# Difference FreeBSD vs. NetBSD?



## pstein (Feb 6, 2015)

Sorry for this newbie question:

What is the difference between FreeBSD and NetBSD?

Thank you
Peter


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## jrm@ (Feb 6, 2015)

Here you go.


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## wblock@ (Feb 6, 2015)

The Wikipedia entry is a bit more specific: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_BSD_operating_systems.

In short, one of NetBSD's main goals is portability to different hardware platforms.  FreeBSD is a much larger project aimed a producing a general-purpose Unix for use on common hardware.


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## jrm@ (Feb 6, 2015)

The Wikipedia article is the top hit for me.


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## gofer_touch (Feb 6, 2015)

This seems to have been a topic that came up before - https://forums.freebsd.org/threads/clarity-freebsd-vs-netbsd.40168/

Some of the content there might be helpful.


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## Oko (Apr 13, 2015)

http://marc.info/?l=netbsd-port-i386&m=123407071608152&w=2


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## gofer_touch (Apr 23, 2015)

I hear NetBSD is actively working on its port of ZFS.


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## Beastie7 (Apr 23, 2015)

Does NetBSD have ARM support? With all the IoT buzz going around NetBSD could certainly capitalize on embedded devices. I'm really excited for ARM support for FreeBSD, I've always wanted to put nanoBSD in my Refrigerator, or have like a BSD Quadcopter for getting me food.


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## Oko (Apr 23, 2015)

ZFS is not actively developed in-spite of the claims (all development stopped couple of years ago). This is what is cooking for 7.0

http://saveosx.org/NetBSD7/

Just an illustration how well is NetBSD doing these days

http://marc.info/?l=netbsd-users&m=142927623521530&w=2


I started a thread on BSD Daemon forums couple of months ago which went viral

http://daemonforums.org/showthread.php?t=8810


The only interesting thing to me besides nice automated regression testing tools is Xen Dom0. Oh I wish WAPBL was ported to vanilla OpenBSD (it is already a part of BitRig). If I had to bet in Las Vegas on the survival of NetBSD in the next 3-5 years I would put $100 that is going to die or be useful only as archaeological system for people who want to run UNIX on thins like Amiga or Atari.


BTW People who are overly excited with ARM hardware should check out Theo's post on the systematic architectural security floods of ARM hardware.


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## swirling_vortex (Apr 24, 2015)

NetBSD was supposed to die back in 2006, but they still seem to be going. They have some interesting things, but I can never seem to get it working on my hardware.


Beastie7 said:


> Does NetBSD have ARM support?


Certainly. But support for specific hardware can vary. ARM boards aren't like x86 boards where everything boots up the same way.


Oko said:


> BTW People who are overly excited with ARM hardware should check out Theo's post on the systematic architectural security floods of ARM hardware.


Do you have a link to that?


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## Oko (Apr 24, 2015)

swirling_vortex said:


> Do you have a link to that?


http://marc.info/?l=openbsd-misc&m=142893814919007&w=2


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## swirling_vortex (Apr 24, 2015)

Oko said:


> http://marc.info/?l=openbsd-misc&m=142893814919007&w=2


Thanks. I don't think Theo's post is a condemnation of ARM hardware but rather that there were some enhancements made to W^X under OpenBSD's amd64 port earlier this year that aren't available in other platforms.

http://marc.info/?l=openbsd-tech&m=142120787308107&w=2

As far as I know, the same W^X treatment to the OpenBSD kernel didn't occur under i386 and there are plenty of users running a Soekris or PC Engines box for routing purposes.


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