On Thu, 13 Jan 2005, grifo wrote:
> what can netbsd offer more than linux (2.6) in term of portability features,
> functions, abstract layers apart from cross-compiling and other userland
> very nice features?

  * bus_space(9)
  * bus_dma(9)
  * autoconf(9)?
  * In-kernel device recognition and configuration, not the userland-based
    "hotplug" framework used in Linux
  * An existing /usr/src/sys that really works for 50 platforms, in
    contrast to Linux, where you have to hunt patches here and there?
  * Proper integration between kernel and userland. No hunting for userland
    tools for specific kernel features as e.g. WaveLAN, etc.; all in one
    place

For functions... I have a hard time to compare, as I don't know what Linux 
has. Maybe some of the more interesting I think are:

  * verified_exec & systrace (reminds me of NSA Linux)
  * a package system that works for both source and binary on 50 platforms
  * emulation layers for various other operating systems on various
    CPUs: Linux/i386, FreeBSD/i386, MacOS X/PPC, Solaris/i386,
    Solaris/sparc, ...
  * See http://www.netbsd.org/Misc/features.html for a few more, probably
    not complete.


  - Hubert

-- 
NetBSD - Free AND Open!      (And of course secure, portable, yadda yadda)