On Fri, 1 Oct 1999, Jeroen Ruigrok/Asmodai wrote:

# On [19990927 05:16], Greywolf (greywolf@starwolf.com) wrote:
# >On Mon, 27 Sep 1999, Greg Lehey wrote:
# ># On Sunday, 26 September 1999 at 18:45:38 -0400, Perry E. Metzger wrote:
# 
# ># > Almost all the code we share with FreeBSD is from the Berkeley era. We
# ># > don't tend to exchange a lot these days.
# 
# ># This is not correct.  I don't know how much FreeBSD code goes into
# ># NetBSD, but FreeBSD imports a lot of NetBSD code.
# 
# >This would imply that they are getting grants/monies for work that we
# >are doing/have done.
# 
# Also, given the statement you make, you think this is a commercial
# project? What gave you the idea that all this work was to acquire funds?
# I would gladly see that, since I obviously misunderstood something.

<explanation>

I guess I did, too, but it seems to me that they seem to "borrow" code
from us regularly, whereas we do not seem to import a lot of their
code.  Whether this is a case of their code sucking rocks (according
to some) or a case of "NIH!" (in which case we're cutting off our
nose to spite our face -- I don't want to be among the Knights who
say "NIH!" (though I don't want to look like System V, but that's a
debate for another day)), or whatever else, I don't know.

I apologise for any rash assumptions I may have implied, but from the
debate, it has been widely suggested that FreeBSD has a lot more funding
(from whence, I know not) than we do.  The reasons for this are probably
myriad, but that notwithstanding, if they are getting money, and they
are using our code, it's relatively easy to draw the conclusion, erroneous
as it may be, that they are hence getting money for our code.

I will submit, in so many words, that this conclusion was hastily 
and possibly quite incorrectly drawn.

# Plus I have said time and time again, talk to Walnut Creek, they would
# be very pleased to create NetBSD CD-ROMs which could be sold to benefit
# the Foundation. For someone in Europe it is very, very hard to get one's
# hands on NetBSD sources/distribution without a proper distribution
# channel.

Since Walnut Creek runs on FreeBSD, I must admit to suspicion that they
cut the FreeBSD folks something of a deal.  This does not make the statement
true, nor is it an accusation.

# I for one try to get any thing which isn't specifically FreeBSD to the
# attention of NetBSD and OpenBSD as well...

I'll have to give you my appraisal of the O-word sometime.

# Aside from all that, I am getting a little sick of the constant
# mud-slinging from one `camp' to the `other'. Must be my relative
# newbieness that causes this, I mean what is, 1.5-2 years? But I have
# less reservations about co-operating between NetBSD, OpenBSD and FreeBSD
# than others. A good sense of casting ego's aside is needed in every one
# of the individual projects.

I'd love to see a unification of Free/NetBSD, but I think we may have
diverged too far for this to happen -- the code base isn't likely to merge
very well, and there's the whole pkg thing now.  If you're recommending a
re-merger between OwhateverBSD and NetBSD, you will find that there are
too many bitter feelings on both sides over a disagreement that far
supersedes ego.  And I don't think that there's any love lost between Free
and Open, either.

# </end unintentional rant>
</explanation>
				--*greywolf;
--
NetBSD: your basement or mine?