On Wed, 20 Oct 1999, Jonathan Stone wrote:

> >What would you like to compare? I have Linux running on a /133 and a /25
> >and the /25 regularly runs NetBSD 1.3.1 too.

> That's hardly a fair comparison; Linux was vapourware when 1.3.1 came
> out.  how about NetBSD 1.4.1? What aspects would you like to compare?

How it boots, just kidding.

> >My personal opinion is use the OS that suits your needs. With Linux I was
> >able to learn a bit of programming and kernel development. With NetBSD I'm
> >able to use the /25 as a diskless X-terminal, I'm satisfied with that!
> >Allthough eager to get the on-board ISDN working. :-)

> I dont see why someone couldn't learn programming and kernel
> development on NetBSD/pmax. The NetBSD code is certainly more complete
> and more mature and supports more hardware.  I guess I dont see how
> Linux on a pmax would suit anyone's needs as well as NetBSD.

First of all I didn't knew that NetBSD was pretty open for contributing
and was happy and glad to have the MAXine running, I really didn't knew
what I was getting when I bought it from an uni, I thought I was buying a
X-terminal.
Second I went from MS to Linux and didn't know that something like NetBSD
existed, only heard from Unix and that it costs big bucks and am not in a
position to spent big bucks on a OS for private use.
Like you said there was for example no network driver for the DECstations
and I learned a lot from the bit I did on adapting the Linux Sparc LANCE
driver to DECstation's LANCE driver.

> But I am interested to hear from people who've tried both.

At the Linux-MIPS mailing list archive there should be available a
comparision of Linux 2.1.131 and NetBSD 1.3.3 on a DECStation 5000/260
made with BYTE UNIX Benchmarks (Version 3.11). Or are you looking for
something else (there's no recent comparision)?

Regards,
Richard