Hey all! 🙂 I'm interested in learning about everyone's experience on their journey from Linux, Windows, Mac, to BSD.

In my experience working in I.T I love open source software. I have worked with Unix, and Linux.

Some differences I notice IMO between LINUX and BSD are the following:

  1. BSD feels more like a true UNIX.
  2. BSD is a clean and tidy system.
  3. BSD is solid and stable and it follows more of the "If it's not broke don't fix it."
  4. Less fragmentation.
  5. "Security" this is subjective but OpenBSD makes for a solid firewall and a secure server OS.
  6. "PF" IMO this is the finest firewall in existence.
  7. BSD is an entire full OS all integrated nicely together instead of a kernel and userland.
    On a side note I'll still take Linux over Windows any day of the week. 🙂

    I didn't switch. I wish I could. But there is too much stuff that expects to run on Linux and I've the right to be lazy and skip fighting windmills. So I'm using Penguins and BSDs side by side. Let's just say Linux is my Windows: I don't love it any more but avoiding it would cost me far too much.

    Windows? Privately I skipped it, but taking work using Windows to home could happen and for work in general my last contact was W2K in early 2002.

    Apple? That's food, Big-Apple (NY) and Apple-Records. Nothing else!

    Ramen!

      I started using Linux around 1997 with Redhat (Manhattan) distro hopped around then installed Debian Slink and remember compiling a kernel just to get my soundcard to work. Eventually tried FreeBSD back when FreeBSD developers used to eat their own dogfood before MacOSX. Moved to NetBSD for years then OpenBSD. Used both Linux and BSD on and off. OpenBSD is my main driver, on a Thinkpad , but I have Debian on a cheap Netbook to run clusterf*ck applications such as Calibre, for my Kindle, etc... that I don't trust and don't want sullying up my OpenBSD install.

      Why OpenBSD ? SystemD w/ binary non-text logs and major feature creep with too much added complexity in modern Linux : KISS is the way baby !

      Google: Linux kernel and its toolchains are underinvested by at least 100 engineers
      Security not good enough, claims Chocolate Factory engineer

      https://www.theregister.com/2021/08/04/google_linux_kernel_security/

      ] Lok Technologies , a San Jose, Calif.-based maker of networking gear, started out using Linux in its equipment but switched to OpenBSD four years ago after company founder Simon Lok, who holds a doctorate in computer science, took a close look at the Linux source code.

      "You know what I found? Right in the kernel, in the heart of the operating system, I found a developer's comment that said, 'Does this belong here?' "Lok says. "What kind of confidence does that inspire? Right then I knew it was time to switch."

      https://www.forbes.com/2005/06/16/linux-bsd-unix-cz_dl_0616theo.html?sh=32556484171d

      The OpenBSD kernel probably has bugs still too and I haven't looked at the code yet but I am pretty sure the Linux kernel bugs state of affairs is worse.

      Kernel relinking at boot: the .o files of the kernel are relinked in random order from a link-kit, before every reboot. This provides substantial interior randomization in the kernel's text and data segments for layout and relative branches/calls. Basically a unique address space for each kernel boot, similar to the userland fork+exec model described above but for the kernel. Theo de Raadt, June 2017

      https://www.openbsd.org/innovations.html

      I could drone on and on here on various aspects of Linux insecurity but I won't.

      In 2003 OpenBSD was somewhere on the edge of open source software, known mainly for an uncompromising, fanatical view of computing security and correctness. So uncompromising that other open source projects didn’t want to work with it. But a funny thing happened in the following decade: The uncompromising fanatics turned out to be right. More than once I’ve heard “That’s fixed in the latest Linux, and in OpenBSD 3.2.” OpenBSD code trickled into other BSDs, Linux, and even some commercial operating systems. Apple and BlackBerry products include the OpenBSD packet filter. Lots of BSDs support the OpenBSD wireless utilities. And everyone runs OpenSSH. [bionic C library in Android and LLVM stuff etc..--codex]

      https://mwl.io/nonfiction/os#ao2e

      The OpenBSD community generally expects newcomers to be advanced computer users. The members have written extensive OpenBSD documentation, and expect newcomers to be willing to read it. They’re not interested in coddling new Unix users and, if pressed, will say so—often bluntly and forcefully. They will not hold your hand. They will not develop new features to please users. OpenBSD exists to meet the needs of the developers, and while others are welcome to ride along, the needs of the passengers do not steer the project.

      https://mwl.io/nonfiction/os#ao2e

      Basically newbies suck that is why monstrosities such as Linux Mint exist and how SystemD gained traction and now Linux is a FrankenOS that is less unix-like. The UNIX philosophy is not perfect but you know what is worse mixing SystemD with a unix-like system : FrankenOS with a non-KISS outlook.

      yeti

      Sort of the same. Some things linux does "better" or is just easier to use at times. After lots of distro hopping in the linux world, and trying out the 3 big BSD based OS's, I've become appreciative of the pros and cons of different OS's.

        JuvenalUrbino

        I told this elsewhere already: it shouldn't be postulated for a BSD user to be necessarily a Linux refugee.

        Agreed....but there certainly seems to be a trend of people leaving linux to try BSD.

          I used Linux for a very, very short perioid. BSD felt like a land of opportunity and a nice interesting thing to learn. I was mainly using Windows on the desktop before because I found Linux too unstable and fragile. I always ran some sort of BSD on servers.

          Many NetBSD developers recall a time that VAXes running Berkeley Unix were the main way to "get online". They never "switched" from anything.

            nia

            how long ago was it you tried linux before switching trying BSD

            • Jay likes this.

              BSDhax0r What made me switch? Covid-19 (what a silver lining, eh? 😃)

              I used to be, and still am at work, a Linux user, but enforced isolation (aka. quarantine), free time on hand, worry about job-security, etc. got me trying out the *BSDs again after a long time.

              FreeBSD installed and worked without issues. NetBSD got stuck. I joined this board (the first forum link on the Community page) to ask my question, but--as usually happens to me--I seem to have answered more questions, and completely forgotten to ask mine!

              BTW, you say:

              BSDhax0r BSD feels more like a true UNIX.

              Actually, all the BSDs are true Unixes. (If that means anything in these days of the Linux juggernaut...)
              There is even a pedigree chart where this lineal descent is documented: /usr/share/misc/bsd-family-tree

                    Around 2000 I started running a early Mandrake with Gnome but I still didn't like the massive desktop with boot process. Later installed FreeBSD 5.0 on a old computer and made a minimal X11 install that only ran what I used. Being a noob at the time, I mysteriously found out how to nfs a whole installed X11 tree to another computer and actually start it with somewhat different hardware, so FreeBSD it was going to be.
                    Now I mostly run a custom RAM-based FreeBSD 12.3 USB-stick on all computers that take a USB-stick as bootmedium. It technically runs on only a powered mainboard with a USB-port. The bootstick can be removed after startup to Xorg,

                    So, I actually switched to nothing. My PC's often don't boot anything from their hard drives. :

                      rvp I used to be, and still am at work, a Linux user, but enforced isolation (aka. quarantine), free time on hand, worry about job-security, etc. got me trying out the *BSDs again after a long time.

                      And it seems you grasped the basics really quickly, didn't you? :-P

                          4 days later

                          I haven't completely switched; currently I have machines running linux, netbsd, macos (yeah i know)......but one of the things I appreciate about each BSD is the simplicity, documentation, and how each BSD is cohesive. Only thing lacking is support for newest hardware, especially wifi. I know FreeBSD has hired someone specifically to improve wifi support.

                          I still use linux (Debian for the most part). I'm used to it, my hardware supports it, and keeping it updated is straightforward. However, I don't like how every distro is just debian (or buntu, or fedora, or arch) with a different face. The diversity in linux is a pro and a con to me. I stick to vanilla debian or BSD.

                          FreeBSD: I like different features like ZFS and boot environments. Also, ability to run linux programs if necessary is nice. Most support so that's helpful. Pretty powerful OS as well as stable. Has other neat featurs like jails, bhyve, poudriere that I haven't really explored. I do sometimes wonder if FreeBSD is starting to stagnate as a project. I hope it doesn't obviously.

                          OpenBSD: great documentation. On hw like a thinkpad, everything just works. Lots of neat tools/utlities created by developers. security innovations are great.

                          NetBSD: maybe the friendliest community I've encountered. Really versatile OS, lots of features. Really impressive when you think about how small the project is. Oh and pkgsrc. Weirdly, I find it to be a good compromise between Free and OpenBSD. I would like to see documentation improve somewhat, but I know there's only so many people working on the project. If I knew more about technical writing I would consider chipping in.

                          I haven't exactly switched entirely to a BSD (just my desktop runs OpenBSD). Windows and Linux are still running on my laptop. As yeti remarked, there is too much stuff that expects to run on Linux (such as my university's VPN for remote server access). My local library also offers digital comics and streaming audiobooks that require Windows and a stock browser with DRM implemented.

                          However, the reason I tried out OpenBSD in the first place was that I liked the logo more than FreeBSD's (I didn't yet know NetBSD existed). This was a few months after first installing Linux Mint, coinciding with my discovery that even more operating systems existed! That the documentation is well written and up-to-date keeps me around 🙂

                            8 days later

                            BSDhax0r I've recently switched to OpenBSD after years of Linux and Windows experience. I find that OpenBSD is much less stressful than Linux. The commands are human readable, simple, and easy to remember for future application. I am also drawn to the security of the OS, because I am using it to store Intellectual Property. To put it simply, OpenBSD is far less difficult to administer than Linux.
                            My primary interest is not computing, and I am not a programmer or IT professional. I use OpenBSD because it stays out of my way and lets me work.

                              sennler Unfortunately I am not able to go fully open source either, I have an HP laptop with ChromeOS flex installed, since I need it for my work at university. However, I have OpenBSD on my main machine and I love it! 🙂

                                MG_ I've wanted to try something like that in the past! What USB hardware do you use to run your system? Does it have comparable speed to an OS running on an internal disk?

                                  6 days later

                                  I use Windows 11 on the desktop. Working on servers, however, I use an entire range: Windows Server 2008/2012/2016/2019, FreeBSD, NetBSD, Debian. They all have strengths and weaknesses and I can't just pick one!

                                  10 months later

                                  What's up,

                                  First post, Glad there is a community here.

                                  Been using Linux off and on for about 20 something years. i tried FreeBSD a couple of years ago but didn't really understand the concept. Went back to Linux. But i always had that itch 😃 Was on FreeBSD for a good solid month and was like this Chromebook i'm using the sound card doesn't work on FreeBSD but i read somewhere that OpenBSD might work. Tried OpenBSD but the hardware isn't supported. Have an old Acer laying around and its perfect. I have OpenBSD on it and running it for about 5 days straight. I like it so much that i'm investing in this laptop. Just put in an SSD and getting two ram chips tomorrow to boost it from 4GB RAM to 16GB ram. Everything works out the box

                                  I wish I could fully switch 100%. I have 1 very old Laptop, 1 T420 (hand-me downs) and 1 newish Laptop (W541). I got the W541 from work very cheap when I left (more below).

                                  But I like BSD because of the very sane defaults/setup and the programs use far less memory than Linux. That leaves memory for more important things. Plus on OpenBSD I really like pledge/unveil and on NetBSD I really like rump. Plus with Linux changing how things are setup daily really annoys me. So far I have lived through 3 audio setups and I think a fourth way of doing audio is in the works. Nevermind the multiple network setups and ifconfig vs ip thing.

                                  Also, the documentation is far better than with Linux has.

                                  A bit OT:

                                  The 2 older ones are 100% BSD and they work great, the W541 has 2 video chips, and integrated chip and an Nvidia. Open/NetBSD works fine on that one except for 1 issue.

                                  The Nvidia GPU (in the lower left corner) gets extremely hot even when idling, there is no way to disable that chip in bios, so I am stuck with Linux. I am hoping in a future release of either Open/Net that issue is fixed. So far, all my searching and various forum questions have pretty much came up with "you need to live with the heat for now".