An operating system is a medium that helps users to interact with computers by providing an interface. In the early stages, there were prefixed keywords that a user has to learn to give commands and to get the work done.
But now everyone can use computers by clicking on different icons. All of it became possible through the enhanced operating systems.
Key Takeaways
- BSD and Linux are open-source Unix-like operating systems. Still, they have different licensing terms: BSD uses the permissive BSD license, while Linux uses the more restrictive GNU General Public License (GPL).
- BSD has a complete and cohesive base system, while Linux distributions consist of a kernel and various userland components, making them more modular.
- Linux has a larger user base and broader hardware support, whereas BSD is known for its stability, security, and high-quality documentation.
BSD vs Linux
BSD (Berkeley Software Distribution) is licensed under the permissive BSD license, which allows for the distribution and modification of the source code without restrictions. Linus Torvalds created Linux as a free and open-source alternative to proprietary operating systems.
Berkeley Software Distribution, shortly known as BSD, is an operating system. The University of California, Berkeley, has developed and distributed this operating system.
Users also call it BSD Unix, which has been very popular. California University has stopped the making of the BSD operating system.
Linux is a computer operating system. It is an open-source operating system. The developer designed it in a way that it can give competition with Unix, but it became different by running other hardware like phones and supercomputers.
There are some simple components are used, such as GNU tools.
Comparison Table
| Parameters Of Comparison | BSD | Linux |
|---|---|---|
| Structure | BSD is a particular version of the Unix operating system and it does not perform like any other medium. | Linux is an operating system but it can also work as a kernel for particular devices. The kernel system varies from OS. |
| License | BSD uses the license BSD as well as it is the owner of this license, unlike other operating systems. | The license used for Linux is known as GPL. The expanded form of GPL is a general public license. |
| Software support | BSD also supports a wide variety of applications, but BSD takes more time to provide the required support for the application. | There is a wide range of applications supported by Linux. The type of support provided by Linux is very quick. |
| Performance | The performance of BSD in the networking area is very poor, but overall this operating system has good performance. | Whether it is networking area or running various applications, Linux performance is at its best in every scenario. |
| Running time | The running time of the BSD operating system is fast because it has limited rules to follow. | The running time of the Linux operating system can be slow because it follows every rule that is required to follow. |
What is BSD?
Another name for BSD, apart from Berkeley Software Distribution, is Berkeley Standard Distribution. It was released for the first time in 9977, but the official release of BSD is considered in 1995.
BSD operating system is only available in the English language. This operating system was based on Unix, and California University, the developer and distributor, discontinued making BSD.
A group at University known as CSRG (Computer Systems Research Group) was the main source to provide and look after the BSD operating system.
BSD’s successors and the term refer to DragonFly BSD, FreeBSD, NetBSD, and OpenBSD. The computer language that was used to write the source code BSD in C language. BSD is a part of the Unix family.
The type of kernel in BSD is Monolithic. When the entire operating system works in one space, this setup is called Monolithic. The user interface used by BSD is a Unix shell.
In the early stage of its making, BSD was known as Berkeley Unix because the source code used in writing it was driven from the original Unix.
At first, it was different from the Unix operating system, but CSRG developed and modified it using the features of Unix. It was the first version of the Unix operating system that included libraries that were used to support the Internet Protocol stack.
What is Linux?
The Linux operating system is a member of the Unix-like family. This operating system was released on 17 September 1991. The languages used to write Linux operating systems are some assembly languages, C, and others.
The developer of Linux is Linus Torvalds. The developer Linus wanted to call it “Freax”. Users still use the Linux operating system. Unlike Unix, Linux is available in many languages, making it loved worldwide.
Linux also has a monolithic kernel type. The default user interface Linux provides is GNU and CLI and includes a desktop environment.
The architecture on which the operating system of Linux is based is Intel x86. Debian, Ubuntu, and Fedora are some prestigious distributors of Linux as well as many other distributions. It was originally developed to be used in personal computers.
It has the largest install base even now, but in desktop computers, it is only used around 2.3 percent. The domination of Linux is on servers, where 96.4 percent of servers use Linux as their OS.
The embedded systems also accept Linux, including television, automation, routers, game consoles, smartwatches, etc. Even Tesla, Toyota, Hyundai, Mercedes, and Audi also use Linux to perform several functions.
Now almost every computing system is using Linux operating system.
Main Differences Between BSD and Linux
- BSD does not approach user-convenient packages, while Linux is not so conservative in using third-party packages to fulfil the needs of its users.
- The number of hardware supported by BSD is very less, while Linux supports a wide range of hardware.
- When it comes to graphics, the graphic drivers in BSD do not perform well, whereas Linux has advanced graphic drivers and has the best performance.
- BSD is not that great when it comes to providing security, on the other hand, Linux provides a high level of security.
- BSD does not follow so many rules. On the other hand, Linux is very strict when it comes to following the rules.
- https://vodun.org/papers/net-papers/van_jacobson_the_bpf_packet_filter.pdf
- https://elibrary.ru/item.asp?id=21556648
Last Updated : 21 June, 2023
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Sandeep Bhandari holds a Bachelor of Engineering in Computers from Thapar University (2006). He has 20 years of experience in the technology field. He has a keen interest in various technical fields, including database systems, computer networks, and programming. You can read more about him on his bio page.
The comparisons made in this article offer a clear insight into the strengths and weaknesses of BSD and Linux, making it a valuable resource for those interested in understanding these operating systems.
A fascinating read that highlights the contrasting aspects of BSD and Linux. It’s intriguing to see how each operating system excels in different areas.
Absolutely, Lkelly. This article does a great job of breaking down the differences between BSD and Linux in a comprehensive manner.
A very insightful article, and I learned a lot about the differences between BSD and Linux.
I agree, Ywright. This article provides a comprehensive comparison between BSD and Linux.
This article provides a detailed comparison of BSD and Linux that gives readers a better understanding of each operating system.
While the article is informative overall, I find the comparison on software support between BSD and Linux particularly interesting.
The performance and security comparison presented here is quite thought-provoking, as it delves into the technical aspects of both operating systems.