Jordan Hubbard is one of the founders of the FreeBSD project and is currently working at Apple on the development of their new OS X operating system. Jordan started programming when he was only 15 years old and has had no formal training.

pairNetworks: What is FreeBSD?

Jordan: The textbook answer is that it's a Unix-like operating system based on the BSD 4.4Lite2 distribution from U.C. Berkeley. The longer answer is that it's what turns a PC (or an Alpha) into a serviceable server platform on which to do server application work like serving Web pages, delivering mail, or providing file and basic networking services. It currently does this for companies like Yahoo! and Qwest, in addition to quite a number of other companies besides. BSD has been around for a long time, actually; it just only "recently" (the early 90's) became truly free and unencumbered, and thus could have open software maintenance projects start to form around it.

pN: How do open-source operating systems compare to closed-source operating systems?

Jordan: Well, open-source operating systems obviously come with source code, and that's a pretty big difference when it comes to how one copes with problem analysis and recovery when you hit something the operating system does not handle well or at all. "How does day compare to night," one might as well ask. :) It also obviously widens your relationship with the OS vendor in some fairly important ways.

pN: What is your history with the FreeBSD project?

Jordan: I started it along with three other folks back in 1992. It's grown quite a bit since then and so have most of us as well (too much sitting).

pN: How does FreeBSD relate to the work that you are doing at Apple Computer with the new OS X operating system?

Jordan: OS X is based on Darwin, which is derived from a number of open-source technologies, including FreeBSD 3.2. Staying even more closely in sync with the various technologies FreeBSD and Darwin provide is certainly something I'll be focusing on, and I suspect how it "relates" will be a rapidly evolving process.

pN: Do you ever see the FreeBSD and OS X projects merging or do you believe that they will remain separate?

Jordan: I believe they will remain separate.

pN: How can new users of open-source operating systems contribute to their development?

Jordan: By contributing code, ideas, bug reports, documentation, helping new users find their way, organizing user groups - you name it, we need it! There are virtually hundreds of ways that users can contribute depending on their areas of interest and skill level.

pN: What does the future hold for FreeBSD?

Jordan: Further growth and many good things, I would certainly hope. :)

FreeBSD, like most operating systems, is extremely user-driven, and what defines FreeBSD is more its process for handling growth and change than any particular road map. Road maps are more generally associated with non-volunteer projects whose developers can be induced to deliver certain key features by specific milestone dates - that's just not how things really work in the volunteer development space.

Developers are very expensive commodities (just ask any IT hiring manager) and getting their expensive time and effort for free means that it comes with certain stipulations. The developer has to have a personal interest in the features in question and they will implement those features according to the features in question, and they will implement those features according to the demands of their own schedule, not anyone else's.

That naturally makes predicting the future pretty difficult, though I can certainly say that FreeBSD intends to continue supporting its users as best as it can, if only out of professional pride, and implementing the features they ask for or, better, help drive through contribution. I imagine that this will include a few new machine architecture ports as well as more various and interesting networking features.

Reprinted with permission from the pair Networks, Inc. Web Hosting Insider Newsletter -- Copyright 2001

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Subject Poster Posted on Darwin as an OS MrGHemp   08/22/01 09:13 AM Doesn't make sense yet wfzelle   09/06/01 04:14 AM Re: Doesn't make sense yet DrNiKoN   11/23/01 06:03 PM