2,000,000 is an awfully big number of users. In no sense does it represent any kind of failure.
Frankly I'm stunned by the swift rise of FreeBSD - I thought nothing would ever touch the success of the Linux movement. Being a relatively new Linux convert I'm willing to admit that I suffered from a kind of parochialism with respect to FreeBSD - when I heard news of it I kind of wanted not to hear it because, hey, I've already found the answer and it's Linux, right?
I think I'm probably not alone in that: many of you probably have the same feelings (you know who you are:) Recently though my attitude towards the BSDs has changed from a kind of jealousy to admiration and respect. A lot of that has been due to the sympathetic and interesting coverage on Slashdot. A larger part of it is the obvious truth that there's a lot to respect technically in the BSD's - look at the security audits just for one thing. I now see the BSD's as another tool in the toolbox - it's what I'll do when I need a slimmer, tighter box that doesn't necessarily have to get all dressed up to kill.
Now, I don't seriously believe that the BSD's will ever pass Linux in popularity, for reasons that are set out nicely in your article and are beaten to death elsewhere in this thread. But neither do I believe that there is room in this world for only one open OS, especially when they are interoperable. The BSD's will help us achieve world domination. They are but one more division in the open source army.
2,000,000 users is some kind of failure? (Score:2)
Frankly I'm stunned by the swift rise of FreeBSD - I thought nothing would ever touch the success of the Linux movement. Being a relatively new Linux convert I'm willing to admit that I suffered from a kind of parochialism with respect to FreeBSD - when I heard news of it I kind of wanted not to hear it because, hey, I've already found the answer and it's Linux, right?
I think I'm probably not alone in that: many of you probably have the same feelings (you know who you are:) Recently though my attitude towards the BSDs has changed from a kind of jealousy to admiration and respect. A lot of that has been due to the sympathetic and interesting coverage on Slashdot. A larger part of it is the obvious truth that there's a lot to respect technically in the BSD's - look at the security audits just for one thing. I now see the BSD's as another tool in the toolbox - it's what I'll do when I need a slimmer, tighter box that doesn't necessarily have to get all dressed up to kill.
Now, I don't seriously believe that the BSD's will ever pass Linux in popularity, for reasons that are set out nicely in your article and are beaten to death elsewhere in this thread. But neither do I believe that there is room in this world for only one open OS, especially when they are interoperable. The BSD's will help us achieve world domination. They are but one more division in the open source army.