FreeBSD 5.3-BETA3 Available

hugo_pt writes "FreeBSD 5.3-BETA3 has just hit the ftp/cvsup servers. This new beta aims at correcting some known bugs from BETA2, mainly on ACPI and the schedules. It also improves several system utilities, such as bsdtar. More details available here FreeBSD 5.3-RELEASE is expected October 3rd."

Re:Trying out FreeBSD

[Inominate]

Grab freebsd 4.10. 5.x still has some odd quirks.

Re:Trying out FreeBSD

[Fweeky]

Some good documentation [freebsd.org].

Re:Trying out FreeBSD

[wirelessbuzzers]

I've been running FreeBSD 5-CURRENT. It's been more or less stable, not as much as 4.10, but hopefully it will be getting more so with the establishment of a 5-STABLE branch.

The plusses: 5.x is faster, especially on an SMP or hyperthreading machine. It also supports goodies like ACLs and snapshots.

Try the Handbook for Linux compatibility mode.

--Mike

Re:Trying out FreeBSD

[grilo]

Try FreeBSD 5.3 when it's out. If you can't wait almost a month, give a go to 5.2.1. It will be painless to upgrade to 5.3.

The STABLE branch is, as it's named, quite stable, but it doesn't have the new scheduler (ULE), and stuff like that. If you're looking for a desktop experience, try the most recent 5.x release, if you're looking for a server, I advise you to take a peek at 4.x.

But if you're looking to find the ultimate desktop, you can look somewhere else. I've been a long time FreeBSD user and I recently tried Fedore Core 2, and I'm in awe with the integration supplied.

FreeBSD is the ultimate server Operating System, but the ports team, in general, still can't match the level of integration provided by vendors like SuSE and RedHat (even Mandrake, for that matter), so keep your hopes low. On the other hand, the ports system really lifts any problem with dependencies, and everything. The package management facility is, in my humble opinion, much better than anything else I've seen.

Nevertheless, give it a shot, it won't hurt. Just don't think you'll have the ultimate desktop waiting for you.

By the way, FreeBSD is currently on ports freeze, which means no new ports will be added, in order to concentrate all of the resources in making sure every port builds as it should. Usually, several dozens of ports are added each day, but while the freeze lasts, only port fixes will be committed.

Have fun! :)

bsdtar

[FullMetalAlchemist]

The bsdtar is so much better than gtar I think it will replace gtar even in most Linux distributions.
It automatically handles compresson (like gzip and bzip2).

My only beef with 5.X series is the fact that even though perl is out, it still is way too large; so I need to build my own releases for CD that doesn't have sendmail etc.
No biggie but still a tad bit annoying.

Re:Trying out FreeBSD

[CoolGopher]

For best stability, go for FreeBSD 4.10. For the latest features, wait for 5.3 to be released. At the moment I'd roughly compare the two to Linux kernel 2.4 vs 2.6 - pretty much the same deal.

For Linux compatibility, you should probably start reading chapter 10 in the FreeBSD Handbook [freebsd.org].

Re:Trying out FreeBSD

[noselasd]

I felt at home with NetBSD [netbsd.org]
Nice and clean, and good docs [netbsd.org].
Some info on Linux emulation on NetBSD [newsforge.com]

Re:Trying out FreeBSD

[Moridineas]

I would probably simply wait (as others have suggested for 5.3).

though I'm running a 5.2.1 server and it runs fine--5.3 has a number of goodies like X.org default, much better SMP support, etc.

Check out the FreeBSD handbook http://www.freebsd.org/doc/en_US.ISO8859-1/books/h andbook/index.html [freebsd.org] for info on all things FreeBSD, as well as Linux binary support.

Re:5.3 question

[DashEvil]

6.0-current has already been branched. When 5.3 hits it will be -STABLE.

Re:bsdtar

[FullMetalAlchemist]

Here is a short version of what I normally do. [gsoft.com.au]
You will need to customize the buildworld procedure to your liking, and that's about it.

Re:Trying out FreeBSD

[raadradd]

though I'm running a 5.2.1 server and it runs fine--5.3 has a number of goodies like X.org default

Simply set X_WINDOW_SYSTEM=xorg in you /etc/make.conf, deinstall XFree86 and install Xorg. For more details check the 20040723 entry in /usr/ports/UPDATING.

Re:bsdtar

[jsonn]

It sounds like Stallman had a point. You don't go around rewriting things for the sake of it. Does gtar need constant development? No, it's in a stable state. As I recall, automated testing of the GNU toolset compared extremely well with other versions - you don't throw away that stability just because the code is ugly.

The whole point of Stallman was that Schily as German didn't want to hand over the copyright because he's legally not allowed so. Also GNU Tar is not stable. It is incompatible with almost any other tar on the world. Yeah, that's not a problem for the GNU guys, "Our tar is better, use it". Heck, the code is not only ugly, it is full of bugs.

Binary updates

[n0dez]

Try these:

FreeBSD Binary Updates
http://www.daemonology.net/freebsd-update/ [daemonology.net]

FreeBSD/KDE packages
http://rabarber.fruitsalad.org/ [fruitsalad.org]

FreeBSD/GNOME packages
http://www.marcuscom.com/tinderbox/ [marcuscom.com]

Want more?
BPM; a graphical ports collection manager for FreeBSD
http://www.meowfishies.com/bpm.rhtml [meowfishies.com]

http://www.n0dez.com/ [n0dez.com]

Re:why FreeBSD 6 when no Linux 2.7 ?

[Cochonou]

FreeBSD has two binary mecanisms: one for the base system (security updates) provided through freebsd-update, and the package system which is an alternative to compiling the ports by yourself. The packages usually lag the ports by a few weeks.

Re:why FreeBSD 6 when no Linux 2.7 ?

[drmerope]

The FreeBSD model has always been that features and patches are tested in -current and then merged down to -stable and tested some more until it comes time for the next release from -stable.

This tiered approach exists to support three types of users: the developers (-current), sysadmin's test environment, impatient users (-stable), production environments, conservative users (-release).

5.0, 5.1, 5.2.1 were all preview releases--somewhat stabilized snapshpts of -current. 5.3 should be available for general adoption.

Thus, the existance of 6.0 does not reflect a change in developer focus but rather the adoption of conservativism on the 5.x branch (prior testing in -current required before merging) that is in keeping with it becoming a -stable branch from which real -releases are made. You can rest assured that bugs in 5.x will continue to be fixed and tested in 6.0-current and after some verification the fixed will be merged down to 5-Stable.

FreeBSD also maintains a POLA (principle of least astonishment) which prohibits any major behavioral/interface/abi changes from appearing in a -stable branch. (Basically you are nearly certain that an application that runs properly on n.0 will run properly on n.10).

6.0-Current exists as a proving ground for those features which would violate POLA.

Re:Check out the 5.3 To-Do List. . .

[shlong]

Is it just that this list is unmaintained, or is 5.3 going out the door with some of these items left undone?

This is the list of things that will be fixed before 5.3 goes out the door. Releaseing 5.3-BETA3 is not the same as releasing 5.3-RELEASE.

Is this the version of 5.x that is to be considered stable?

That is the intention, yes.

Re:Trying out FreeBSD

[phoenix_rizzen]

It will not be painless to upgrade from 5.2.1 to 5.3.

The upgrade will require a recompile of *ALL* installed ports due to the changes in threading libraries and the new version of GCC (3.4) in the base system.

A lot of kernel options have also been turned into sysctls requiring a thorough read through /usr/src/UPDATING to figure out what to remove from the kernel config file.

The default version of X11 has been changed to Xorg and a new make.conf variable has been introduced to allow you to choose which one you want. Blindly upgrading X apps without setting this, or setting it to the wrong version, will cause problems.

Highly recommended that people start reading the new /usr/ports/UPDATING file after every ports tree update.

There have been a *lot* of changes between 5.2.1 and 5.3. The recommended, and best, method for upgrading from one to the other is to:
1. Backup all your data and config files.
2. Install 5.3 from the CD or FTP.
3. Install all the apps you want to use.
4. Restore your data and config files, as needed.

Changes and upgrade docs

[ivoras]

This article is a preliminary overview (work in progress) of major changes from the 4.x branch, and notes on upgrading.

http://people.freebsd.org/~bmah/pub/article.html [freebsd.org]