Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

FreeBSD VS CRUX Linux

Compare FreeBSD VS CRUX Linux and see what are their differences

FreeBSD logo FreeBSD

FreeBSD is an advanced operating system for x86 compatible (including Pentium® and Athlon™)...

CRUX Linux logo CRUX Linux

CRUX is a lightweight Linux distribution for the x86-64 architecture targeted at experienced Linux...
  • FreeBSD Landing page
    Landing page //
    2018-09-29
  • CRUX Linux Landing page
    Landing page //
    2022-10-03

FreeBSD features and specs

  • Stability
    FreeBSD is known for its robustness and reliability, making it a preferred choice for servers and critical applications that require high uptime.
  • Advanced Networking
    It offers advanced networking features and performance, suitable for heavy network-related usage such as routers, firewalls, and servers.
  • ZFS File System
    FreeBSD includes support for the ZFS file system, which provides high data integrity, advanced snapshot capabilities, and efficient data management.
  • Ports Collection
    The FreeBSD Ports Collection offers a vast selection of pre-packaged software that eases the installation of applications and their dependencies.
  • Security Features
    FreeBSD is known for its strong security features, such as jails for process separation and Capsicum, a capability-based security framework.

Possible disadvantages of FreeBSD

  • Hardware Compatibility
    FreeBSD may have limited support for certain hardware devices compared to other operating systems like Windows or Linux.
  • Learning Curve
    The system can be complex for new users, requiring a significant amount of time and effort to become proficient, especially if they are accustomed to more user-friendly environments.
  • Smaller Community
    Compared to Linux, FreeBSD has a smaller user and developer community, which might result in less community-driven support and fewer available resources.
  • Limited Desktop Support
    While FreeBSD can be used on desktop systems, it is primarily optimized for servers and might not offer the same level of convenience or support for desktop applications and environments as Linux distros.
  • Software Availability
    Although it has a vast Ports Collection, some software might not be available or can be more challenging to compile and maintain than on Linux.

CRUX Linux features and specs

  • Simplicity
    CRUX Linux is designed with simplicity in mind, featuring a minimalist design without unnecessary software or services, which makes it easier for experienced users to understand and modify.
  • Ports System
    CRUX utilizes a ports system inspired by BSD, allowing users to easily compile programs from source, ensuring optimized performance for their specific hardware and preferences.
  • Customizability
    The distribution is highly customizable, offering users the freedom to choose exactly what software to install, resulting in a lean system tailored to their specific needs.
  • Fast Performance
    CRUX can achieve fast performance due to its minimalistic nature and the ability to compile software specifically for the user's hardware.

Possible disadvantages of CRUX Linux

  • Steep Learning Curve
    Designed for more experienced Linux users, CRUX can be challenging for beginners due to its manual installation process and lack of automated tools.
  • Limited Documentation
    Compared to larger distributions, CRUX has less documentation available, which can make troubleshooting difficult for those not already familiar with similar systems.
  • Small Community
    The user community for CRUX is smaller than those of mainstream distributions, potentially leading to fewer resources and community support.
  • Hardware Compatibility
    Due to its focus on simplicity and minimalism, CRUX might not support all hardware out of the box, requiring users to compile drivers or adjust settings manually.

Analysis of FreeBSD

Overall verdict

  • Yes, FreeBSD is considered a good operating system, particularly for users seeking stability, security, and high performance. It is highly respected in the open-source community and widely used in various applications, from web hosting to advanced networking solutions.

Why this product is good

  • FreeBSD is well-regarded for its advanced networking, performance, and security features. It offers a robust and flexible system that is ideal for building servers, embedded systems, and desktops. The operating system is known for its strong adherence to UNIX principles, its permissive licensing, and its extensive documentation. Additionally, FreeBSD provides a Ports collection with thousands of applications and a supportive community.

Recommended for

  • System administrators interested in building reliable and secure servers
  • Developers and users who appreciate a UNIX-like environment
  • Organizations seeking customizable and high-performance networking solutions
  • Anyone interested in contributing to or learning from a well-documented open-source project
  • Users who prefer permissive licensing for software redistribution

FreeBSD videos

FreeBSD 12 Review - Used as my daily OS

More videos:

  • Review - A Look and brief introduction to FreeBSD 12.1
  • Review - I tried FreeBSD! - here's what I think of it

CRUX Linux videos

Crux Linux 3.0 First Impressions

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to FreeBSD and CRUX Linux)
Linux
70 70%
30% 30
Operating Systems
100 100%
0% 0
OS & Utilities
0 0%
100% 100
Linux Distribution
68 68%
32% 32

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare FreeBSD and CRUX Linux

FreeBSD Reviews

Best free Linux router and firewall distributions of 2023
OpenBSD and FreeBSD are actively developed and are very capable, but these systems require a high level of understanding of operating system internals and low-level networking to be used as routers.
Source: teklager.se
Avoid The Hack: 11 Best Privacy Friendly Operating Systems (Desktops)
With "Linuxulator," FreeBSD has compatibility with Linux binaries. Linuxulator can run unmodified Linux binaries without using virtual machines or emulation. Additionally, FreeBSD has tens of thousands ported libraries and applications.

CRUX Linux Reviews

We have no reviews of CRUX Linux yet.
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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, FreeBSD should be more popular than CRUX Linux. It has been mentiond 21 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

FreeBSD mentions (21)

  • I've never used FreeBSD and have some questions
    Aside from being UNIX based, what similarities does it share with Linux? Both have monolithic kernels. Source based build systems are offered (ports, which are like the portage system on Gentoo) as well as binary build systems (pkg, which is like apt, yum, pacman, etc.) Both offer a lot of free software, though more licenses are compatible with FreeBSD like CDDL, which is not compatible Linux. Both let you... Source: over 1 year ago
  • FreeBSD turns 30 today!
    There's no mention of a birthday on their site, and its footer says 1995-2023. That must be just the site, because Wikipedia tells me FreeBSD's initial release was indeed, but not quite, 30 years ago, November 1st 1993. Still no birthday. Source: almost 2 years ago
  • Computer
    I'm not the right person to ask this -- I just run it on whatever I happen to have. But I think sleep and wifi (for example) have issues with different hardware, so you'd have to do your homework. The FreeBSD handbook on freebsd.org is always very helpful to me. You can try it out with a live cd / thumbdrive to see how much supported hardware you've got. My Lenovo X1 from a couple years ago works for what I... Source: about 2 years ago
  • Can SGI’s Enthusiast Community Bring IRIX Back to Life?
    People are still actively working on Illumos. The last change was yesterday morning. * https://illumos.org People are still actively working on MirBSD. There's a CVS commit account that can be followed on the FediVerse. * http://www.mirbsd.org It's DragonFly BSD, not Dragon BSD, and the irony of that is that you missed FreeBSD, which is of course still going. * https://dragonflybsd.org * https://freebsd.org As... - Source: Hacker News / about 2 years ago
  • X220 and beer. A lovely combo, especially with FreeBSD.
    A open source free and stable Unix-like operating system. Read more at http://freebsd.org. Source: about 2 years ago
View more

CRUX Linux mentions (11)

  • Crux: Cross-platform app development in Rust
    I thought this was going to be related to Crux[0]. [0] https://crux.nu/. - Source: Hacker News / over 1 year ago
  • Crux: Cross-platform app development in Rust
    Name collision with https://crux.nu/. - Source: Hacker News / over 1 year ago
  • Migrate from Linux to FreeBSD
    >I think Arch and FreeBSD have a lot in common, Well yes sure, Arch was made with Crux in mind, and Crux is: https://crux.nu/ >>which is reflected in a straightforward tar.gz-based package system, BSD-style initscripts, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arch_Linux#History >>Inspired by CRUX, another minimalist distribution, Judd Vinet started the Arch Linux project in March 2002. The name was chosen because Vinet... - Source: Hacker News / over 2 years ago
  • What are your thoughts on Slackware the most Unix like of the Linux distros and how would you compare it to your BSD of choice?
    Most BSD-like GNU-system I know of would probably be CRUX though, but I haven't used that one in almost as long time. Source: almost 3 years ago
  • What to expect when daily driving KISS linux?
    I suggest you take a look at CRUX instead. Source: almost 3 years ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing FreeBSD and CRUX Linux, you can also consider the following products

Ubuntu - Ubuntu is a Debian Linux-based open source operating system for desktop computers.

DietPi - Dietpi is a debian based operative system made to install new apps easyer.

Linux Mint - Linux Mint is one of the most popular desktop Linux distributions and used by millions of people.

Plop Linux - Plop Linux is a small distribution built from scratch that can boot from CD, DVD, USB flash drive...

Arch Linux - You've reached the website for Arch Linux, a lightweight and flexible Linux® distribution that tries to Keep It Simple. Currently we have official packages optimized for the x86-64 architecture.

TinyCore - Simple operating system based on Linux that uses "modules", and loads everything into RAM. Can be persistent too.