key barriers

[Thanjee Neefam]

Hello,

I have a friend who is a Debian Linux user and I have been having a
discussion with him about using FreeBSD. He wrote me a list of his
concerns with changing to FreeBSD. I don't want to give him any incorrect
answers or incorrect information. So could someone more knowledgable than
me please give me some precise answers on the following points.

Thanks!


----from email----

I like that a certain *BSD is getting funding from DARPA; the 
enhancements I was reading about sounded impressive.

The key barrier to FreeBSD is java.  I go to 
http://www.freebsd.org/java/ and the main text says FreeBSD supports 
1.1.8, which isn't good enough for my needs.

However, there is also a 1.4 link on that page, but that page says the 
FreeBSD version is currently missing features.

This is the second key issue.  I know of someone who runs an old 
open-source OS (about 3 versions behind the current), who doesn't know 
how to patch his box unless he downloads 4 or so CDs.  That box was 
recently compromised and the fix that person performed was to rebuild 
the machine with the same old OS, and recover data from tape.

I like being able to browse to www.debian.org/security and to know that 
on certain days as many as 5 patches are released.  And that with a 
single command I can apply all the patches I need.

Now, FreeBSD has a similar page freebsd.org/security but it doesn't list 
as many bugs.  Does that mean FreeBSD has fewer holes?  Or does it mean 
it takes longer to fix them in FreeBSD?  Or that people are not testing 
the security of BSD as much as Debian?  I don't know.

At the top of the debian security page is directions on how to apply all 
relevent patches.  There is no such information on the FreeBSD security 
page (that I could see, correct me if I am wrong).  Instead the 
directions are attached to the Security Advisory, and involve 
recompiling your operating-system/kernal and rebooting (at least it did 
for the two I checked 'openssl' and 'syncookies' SA for 4.8

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AAFE Audio, Amiga and FreeBSD Enthusiast :p
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