On Sun, 25 May 1997 09:32:41 -0400 (EDT) 
 David Jones <dej@inode.org> wrote:

 > It also makes it hard to maintain packages.  How many times have we imported
 > IPfilter, and then made our NetBSD-specific cosmetic changes?

...in several cases, these "cosmetic" changes are required for a piece
of software to even have a chance of functioning on e.g. the Alpha.

 > If I had to start all over, and I had only PC hardware, I'd probably install
 > FreeBSD too, since it is more user-friendly, and the kernel code is closer to
 > the original 4.4BSD sources.  But I have an Amiga and a Sparc, so it's either
 > NetBSD or Linux.  Easy choice. :-)

...I don't understand how being closer to the original 4.4BSD sources
is necessarily a good thing.  4.4BSD is now old technology, no longer
being developed, really.  We develop our operating system, NetBSD, because
we find ways of improving things, etc.  Sometimes that means making the
code look a fair bit different than the original base code.  I don't see
why that's a bad thing... that's why we're in this game, right?

Jason R. Thorpe                                       thorpej@nas.nasa.gov
NASA Ames Research Center                               Home: 408.866.1912
NAS: M/S 258-6                                          Work: 415.604.0935
Moffett Field, CA 94035                                Pager: 415.428.6939