From owner-freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG Thu May 4 19:56:17 2006 Return-Path: X-Original-To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org 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 28A1916A400 for ; Thu, 4 May 2006 19:56:17 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from bds@waywood.co.uk) Received: from lon-mail-1.gradwell.net (lon-mail-1.gradwell.net [193.111.201.125]) by mx1.FreeBSD.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 64A0843D46 for ; Thu, 4 May 2006 19:56:15 +0000 (GMT) (envelope-from bds@waywood.co.uk) Received: from 81-6-231-239.dyn.gotadsl.co.uk ([81.6.231.239] helo=[192.168.1.4] country=GB ident=bds&pop3$waywood&co$uk) by lon-mail-1.gradwell.net with esmtpa (Gradwell gwh-smtpd 1.215) id 445a5c5e.1245e.45 for freebsd-questions@freebsd.org; Thu, 4 May 2006 20:56:14 +0100 (envelope-sender ) Message-ID: <445A5C43.9080005@waywood.co.uk> Date: Thu, 04 May 2006 20:55:47 +0100 From: Barnaby Scott User-Agent: Thunderbird 1.5.0.2 (Windows/20060308) MIME-Version: 1.0 To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Subject: newbie wanting to switch to FreeBSD - planning stage question 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: Thu, 04 May 2006 19:56:17 -0000 I am new to FreeBSD (or any other Unix operating system) but am very keen to make the switch. I have read as much as I can over the last couple of years, and am very nearly ready to ditch the various Windows versions on my network - however there is one Windows-only application I really cannot find a replacement for, and that is Rhino3D (http://www.rhino3d.com/). Looking at the CAD section of the ports collection does not offer any alternative that is at all comparable, so I fear I'm stuck with it. I believe Rhino does not work with any Windows emulators either, so I imagined I had only 2 options left - have completely separate computers and retain Windows on one - no good because my desk is cluttered enough already, or to go for a dual-boot one - no good either as I would constantly be rebooting (or would in practice revert to Windows and never get to learn FreeBSD which is what I want to do!) However, I don't mind having a Windows machine running somewhere on the network out of the way, but would want to use the keyboard, monitor and mouse attached to my FreeBSD machine. Does anyone know if it is possible in principle to drive a Windows program on a Windows machine, but from a Unix computer? If this is not an idiotic question, and this sort of thing is possible, where would I find some fairly idiot-proof instructions on how to set it up, or at least some reading to get me started? I realise that a common bit of advice is to try stuff out and see, but if I cannot see a way forward, the time invloved in installing and learning FreeBSD would be very hard to justify, so please bear with me - I would be grateful for any advice at this stage. Many thanks, Barnaby Scott