Date: Tue, 23 Oct 2001 23:02:34 -0400 (EDT) From: "Steve Brown <GTABUG>" <gtabug@prayforwind.com> To: Frank Walder <jlsmbg@home.com> Cc: questions@FreeBSD.ORG Subject: Re: FreeBSD download Message-ID: <Pine.BSF.4.21.0110232137340.402-100000@prayforwind.com> In-Reply-To: <KKENJGLIMNALNLKKIIIIIEAACCAA.jlsmbg@home.com>
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Yes, see http://www.freebsd.org/handbook/install.html . Read the handbook link and the newbie link at freebsd.org too, as well as their recommended links to web resources, newsgroups, mailing lists, et al. If you're going to give FreeBSD a go I hope you like to read! ;) Cable, DSL, or dialup? If you are using dialup you need a real hardware modem, not a PCI or a dreaded "winmodem". (USR external V92 faxmodem is about the best if you plan to buy). If you have cable and a network card that it recognises, it will be a piece of cake. (I used dialup/modem, slooowwww... but it did work). Suggest doing this: Read the install and browse the handbook. Make the 2 floppies and boot, choose hardware at the opening screen and continue, study the resulting boot messages. Note whether it sees your network card OK (or modem or serial port... but I assume you've got cable or DSL if your downloading whole ISO's). If it does, go straight to the custom install/set up network and try to connect to the 'net. You can safely do all this without doing anything invasive to your hard drive, which is good, because it will take some patience and a few tries to make that network connection happen. This is your trial run. Once you know you can do this, you can prep your harddrive for, and do a real install. It's also possible that you have to install the system first, then re-compile the kernel to recognise your hardware, etc. Example: Last time I checked, the generic (installation system) kernel could not handle PPPoE even though the book says it will (try anyway, they may have fixed it. PPPoE is the protocol used by most ISP's who offer ADSL.) I had to get the base system, kernel source&tools using dialup; then configure PPPoE before installing the works (by recompiling the kernel... see the handbook on how. Email me direct for specific options if you get this far, I just did it using info gleaned from all over the place, so I can save you some time here). If you don't have a network card or modem that FreeBSD recognises, get one. Even if you do buy the CD (cheap at www.chguy.net), you will still need some way onto the 'net, right? I recommend installing only the base system, docs, kernel source&tools (you *will* want to recompile the kernel from source), linux compatability, X, linux-netscape (not the FreeBSD version of Netscape). Get everything working, then go get everything else you want. You're probably thinking "Windows is easier!". But FreeBSD is worth the trouble, especially if you're tired of bluescreens. Good luck! Steve On Tue, 23 Oct 2001, Frank Walder wrote: > To whom it may concern: > I am currently running a network of seven computers at home, four Win2000, > one NetWare5, and one blank. I want to dedicate the blank machine to > running your BSD. I went to your FreeBSD.org website on my Win2000 Server > to download the operating system, but have had some problems. First, the > IE5.5 locks up when I click on the ftp hyperlink. second, my CuteFTP client > errors out with "425 Can't build data connection: Operation timed out." when > I log on anonymously. > I want to remove Bill Gates from my life, but your site is not making that > easy. It might be free, but it is not easy either. I can be contacted by > email at jlsmbg@hotmail.com or by telephone at 610-583-0556. > > Sincerely, Frank > > > To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org > with "unsubscribe freebsd-questions" in the body of the message > To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org with "unsubscribe freebsd-questions" in the body of the message
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