From owner-freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG Wed Oct 1 06:14:53 2003 Return-Path: Delivered-To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Received: from mx1.FreeBSD.org (mx1.freebsd.org [216.136.204.125]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 770DA16A4B3 for ; Wed, 1 Oct 2003 06:14:53 -0700 (PDT) Received: from anon.securenym.net (anon.securenym.net [209.113.101.100]) by mx1.FreeBSD.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 113ED43F85 for ; Wed, 1 Oct 2003 06:14:50 -0700 (PDT) (envelope-from dincht@securenym.net) Received: (from root@localhost) by anon.securenym.net (8.11.7/8.11.7) id h91DAKY23036 for freebsd-questions@freebsd.org.filtered; Wed, 1 Oct 2003 08:10:20 -0500 (CDT) Message-Id: <200310011310.h91DAKY23036@anon.securenym.net> X-Securenym: dincht From: "C. Ulrich" To: bernardos@cits.br In-Reply-To: <20030930195831.AAA21222@lserver.cits.br@mailman.endymion.com> References: <20030930195831.AAA21222@lserver.cits.br@mailman.endymion.com> Content-Type: text/plain Organization: The Peter Jennings Fan Club Mime-Version: 1.0 Date: Wed, 01 Oct 2003 09:08:32 -0400 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit cc: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Subject: Re: FreeBSD download X-BeenThere: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.1 Precedence: list List-Id: User questions List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Wed, 01 Oct 2003 13:14:53 -0000 X-List-Received-Date: Wed, 01 Oct 2003 13:14:53 -0000 On Tue, 2003-09-30 at 15:58, bernardos@cits.br wrote: > Dear Sir or Madam, > > I'm interested in using FreeBSD as part of rearrengement of my professional skills. > I'm currently studing Linux but I'd like to feel a bit of a true UNIX system. Heh, better have your asbestos underwear on when you utter phrases like "true UNIX system" around here. ;) The differences between FreeBSD and many Linux distros aren't as great as some people think. I would argue that FreeBSD is more sophisticated behind the scenes (with ports, cvs, et al) but by and large most of your Linux experience will carry over into FreeBSD. > What shall be the 5.x release? What is the "new technology" you will include in it? > I might probably buy it (a combo promotion of 4 CD set + Handbook 2nd edition). > However I'd like to know a bit more about it first. If you're just starting out with FreeBSD, consider using 5.1. Yes, it is considered -CURRENT ("new and possibly unstable") but most people don't seem to have any showstopping problems with it. If you start learning 5.x now, then you'll be in a slightly better position for when 5.x is considered stable. However, it's ultimately your choice. Additionally, be aware that FreeBSD is extremely well documented, from the man pages all the way up to the handbook and other external docs, so you shouldn't really _need_ a book in the way that you would for a calculus class, for example. But again, it's your choice. I'm not sure, but I think that the FreeBSD Mall donates a certain amount to FreeBSD development, so ponder that too. (freebsdmall.com was down at the time of writing, so I couldn't confirm.) If you have any questions about anything at all regarding FreeBSD, this list is the place to ask. Consider subscribing if you haven't yet. Charles Ulrich -- http://bityard.net