[nos-bbs] Understanding xNOS and other network software

[Barry Siegfried]

["Rick Williams" <mrfarm at mwt.net> wrote]:

> 1. How does JNOS2 compare to other NOS's such as MFNOS?  Is there much
> difference or is it possible the amateur community can come up with one
> focused xNOS that can maximize the limited resources we have (namely, the
> brilliant programmers who only have so much time to spend on development)?

While most of the xNOSs essentially function in similar fashion, there
are several significant differences between each of them.  In the case
of the two you have mentioned above there are some significant methodology
differences in the user command interface, kernel and memory allocation
schemes (to mention only a few in the dozen or so years these programs
have diverged away from each other), but the simplest answer to your
question is that these two programs have been optimized strictly
according to what the personal goals and needs of the programmers have
been.

There have also been many occasions over the years when the interests
of and development by one of the programmers have both been useful to
the others and vice versa such that they have actually collaborated on
various features and solutions to problems that have been incorporated
into these programs over the years.

The bottom line is that whichever xNOS that somebody wishes to use (or
not) really comes down to personal choice and what "features" are
important to the user.  That being the case, it is most likely both
impractical and not probable that one "focused" xNOS which would
represent the best of all worlds for all possible users could be
easily developed.

73, de Barry, K2MF >>
           o
          <|>      Barry Siegfried
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