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  1. Stackups
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  4. Operating Systems
  5. FreeBSD vs openSUSE

FreeBSD vs openSUSE

OverviewComparisonAlternatives

Overview

FreeBSD
FreeBSD
Stacks250
Followers196
Votes28
openSUSE
openSUSE
Stacks111
Followers160
Votes13

FreeBSD vs openSUSE: What are the differences?

  1. Filesystem: The key difference between FreeBSD and openSUSE lies in their default filesystems. FreeBSD primarily uses the UFS (Unix File System) as its default filesystem, which provides stability and advanced features such as soft updates and journaling. On the other hand, openSUSE utilizes the ext4 filesystem as its default, which offers improved performance, scalability, and support for larger file systems.
  2. Package Management: Another significant difference is the package management systems employed by FreeBSD and openSUSE. FreeBSD utilizes the Ports collection system, which allows users to easily compile and install software directly from source code, providing a high degree of flexibility and customization. In contrast, openSUSE utilizes the Zypper package manager, which focuses on binary package management, offering a wide range of pre-compiled software in the form of RPM packages.
  3. Init System: FreeBSD and openSUSE differ in their init systems, which process and manage system services during startup. FreeBSD utilizes the traditional BSD init system, often supplemented by the rc.d system for managing startup scripts. In contrast, openSUSE has adopted the systemd init system, which offers faster boot times, better service dependency management, and advanced features like parallelization of service startup.
  4. Kernel: The kernel versions used by FreeBSD and openSUSE are also distinct. FreeBSD uses its own kernel, which is derived from the original Unix kernel. This allows FreeBSD to have extensive control over the kernel and optimize it for their specific needs. In contrast, openSUSE generally uses the stable Linux kernel, benefitting from its wide range of hardware support, drivers, and active development from the larger Linux community.
  5. License: FreeBSD and openSUSE differ in terms of the licenses under which they are released. FreeBSD is released under a permissive open-source license known as the BSD license, which allows for maximum flexibility and encourages both open-source and proprietary use. On the other hand, openSUSE is released under the GNU General Public License (GPL), which emphasizes the freedom to use, modify, and distribute software while requiring derivative works to be released under the same license.
  6. Community: The communities surrounding FreeBSD and openSUSE also exhibit some differences. The FreeBSD community has a long-standing tradition and strongly emphasizes the open-source philosophy. It fosters a tight-knit community of developers and users who actively contribute to the project. In contrast, openSUSE has a more diverse community, comprising both individual contributors and corporate backers such as SUSE. This diverse community brings together various perspectives and resources, resulting in a broader range of contributions.

In summary, FreeBSD and openSUSE differ in their default filesystems, package management systems, init systems, kernel choices, licenses, and community structures.

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Detailed Comparison

FreeBSD
FreeBSD
openSUSE
openSUSE

An operating system for a variety of platforms which focuses on features, speed, and stability. It is derived from BSD, the version of UNIX® developed at the University of California, Berkeley. It is developed and maintained by a large community.

The openSUSE project is a worldwide effort that promotes the use of Linux everywhere. openSUSE creates one of the world's best Linux distributions, working together in an open, transparent and friendly manner as part of the worldwide Free and Open Source Software community.

KMS And New drm2 Video Drivers; Capsicum Enabled By Default; New Binary Packaging System; Unmapped I/O
-
Statistics
Stacks
250
Stacks
111
Followers
196
Followers
160
Votes
28
Votes
13
Pros & Cons
Pros
  • 8
    Excellent as Server
  • 6
    Very Stable
  • 4
    Helpful community
  • 2
    Good for Cloud - Nextcloud
  • 2
    Ports and packages system is mature and well-supported
Cons
  • 1
    Slower to adopt non-server hardware than Linux
  • 1
    Poor support for laptops, especially wireless cards
Pros
  • 4
    Stable
  • 3
    Lightweight for server
  • 2
    Rolling release
  • 2
    Snapshot
  • 2
    Reliable

What are some alternatives to FreeBSD, openSUSE?

Ubuntu

Ubuntu

Ubuntu is an ancient African word meaning ‘humanity to others’. It also means ‘I am what I am because of who we all are’. The Ubuntu operating system brings the spirit of Ubuntu to the world of computers.

Debian

Debian

Debian systems currently use the Linux kernel or the FreeBSD kernel. Linux is a piece of software started by Linus Torvalds and supported by thousands of programmers worldwide. FreeBSD is an operating system including a kernel and other software.

Arch Linux

Arch Linux

A lightweight and flexible Linux distribution that tries to Keep It Simple.

Fedora

Fedora

Fedora is a Linux-based operating system that provides users with access to the latest free and open source software, in a stable, secure and easy to manage form. Fedora is the largest of many free software creations of the Fedora Project. Because of its predominance, the word "Fedora" is often used interchangeably to mean both the Fedora Project and the Fedora operating system.

Linux Mint

Linux Mint

The purpose of Linux Mint is to produce a modern, elegant and comfortable operating system which is both powerful and easy to use.

CentOS

CentOS

The CentOS Project is a community-driven free software effort focused on delivering a robust open source ecosystem. For users, we offer a consistent manageable platform that suits a wide variety of deployments. For open source communities, we offer a solid, predictable base to build upon, along with extensive resources to build, test, release, and maintain their code.

Linux

Linux

A clone of the operating system Unix, written from scratch by Linus Torvalds with assistance from a loosely-knit team of hackers across the Net. It aims towards POSIX and Single UNIX Specification compliance.

CoreOS

CoreOS

It is designed for security, consistency, and reliability. Instead of installing packages via yum or apt, it uses Linux containers to manage your services at a higher level of abstraction. A single service's code and all dependencies are packaged within a container that can be run on one or many machines.

Gentoo Linux

Gentoo Linux

It is a free operating system based on either Linux or FreeBSD that can be automatically optimized and customized for just about any application or need.

Alpine Linux

Alpine Linux

Alpine Linux is a security-oriented, lightweight Linux distribution based on musl libc and busybox.

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