From owner-freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG  Thu Dec  2 16:43:47 2004
Return-Path: <owner-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 D0D7D16A4CE
	for <questions@freebsd.org>; Thu,  2 Dec 2004 16:43:47 +0000 (GMT)
Received: from whitecortex.net (whitecortex.net [62.142.244.162])
	by mx1.FreeBSD.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 8882B43D53
	for <questions@freebsd.org>; Thu,  2 Dec 2004 16:43:47 +0000 (GMT)
	(envelope-from mikko@whitecortex.net)
Received: from localhost (localhost.localdomain [127.0.0.1])
	by whitecortex.net (Postfix) with ESMTP id 11B9154AC
	for <questions@freebsd.org>; Thu,  2 Dec 2004 18:43:46 +0200 (EET)
Received: from whitecortex.net ([127.0.0.1])
 by localhost (whitecortex.net [127.0.0.1]) (amavisd-new, port 10024)
 with ESMTP id 98205-03 for <questions@freebsd.org>;
 Thu,  2 Dec 2004 18:43:45 +0200 (EET)
Received: by whitecortex.net (Postfix, from userid 3127)
	id B144954AB; Thu,  2 Dec 2004 18:43:45 +0200 (EET)
From: Mikko Heiskanen <mikko@whitecortex.net>
To: questions@freebsd.org
Content-Type: text/plain
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
Message-Id: <1102005825.4361.16.camel@whitecortex.net>
Mime-Version: 1.0
X-Mailer: Ximian Evolution 1.4.6 
Date: Thu, 02 Dec 2004 18:43:45 +0200
X-Virus-Scanned: by amavisd-new at whitecortex.net
Subject: linux emulation
X-BeenThere: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org
X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.1
Precedence: list
Reply-To: mikko@whitecortex.net
List-Id: User questions <freebsd-questions.freebsd.org>
List-Unsubscribe: <http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions>,
	<mailto:freebsd-questions-request@freebsd.org?subject=unsubscribe>
List-Archive: <http://lists.freebsd.org/pipermail/freebsd-questions>
List-Post: <mailto:freebsd-questions@freebsd.org>
List-Help: <mailto:freebsd-questions-request@freebsd.org?subject=help>
List-Subscribe: <http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions>,
	<mailto:freebsd-questions-request@freebsd.org?subject=subscribe>
X-List-Received-Date: Thu, 02 Dec 2004 16:43:47 -0000

I've been wondering about this some time now.
The linux compatibility layer (kernel module + linux_base -port)
is told to be able to run linux binaries. The handbook even describes
for a couple of heavy-duty applications how this is done.
However, after reading that part of the handbook and googling around the
net, I haven't the slightest idea how I'm supposed to run such program.
Let's say I have a program. Should I put it in /compat/linux/somewhere,
run it like /compat/linux/somewhere/executable and it just somehow
works? Or should I chroot to /compat/linux?
How does FreeBSD know when to use linuxemu? How does it handle, say,
stuff in /dev? Specifically when there aren't things like ethn in there.
Man linux is kinda short.
Sorry if my question is reallyreally stupid.

Thanks,
Mikko