Re: FreeBSD4 compatibility

[Andreas Hauser <andy@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

hmp wrote @ Fri, 30 Dec 2005 15:16:34 +0000:

> The issue is, maintaining compatibility with other operating systems is
> quite a tedious and sometimes involved task, not to mention consuming
> valuable hours that would be better spent on something else.  Don't get
> me wrong, having it wouldn't be bad, but it's never considered as a
> priority task.
> 
> If we really want compatibility with other OSes, than I would say we do
> so with Linux and Solaris; oh not to mention Windows NDIS!  The latter
> is an extremely important tool for supporting as many drivers as possible.
> 
> Most people when migrating to a new OS, especially Windows to *nix are
> worried about whether the target system will support their hardware, and
> usually they do so quirckily.

That very much depends on what you use the OS for. When you put it on your
Laptop you do. But when you put it on a server you want native drivers.
Since DragonFly aims for the Cluster/Server i would much more prefer
FreeBSD (another server OS) compatibility than Windows, if native is
a noop. And then i was much more comfortable running an userspace programm
not a driver.

In that area i find a second release without unionfs and nullfs also hurting.


Andy