From: sjg Date: Mon, 11 Oct 2010 18:06:43 +0000 (-0700) Subject: Major rework X-Git-Url: https://gitweb.dragonflybsd.org/ikiwiki.git/commitdiff_plain/6e4b91d51af8611f1cbf5442f73c92c499e07b2a?ds=sidebyside Major rework --- diff --git a/index.mdwn b/index.mdwn index 935462e2..b9b6a1ae 100644 --- a/index.mdwn +++ b/index.mdwn @@ -20,24 +20,15 @@ The DragonFly Digest is als ## What is DragonFly BSD? -DragonFly belongs to the same class of operating system as BSD and Linux -and is based on the same UNIX ideals and APIs. DragonFly gives the BSD -base an opportunity to grow in an entirely different direction from the one -taken in the FreeBSD, NetBSD, and OpenBSD series. - -The DragonFly project's -ultimate goal is to provide native clustering support in the kernel. -This involves the creation of a sophisticated cache management -framework for filesystem namespaces, file spaces, and VM spaces, which -allows heavily interactive programs to run across multiple machines with -cache coherency fully guaranteed in all respects. This also involves being -able to chop up resources, including the cpu by way of a controlled VM -context, for safe assignment to unsecured third-party clusters over the -internet (though the security of such clusters itself might be in doubt, -the first and most important thing is for systems donating resources to not -be made vulnerable through their donation). - -For more information, visit the [[History|History]] page. +What is DragonFly BSD? + +At a fundamental level, DragonFly belongs to the same class of operating systems as other BSD-derived systems and Linux. It is based on the same UNIX ideals and APIs and shares ancestor code with other BSD operating systems. DragonFly is providing an opportunity for the BSD base to grow in an entirely different direction from the one taken in the FreeBSD, NetBSD, and OpenBSD series. + +DragonFly includes many useful features that differentiate it from other operating systems in the same class, some of these features are: HAMMER, a modern high performance filesystem with historical access properties. Virtual kernel's, the ability to run a full-blown kernel as a user process for the purpose of managing resources, security or kernel development and debugging. The token synchronization mechanism is inherently deadlock-free, decreases complexity and cross-subsystem pollution, this makes the kernel more maintainable as well as more reliable and performant. Swapcache allows you to make use of swap space to cache filesystem data and meta-data. Paired with a solid state disk device, this feature enables both server and workstation workloads to perform as if they have access to significantly more RAM. Some other features that make DragonFly an administrative pleasure are Variant symlinks that are resolved at runtime based on user-specific or system-wide variables. Serial device numbering through devfs greatly simplifies storage management. A scalable and fast TMPFS implementation that is made even more viable by swapcache. The NULLFS implementation in DragonFly allows for arbitrary mount points and has virtually no overhead. A major crux of any open source operating system is third party applications. DragonFly leverages the pkgsrc system to provide thousands of applications in source and binary forms. These features and the host of other niceties that DragonFly provides make it an extremely modern, useful, configurable and friendly UNIX-like operating system. + +The DragonFly BSD community is comprised of users and developers that take pride in an operating system that maintains challenging goals and ideals. This community has no reservation about cutting ties with legacy when it makes sense, preferring a pragmatic, no-nonsense approach to development of the system. The community also takes pride in its openness and innovative spirit, applying patience liberally, always finding a means to meet or exceed the performance of our competitors while maintaining algorithmic simplicity. + +For more information, visit the [[Features|features]] and [[History|History]] pages. ## Now Hiring