Admist a bunch of SMP messages, cvsup conversations and other comments, I
just wanted to drop a positive note.

NetBSD is spectacular.
I love NetBSD.
I am greatful for the effort, the hard work, the nights spent thinking of
new and clever ways to implement a spec of code.

Some of the things I love about NetBSD:

The uniformity of NetBSD - I am a hardware freak.  I love hardware.
Although I fail to get the interresting naughty bits of hardware (the
larger of the Vaxen, older SPARCs, interresting Amigas), I have over 12
machines here include Intel, NeXT, Sparcs, Alphas and Vaxen.  NetBSD
provides me a uniform system configuration and administration environment
as well as a fantastically stable O/S.  When maintaining over 12 machines
personally, this makes a big difference.

The "cleanliness" of NetBSD - I love the way NetBSD source is written and
reviewed.  The idea that code is reviewed, improved, and thought out is a
great solice to me.  Linux has always been a great O/S, but has fallen
short in terms of code organization.  It has always left me with the
feeling of a shrapnel bomb - layer upon layer of old metal glued together
without much more thought than making the bomb work.  I mean no offense to
Linux - more I mean to say that NetBSD appeals to a more "artistic" sense
in me, a sense that the structure has an elegant and strong flow.  This
gives me a warm, fuzzy feeling inside.  And that's worth a thousand
features to me.

An organization committed to excellence - While many people may debate
this, I really do think that NetBSD is committed to excellence.  Like all
other programmers, many people might be tempted to point out that "this
idea/code isn't as good as it could be."  It's hard to make an entire O/S
one piece of tense code.  It's hard enough just to be satisfied with a
program.  Everyone knows that there is always room for improvement.  But
improvement happens, and that's why I say that NetBSD is committed to
excellence.  NetBSD continues to get better and better, surpassing itself
with every release.


I'm not a kernel expert.  I know what I learn from Tannenbaum, the dragon
book, and generally smart people.  I cherrish debate, I love new ideas and
I hold close the practical.  NetBSD runs my entire site here (save an NT
box - no flames please - used for working at home), and it does a
fantastic job.  When people developing at work speak of their fantastic
IBM AIX boxes, boasting 8 processors and 1GB of memory, I am always able
to bring up thoughts of "8 procs, 1GB, and it still can't do what my
NetBSD Alpha box can do at home."

So I offer a profound thanks to all involved in NetBSD - to all those who
sit up late and miss dinner with their S.O, to all those who quarrel for
better ideas, and for all the lost hair due to tension.

Thanks a bundle, everyone.

-yubyub@yubyub.net