What is the diff btwn FreeBSD and Open BSD?

[GeneR]

Hi,

I was talking so some guy at a bookstore who was reading a book about Internet security. He mentioned that Open BSD has some of the best security around. That got me to thinking (which may or may not be a good thing !!!)

Anyway, if anyone knows the answer to this question I would certainly appreciate it. If Open BSD is, as the guy said, "the next best thing to government security" then shouldn't the people at Apple use it as the basis for their operating system?

Wouldn't it make sense to have a really good OS that was open source (I'm putting my foot in my mouth, aren't I?) as the starting point for building OSX?

I figured if OpenBSD has only had one remote hack in quite a few years it must be pretty solid. And wouldn't that be a great ace for Apple when so many security issues seem to abound today?

Anyway, just wondering. Thanks!

 

[kansaigaijin]

test your system

if you are worried about security, and you are running OSX, go to Shields Up! and test your machine.

http://grc.com/default.htm

I came up pretty much invisible. You can also check out osxhints.com for tips on security.

If you are running a PC with that other OS on it,
be afraid . . .

check it also,

 

[Sun Baked]

The current OS is based on the NeXT Operating System, which just happens to be based on ...

When Apple made the choice, there were a few new advanced OSs out there, but NeXT was for sale and offered a "complete" commercial OS with a large base of trained code writers.

But the choice of what the NeXT OS was based on and why, you have to look way back nearly 15 years to around 1988 when NeXT selects the Mach Kernel as the base for the OS.

[edit - checked the dates, but if you wish to confuse yourself and look at just the post merger history - http://www.objectfarm.org/Activities/Publications/TheMerger/index.html#History ]

 

[Nipsy]

FreeBSD is no security slouch. The reason there are more stories of Free BSD being hacked is because it has a large installed base.

 

[GeneR]

Thank you. I am much obliged to all.

Thanks for the heads up. I really appreciate it.