20, 12:54am, Greg A. Woods wrote:
} > } 
} > } And 174 files plus 20 sub-directories in NetBSD (by the time you add a
} > 
} >      Where did you find that many files?  I was only talking about the
} > base OS (in particular stuff having to do with system startup).
} 
} # find /etc -type f -print | wc -l
} # find /etc -type d -print | wc -l

     I got 81 files and 7 subdirectories.  The number of files would
include scripts, generated files, and examples; these would be offset
a little by the files in /etc/namedb.

} >      Packages don't count, since they aren't part of the OS proper.
} 
} I wasn't talking about the base OS -- I was talking about a machine
} that's in production and ready to do something!  Of course they count!

     No they don't.  The number of files here would very with the
intended purpose of the machine, the applications you use to provide
those services, and how you configure them.  But, they wouldn't
generally very between OS'es.  Nonetheless, since these files are
specific an individual machine and system administrator, they can't be
included in a fair comparison between OS'es.

} > } In comparison there are 309 files and 48 directories on a considerably
} > } more complex and fully operational Solaris 5.6 machine running NNTP (the
} > } closest "real" SysVr4 derivative I have access to these days).  In
} > } contrast though only 25 of those files were modified since installation.
} > 
} >      Same question as above, where did you find that many files?  I
} > took a Solaris 2.5 machine, counted the number of files in /etc/rc2.d,
} > /etc/default, and added a fudge factor for the stuff that is actually
} > in /etc.  NNTP isn't part of the OS, so it doesn't count.
} 
} # find /etc -type f -print | wc -l
} # find /etc -type d -print | wc -l

     I got 408 files and 53 directories.

} > That's a total of 21 files, and one directory.  Almost all of the
} > files are ones that would need to be changed regardless of which
} > version of UNIX was being used.
} 
} Hmm... so Solaris-2.6 only needs 4 more files modified than even your
} basic NetBSD example.  Seems pretty mundane to me.

    Your comparison methodolgy is fatally flawed, therefore your
conclusion is irrelevant.  I still contend that SVR4 has far more
files that need to be examined/changed then BSD.

}-- End of excerpt from Greg A. Woods