Subject: Re: Installing NetBSD experiences and help wanted
To: None <netbsd-users@netbsd.org>
From: Jimmie Houchin <jhouchin@texoma.net>
List: netbsd-users
Date: 06/21/2005 16:54:20
Howdy,

Robert Cates wrote:
> Hi,
> 
>> I don't understand why vendor (when they do) support Linux better and 
>> sooner than the BSDs. The BSD license and culture I think seems 
>> friendlier to the corporate environment. Hmm. :(
> 
> I think there's a lot more marketing effort behind Linux, than there is 
> the BSDs (especially NetBSD, something I've been personally working on 
> but haven't been able to give it 100%, yet).

I would love to be able to market and recommend NetBSD. Naively, I don't 
think they get any better technically or philosophically. But I can't 
recommend what I haven't installed or used. To me the cross-platform 
orientation offers tremendous value and benefits.

Just in my home alone over the last 10 years I've had 68LC040, PPC604, 
G3, G4, G5, Athlon, Opteron, Athlon64. And at work a Pentium, PII and 
now Athlon. My favorite programming tool is equally cross-platform, 
Squeak. http://www.squeak.org

I think an area where NetBSD should be cleaning up is in some of the 
embedded markets. For example on LWN (Linux Weekly News) I read of 
Nokia's new tablet device.
http://www.nokia.com/nokia/0,,75023,00.html

Its running Linux. I think NetBSD would be a great match.
Great OS, capable, great license.
Good match for corporate innovations. :)
Things like that could help NetBSD with mindshare. And with that converts.

>> I cced as stated below the netbsd-help address. Since this isn't a 
>> platform specific issue I didn't email the amd64 port maintainer.
> 
> The idea was to make the maintainer aware of your needs, and hope that 
> he would get the ball rolling.  If he's at all interested in providing 
> you and every other AMD64 platform user what you want/need, then he 
> should be involved, they way I see it.  You could pick any port 
> maintainer as far as I see it, but since the AMD64 platform is becoming 
> more and more important (in my view anyway) and you are an AMD64 port 
> user, why not get him involved.

All valid points. Good lobbying.
Do to your points I sent a message to the x86-64 list.

Hopefully that'll get me going.

Thanks.

Jimmie
[snip original message]