From owner-freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG Fri Dec 7 13:29:57 2007 Return-Path: Delivered-To: questions@FreeBSD.org Received: from mx1.freebsd.org (mx1.freebsd.org [IPv6:2001:4f8:fff6::34]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 867F116A468 for ; Fri, 7 Dec 2007 13:29:57 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from kheuer2@gwdg.de) Received: from gwdu60.gwdg.de (gwdu60.gwdg.de [134.76.8.60]) by mx1.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id E223A13C469 for ; Fri, 7 Dec 2007 13:29:56 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from kheuer2@gwdg.de) Received: from gwdu60.gwdg.de (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by gwdu60.gwdg.de (8.13.8/8.13.6) with ESMTP id lB7DFxFn046234; Fri, 7 Dec 2007 14:15:59 +0100 (CET) (envelope-from kheuer2@gwdg.de) Received: from localhost (kheuer2@localhost) by gwdu60.gwdg.de (8.13.8/8.13.6/Submit) with ESMTP id lB7DFxHG046231; Fri, 7 Dec 2007 14:15:59 +0100 (CET) (envelope-from kheuer2@gwdg.de) X-Authentication-Warning: gwdu60.gwdg.de: kheuer2 owned process doing -bs Date: Fri, 7 Dec 2007 14:15:59 +0100 (CET) From: Konrad Heuer To: David Morton In-Reply-To: <3FCDB80A8B104BC1BCEF3A0696B55144@LenC2008922a26> Message-ID: <20071207140843.O46172@gwdu60.gwdg.de> References: <3FCDB80A8B104BC1BCEF3A0696B55144@LenC2008922a26> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII; format=flowed Cc: questions@FreeBSD.org Subject: Re: FreeBSD on a PC with Windows X-BeenThere: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5 Precedence: list List-Id: User questions List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Fri, 07 Dec 2007 13:29:57 -0000 On Fri, 7 Dec 2007, David Morton wrote: > I have been out of work so long (since being diagnosed as autistic and > scared) that even as an IT professional, I now get very anxious about > messing with my PC. > > However, I got a magazine that included FreeBSD/i386 6.2 on the DVD and I > have always wanted to play with BSD. My past experience included UNIX > System V, some Solaris 7 or 8, and other variants, so you know a bit of > history. > > Anyway, I have a laptop preinstalled with Vista Home Premium and I would > like to also run BSD on it. In reading your installation documentation, I > do not see anything that suggests I can install FreeBSD onto my PC without > wiping Windows. > > I also have restricted web access so cannot access you web site, so I would > like to know if FreeBSD will install in a way that will not kill Windows on > my PC? > > I have to ask this, because I once had an old PC and put Solaris on it, and > that required a dedicated drive. The PC is now dead, so I have to make it > all work on one machine. Hello, David, I think the most simple chance you have if you do not want to destroy your windows installation but want to play with BSD is to get FreeSBIE from http://www.freesbie.org/ or so and burn it to CD. Than you will be able run FreeBSD from CD only without touching your hard disk. If you find FreeBSD useful after playing with FreeSBIE for some time you may possibly pluck up the courage to repartition your hard disk and to install both system, Vista and FreeBSD. Best regards Konrad Heuer GWDG, Am Fassberg, 37077 Goettingen, Germany, kheuer2@gwdg.de