FreeBSD is an
open-source operating system (OS) designed specifically for the unique needs of server
environment, including web, email, and file servers. It has it roots firmly planted in
academia: the OS itself was derived from BSD UNIX, the version of UNIX developed at the
University of California, Berkeley. FreeBSD is one of the common "Unix-like"
operating systems, a list that includes Linux, a Unix clone written from scratch by Linus
Torvalds. In fact, many people regard FreeBSD as an official Unix operating system and
refer to Linux as a "Unix-like" OS.
FreeBSD differs from Linux at many levels. Linux is a kernel, not a complete OS, meaning
Linux is just one component of a complete distribution. FreeBSD is distributed as a
complete, ready-to-function package just like common desktop operating systems like
Microsoft Windows. Unlike Linux, which has many individuals and organizations creating
multiple distributions, there is only one official source for FreeBSD. Many argue this
centralized distribution contributes to the remarkable stability of the FreeBSD operating
system.
Poor memory management is one of the most common causes of a system crash, and it is
usually the fault of a specific application. The root cause, however, typically involves
an operating system that did not manage memory correctly or smoothly handle a faulty
application. High traffic loads can also contribute to this problem, especially if the
system does not release memory in a timely fashion. FreeBSD offers highly advanced memory
management features that enable it to seamlessly handle thousands of simultaneous user
processes.
Although there is a core team of developers and one centralized distribution point for
FreeBSD, the project is still an open-source initiative that anyone can download for free.
It has a very generous licensing policy and the entire source code is also available for
free. This enables developers to build highly-specialized operating systems using the core
functionality and stability of FreeBSD.
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