this post was submitted on 01 Mar 2024
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Linux

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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Linux is a family of open source Unix-like operating systems based on the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released on September 17, 1991 by Linus Torvalds. Linux is typically packaged in a Linux distribution (or distro for short).

Distributions include the Linux kernel and supporting system software and libraries, many of which are provided by the GNU Project. Many Linux distributions use the word "Linux" in their name, but the Free Software Foundation uses the name GNU/Linux to emphasize the importance of GNU software, causing some controversy.

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Linux hits 4% on the desktop 🐧 πŸ“ˆ (gs.statcounter.com)
submitted 8 months ago by markus99@lemmy.world to c/linux@lemmy.ml
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[–] exhaust_fan@lemmy.world 1 points 8 months ago (2 children)

Dumb question but what's a BSD? What's the difference?

[–] geoma@lemmy.ml 3 points 8 months ago (1 children)

It's another libre operating system that is not GNU/linux

[–] jackpot@lemmy.ml 2 points 8 months ago (2 children)

wjy would it be better

[–] geoma@lemmy.ml 3 points 8 months ago (1 children)

Its more of a niche. You probably won't have the huge support you have on gnu/Linux nowadays

[–] scratchandgame@lemmy.ml 1 points 8 months ago (1 children)

"gnu/Linux nowadays" is unusable on old hardware (except distros like Alpine) I think?

[–] geoma@lemmy.ml 2 points 8 months ago

There are a bunch of distros focused on old hardware compatibility. I often install Linux on 32 bit laptops from around 2008 and they work perfectly

[–] flying_gel@lemmy.world 2 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago)

It's not necessarily better, some things are a personal preference. Though some might be able to list some technical pros and cons.

Some things I appreciate are:

  • base systems and packages are completely separate. Packages and their configuration goes in /usr/local/ No where else. (Thought they might write to /var/ )
  • bsd init, not systemd. Feels more home to me as a late 90s slackware user.
  • first class zfs support. Linux has caught up lately, especially now that there is a shared zfs codebase for both Linux and FreeBSD. When I switched to FreeBSD on my home server ~10 years ago that wasn't the case.
[–] scratchandgame@lemmy.ml 1 points 8 months ago (1 children)

That research is much easier than figuring out what is computer's "stack" without using my first language!

[–] exhaust_fan@lemmy.world 1 points 8 months ago (1 children)

Dude I'm a beginner struggling to learn Linux because there are so many options, so few good explanations, and people like you only want to patronize me

I just want a tldr

[–] scratchandgame@lemmy.ml 1 points 8 months ago

so few good explanations

What a lack of documentation. On BSDs we didn't suffer that.

I just want a tldr

BSD is an operating system. It diverged into FreeBSD, NetBSD and OpenBSD.