In this article, we will look at some of the reasons why people are using BSD over Linux.
1. Packages are More Trustworthy
Speaking of packages, another point that the BSD users raised was the trustworthiness of packages. In BSD, all packages are provided by “a centralized package/ports system with every package getting built as part of a single repository with security systems in place each step of the way”. This ensures that a hacker can’t sneak malicious software into a seemingly-safe application and lends to the long-term stability of BSD.
2. Slow Change = Better Long-Term Stability
In the BSD world, major releases take longer. This means that there is more of a focus on getting things right then getting them pushed out to the user. This also means that changes to the operating system happen over time. Like with Debian, long development cycles help BSD to test new ideas to make sure they work properly before making them permanent. It also helps to produce code less likely to have issues.
3. Linux is Too Cluttered
When it came to choosing which BSD they were going to use, the choice was fairly easy. There are only half a dozen BSDs that are being actively developed. Of those BSDs, each one has a specific purpose. “OpenBSD security, FreeBSD more desktop/server, NetBSD “run on anything and everything”, DragonFlyBSD scaling and performance.” Meanwhile, the Linux world is full of distros that just add a theme or icon pack to an existing distro. The smaller number of BSD projects means that there is less duplication of effort and more overall focus.
4. ZFS Support
One BSD user noted that one of the main reasons that he switched to BSD was ZFS. In fact almost all of the people I talked to mentioned ZFS support on BSD as the reason they did not return to Linux.
This is an area where Linux will lose out on for the time being. While OpenZFS is available on some Linux distros, ZFS is built into the BSD kernels. This alone means that ZFS will have better performance on BSD. While there have been several attempts to get ZFS into the Linux kernel, licensing issues will be solved first.
5. License
There was also a difference of opinion on licenses. The general idea held by many is the GPL is not truly free because it put limits on how you can make use of the software. Some also think that the GPL is “too large and difficult to interpret which can lead to legal problems down the road if a person is not careful when developing a product with this license”.
On the other hand, the BSD license only has three clauses and allows anyone to “take the software, make changes, and do whatever you want with it, but it also offers protection to the developer”.
