10 differences between Linux and BSD
How often do you hear people lumping together Linux and any of the BSDs? I’ve done it on occasion, and I hear it all the time. Of course, there are plenty of similarities between Linux and BSD: They are both based on UNIX. For the most part, both systems are developed by noncommercial organizations. And I must say that both the Linux and BSD variants have one common goal — to create the most useful, reliable operating system available.

Still, there are significant differences as well. And when people overlook them, the whole BSD community shivers with anger. So I thought I would do my best to help my BSD brethren out and explain some of the ways Linux differs from BSD.

1: Licenses

As we all know, the Linux operating system is licensed under the GPL. This license is used to help prevent the inclusion of closed source software and to ensure the availability of the source code. The GPL attempts to prevent the distribution of binary-only source.

The BSD License is much less restrictive and even allows for the distribution of binary-only source. The core difference, however, can be looked at like this: The GPL gives you the right to use the software any way you want, but you MUST ensure the source code is available to the next person who uses it (or your variation of it). The BSD license does not require that you make sure the next person who uses (or modifies your code) makes that code available.

2: Control

The BSD code is not “controlled” by any one user, which many people see as a big bonus. Whereas the Linux kernel is mostly controlled by Linus Torvalds (the creator of Linux), BSD does not have a single person dictating what can and can’t go into the code. Instead, BSD uses a “core team” to manage the project. This core team has more say in the direction of the project than all non-core members of the BSD community.

3: Kernel vs. operating system

The BSD project maintains the entire operating system, whereas the Linux project focuses primarily on the kernel alone. This really isn’t quite as encompassing as it seems because many of the applications that are used on both operating systems.

4: UNIX-like

There is an old saying about BSD vs. Linux: “BSD is what you get when a bunch of UNIX hackers sit down to try to port a UNIX system to the PC. Linux is what you get when a bunch of PC hackers sit down and try to write a UNIX system for the PC.” That expression says a lot. What you will find is that the BSDs are much more similar to UNIX because they are, in fact, direct derivatives of traditional UNIX. Linux, on the other hand, was a newly created OS loosely based on a UNIX derivative (Minix, to be exact).

5: Base systems

This one is crucial to understanding the differences between BSD and Linux. The “base system” for Linux doesn’t really exist, as Linux is a conglomeration of smaller systems that come together to make a whole. Many will say that the Linux base system is the kernel. The problem is a kernel is pretty worthless without any usable applications. BSD, on the other hand, has a base system that encompasses numerous tools — even libc is a part of the base system. Because these pieces are all treated as a base system, they are all developed and packaged together. Many argue that this creates a more cohesive whole.

6: More from source

Because of the way BSD is developed (using the Ports system), more users tend to be installing from source rather than prepackaged binary packages. Is this an advantage or a disadvantage? That depends on the individual. If you’re a fan of user-friendly simplicity