Re: openbsd -> netbsd : same yet feels different ...

["g.lister" <g.lister%nodeunit.com@localhost>]

Hi Mayuresh,

> i won't go overboard and say that i'm an instant fan-boy, but
> frankly, the system feels the same, yet quite different.

I am relatively new myself so nice to hear other people are also 
considering and using NetBSD.

> for one, the responsiveness while using the operating system is
> much better than under openbsd (or even freebsd).

I am working on a project of mine and was running automated unit tests 
on NetBSD, OpenBSD and FreeBSD by rsync-ing some C code to each over 
sftp/compiling/running and the tests (i386 PIII or IVs). I was debating 
which one to pick of the 3 as dev platform, currently on Ubuntu, and was 
leaning towards OpenBSD mostly... so I noticed that the sync and test 
run I started on NetBSD after the one on OpenBSD finished before OpenBSD 
was somewhere half through the operation and at that time I was set ... 
time is precious and I would rather spend less time waiting for a 
computer. Plus NetBSD feels really well engineered, things are almost to 
natural to do (compared to say SLES and Yast), there are man pages etc., 
things are in the same location pre-configured and ready to go, pkgin is 
like apt-get, pkgsrc is awesome as it lets you build easily from source 
all kinds of stuff, and last but not least the list is really really 
good quick and to the point responses, thank you!

> i migrated primarily because of the upcoming support for "lua"
> throughout the operating system, hope it materializes.

Those changes should be now in CURRENT you can use it in a kernel module 
which means you have to write one of course. I met Marc Balmer at a Lua 
conference and he was very kind to do a demonstrate it for me. I am no 
expert at kernel modules etc.. so take this with a grain of salt but 
basically that is what I could understand i.e. a Lua state machine is 
loaded and you can use it to run Lua code in kernel space and therefore 
do kernel related work in Lua. Marc is working on line disciplines I 
think and he saw it beneficial as prototyping stuff, which with a 
scripting language is of course easy to understand. Of course the big 
thing is exposing kernel stuff in Lua, which I think I saw a proposal 
for a project on. This would make kernel development more accessible. 
Personally I like to have options and I am always split between easy and 
things that are hard should remain so as there is a reason for them to 
be that way, but I definitely was interested by this addition as well. I 
look forward to learning more about RUMP to and figuring out how to play 
with it.

Good luck!
George

On 06/17/2014 03:43 PM, Mayuresh Kathe wrote:
> hello,
>
> it's been 3 days since i took advice from "aaron b" and migrated
> to netbsd from openbsd.
>
> i won't go overboard and say that i'm an instant fan-boy, but
> frankly, the system feels the same, yet quite different.
>
> for one, the responsiveness while using the operating system is
> much better than under openbsd (or even freebsd).
> secondly, the community (mailing list) isn't grumpy. :)
>
> i migrated primarily because of the upcoming support for "lua"
> throughout the operating system, hope it materializes.
>
> what else could someone who's not so much into system setup and
> administration, nor into systems programming do with netbsd?
> ah yes, i am not much of a 'gui' user, so will be working at the
> console, primarily, but would be nice to know if there's anyone
> here using or carrying over 'cwm' from openbsd, it's kinda nice.
>
> in closing, thanks for gracious support i have received ever
> since i started pestering the list with questions of a naive type.
>
> warm regards,
>
> ~mayuresh