Date: Sun, 13 Dec 1998 11:39:54 +1100 From: Sue Blake <sue@welearn.com.au> To: Marshall Price <d021317c@dc.seflin.org> Cc: freebsd-doc@FreeBSD.ORG Subject: Re: What is it? Message-ID: <19981213113954.00012@welearn.com.au> In-Reply-To: <Pine.3.89.9812121813.B25029-0100000@dc.seflin.org>; from Marshall Price on Sat, Dec 12, 1998 at 06:23:18PM -0500 References: <19981213093812.04866@welearn.com.au> <Pine.3.89.9812121813.B25029-0100000@dc.seflin.org>
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On Sat, Dec 12, 1998 at 06:23:18PM -0500, Marshall Price wrote:
> On Sun, 13 Dec 1998, Sue Blake wrote:
> > What is FreeBSD?
> > FreeBSD is an advanced BSD UNIX operating system for "PC-compatible"
> > computers, developed and maintained by a large team of individuals.
> >
> > I can't quite see where this is causing you trouble. Do you perhaps
> > need the terms "operating system" or "UNIX" or "PC-compatible" to be
> > explained to make sense of this paragraph?
>
> Yes, all three, and "BSD," too -- and in my case, I don't understand
> what is (and what not) DOS on my computer.
Aah. We tend to assume that anyone wanting to use FreeBSD already
understands what an operating system is, that UNIX is one of many types
of operating system, and that BSD is one of the "flavours" of UNIX, and
that that's where FreeBSD fits in. So we start right off talking to
them on that level.
On the odd occasion, we get mail from people who were trying to see
FreeBSD as a win95 application, people who seem to have no idea that
there are computers running on anything other than Microsoft. Things
like "Why can't I run boot.flp in win95, do I have to upgrade to
win98?" They are new to computers, or their operating system has
shielded them from the nasty perils of learning anything. One wonders
how they ended up here, though.
> Besides, if using FreeBSD
> means getting rid of DOS (?), the immediate question is whether I'd have
> to wipe out everything and start over with a blank, empty computer.
Basically, yes and yes (but see below). Just for starters, different
operating systems partition and format their disks in quite different
ways. DOS is an operating system. I'm told it descended from something
called Quick and Dirty Operating System (QDOS) and has since had
several hand-holding shells added over the top of it, the last three
being GUI interfaces to DOS. Generally applications or programs that
were built for one operating system can't be run on another.
It is possible to run two operating systems on the same computer with a
little bit of trickery. The easiest way, for example, is to have a
separate hard disk for each and use special software to handle the
bootup and allow you to select which disk (only one) to use. And other,
more flexible variations on this too.
So we try to be honest and tell people it's possible to run Microsoft
and FreeBSD on the same computer, but when they have *no* basic computer
knowledge I suspect that lets them keep assuming that all computers are
like theirs and FreeBSD is a small microsoft-compatible application
like WinZip or Netscape.
> (I was fortunate enough to find it in the trash, with Lotus Symphony
> on it, to which I've gotten addicted, though it's pretty old: 1987.)
> I suspect that Windows 98 is making new computer users less aware than
> ever before what goes on inside their machines. When I think of the term
> "operating system," I think of DOS, its commands, the way it formats
> disks, the interrupts, etc. That's really all I have to go on.
OK, that's pretty close. For now, think of UNIX as doing all those
things too, but more reliably and with up dozens more commandline
options, and less help. We have an optional graphical interface too.
But I doubt that is it really our role to teach people what an
operating system is. Does Microsoft or Apple do that on their web
sites? No. Does your local Ford dealer teach people what a wheel is or
explain the difference between a Ford and a tricycle in a brochure for
passers by to take?
What would be nice on the web site, though, is a quick way to identify
people who don't have the background to fathom what we're about (or
have them self-identify) and give them a brief message or pointer
to save the time and frustration of all parties.
> When I think of UNIX, I think of "Jurassic Park," and assume that
> it's something only universities have. But "BSD" means even less to
> me. It reminds me of a brand of underwear.
:-) Well it is sort of a brand name, probably the first time you've
encountered the possibility of different brand names associated with
any one style of operating system, since your experience has only been
with monopolies.
Dn't worry about what BSD is until you're comfortable about UNIX style
operating systems, and before that, the concept of operating systems in
general.
> It took me a long time to figure out that "PC-compatible" simply means
> "not made by Macintosh," though why Macintosh computers aren't "personal"
> is beyond me.
I meet a lot of people who are only aware that one of those two
hardware styles exists! Actually there's a huge range of different
types of computers, apart from these two. Of course those whose
hardware and operating system have the same name are particularly
disadvantaged if their system has discouraged them from learning.
Basically I see these all as problems, and feel for the victims, but
they're not *our* problems. Because we don't own the problems it's
tricky to work out how we could deal with them on the FreeBSD web site.
No point adding to people's misery, or talking down the the majority of
visitors who are hard core unix types.
If you have any more suggestions from your side of the fencepost,
they'd be very welcome. Questions about FreeBSD are answered by the
people at freebsd-questions@freebsd.org, and here at freebsd-doc we
plan the documentation and deal with feedback such as yours. If we do
end up agreeing to make a change, maybe you'd be prepared to comment
on it then too.
I've copied this back to the documentation project team, because I know
others will be watching with interest. (I'm just one of many volunteers
here.) Often when someone like you comes along we simply agree to
misunderstand each other and go our separate ways because that's easier
than sharing and helping. Maybe this time is different.
--
Regards,
-*Sue*-
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