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Why I run FreeBSD for my home servers (2024)

(aumont.fr)
188 points psxuaw | 4 comments | 3/31/2025, 12:59:00 PM | HN request time: 0.619s | source
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nine_k ◴[3/31/2025, 4:28:00 PM] No.43536856[source]▶

If systemd is the reason, there are several good distros without systemd (I run Void Linux in particular).

If "kubesomething" is the reason, there's no requirement to use it. I think most people don't run it on their home servers.

If containers are the reason, then again, they are not a requirement. But they are pretty similar to BSD's jails. I don't think they are particularly complex.

FreeBSD has a number of strong suits: ZFS, a different kernel and network stack, a cohesive system from a small(ish) team of authors, the handbook, etc. But the usual Linux hobgoblins listed above are a red herring here, to my mind.

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m463 ◴[3/31/2025, 11:23:00 PM] No.43541101[source]▶

To me arch linux is the middle ground between a too-much-complexity "fat" distribution like ubuntu or debian and a-minimal-but-eclectic-freebsd.

the arch wiki is VERY comprehensive, linux has a huge community, and arch forced you to understand much just by stepping through the installation process.

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1. jonathanoliver ◴[4/1/2025, 12:04:00 AM] No.43541387[source]▶

Debian is fat?? I always thought it was a nice, minimalist server distro.

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2. xedrac ◴[4/1/2025, 1:28:00 AM] No.43541904[source]▶

It's definitely fatter than Arch because packages tend to be more coupled.

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3. m463 ◴[4/1/2025, 2:38:00 AM] No.43542280[source]▶

You should try either reading through the installation instruction, or better yet try an install:

https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Installation_guide

4. uggedal ◴[4/1/2025, 7:09:00 AM] No.43543730[source]▶

This is entirely false and the opposite is true. Debian has much more granular package splitting and less hard dependencies.