From owner-freebsd-questions Thu Jul 5 7:35:58 2001 Delivered-To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Received: from euphoria.confusion.net (dementia.confusion.net [205.166.119.16]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 62DE537B411 for ; Thu, 5 Jul 2001 07:35:46 -0700 (PDT) (envelope-from stuyman@euphoria.confusion.net) Received: from localhost (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by euphoria.confusion.net (8.11.2/8.11.2) with SMTP id f65EXeZ00439; Thu, 5 Jul 2001 07:33:40 -0700 (PDT) Date: Thu, 5 Jul 2001 07:33:39 -0700 (PDT) From: Laurence Berland To: Kenneth Wayne Culver Cc: Giorgos Keramidas , ftrk , freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG Subject: Re: which *BSD to choose? In-Reply-To: Message-ID: MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII Sender: owner-freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG Precedence: bulk List-ID: List-Archive: (Web Archive) List-Help: (List Instructions) List-Subscribe: List-Unsubscribe: X-Loop: FreeBSD.ORG In case that isn't implied by Kenneth's message, it should be noted that -current has cardbus, and a 5.0 isn't all that far off afaicr. L: http://www.isp.northwestern.edu/~laurence On Thu, 5 Jul 2001, Kenneth Wayne Culver wrote: > The ethernet card isn't supported by FreeBSD-STABLE... no cardbus cards > are. > > Ken > > On Thu, 5 Jul 2001, Giorgos Keramidas wrote: > > > Hello Raj, > > > > On Wed, Jul 04, 2001 at 10:28:24PM -0800, ftrk wrote: > > > Dear all, > > > > > I haven't used *BSD at all, but been using UNIX(Solaris) and LINUX > > > for awhile. > > > > Linux is ok, Solaris is also nice but it's not free in the manner of > > Open Source operating systems like Linux or the BSD's. It's a nice > > thing that you are thinking of 'trying BSD'. You should go ahead and > > try it :) Who knows, you might like it better than something else > > that you have seen until now. > > > > > I would like to play with it on my laptop which is kinda old, but I > > > was wondering about drivers for display chipsets etc: > > > Intel PIII Processor > > > ATi Rage 128 display chipset(14" SXGA display) > > > Xircom 10/100 cardbus PCMCIA card > > > Internal Lucent Gold v50 modem( I am sure this wouldn't be supported:( ) > > > > Since, you have posted this on a FreeBSD list, I'm assuming here that > > you are thinking of trying FreeBSD on that laptop. > > > > o Intel PIII Processor > > > > The processor you have is supported, yes. > > > > o ATi Rage 128 display chipset (14" SVGA display) > > > > The default FreeBSD environment (unless you install some version > > of X11, to provide you with a graphical interface) uses an 80x25 > > text-mode console. This is supported by ALL modern VGA-compatible > > display adapters, so you should not worry if FreeBSD will be able > > to 'display' its default console mode. > > > > When it comes to X11 and GUI programs, I think that ATi Rage is > > supported by X11, but since I'm not sure I will not say 'yes' or > > 'no'. Read the XFree86 documentation and release notes at > > www.xfree86.org to see is Rage128 is supported by some version of > > X11 and which version is that. > > > > o Ximrom 10/100 cardbus PCMCIA card > > > > I don't know :-/ > > > > o Internal Lucent Gold v50 modem > > > > This is a Winmodem IIRC. It will not work with FreeBSD, if that > > is true. Sorry 'bout that. You'll probably have to find some > > other modem to use with FreeBSD. > > > > > I would definitely like to use and support FreeBSD. However I am > > > unable to make up my mind as to which one will suit me and an > > > assessment of the three flavours. > > > > The BSD operating systems are not `FreeBSD flavors'. Therefore there > > are not many 'flavours'. There is only one FreeBSD, with that > > wonderful and fulfilling cocoa-bean-wrapped-in-chocolate taste, that > > makes it our favorite for years and years. > > > > Seriously now, you can check all of them and see which you like best. > > They all (they referring to FreeBSD, OpenBSD and NetBSD) have their > > advantages and good points, their disadvantages and limitations, their > > beautiful and ugly parts, etc. For me, when I chose which one to > > install one of the BSD's, it was ease of installation that made me > > decide to stick with FreeBSD. For you, it might be the way packages > > are organized. For somebody else, it is the security consiousness of > > the developers. The ultimate choise is upon you. Just try them all > > > and see which one fits your style/taste/personality. > > > > > Would you have any pointers as to where I can find some info? > > > > The web sites of all BSD operating systems usually include lots of > > documentation. You will find the articles, tutorials, and books > > available at www.freebsd.org to be very helpful, if you are looking > > for information on what FreeBSD can do for you, and how things can be > > done. A visit at www.netbsd.org and www.openbsd.org will also give > > you a chance to see what the other BSD Unixes support, what programs > > are available for each one of them, what platforms (hardware) they run > > on, how to obtain and/or install them, etc. > > > > > I am also interested in knowing the packages, like compilers(like > > > gcc, g77, perl) etc. > > > > FreeBSD comes bundled with source for everything (well, almost > > everything). Among the programs installed are: > > > > o BIND, the name-server software that dominates the Internet. > > > > o Sendmail, the popular MTA (mail transfer agent). > > > > o GZIP and BZIP2, compression tools. > > > > o CVS, the concurrent version system. > > > > o The GNU C Compiler. > > > > o IPFW and IPFILTER firewalls. > > > > o Support for DHCP with isc-dhcp/ > > > > o Perl version 5 > > > > o Lots of other programs and tools that I forgot to mention. > > > > >From the Ports system, whose files are in /usr/ports, you can install > > more than 5,000 other software packages. You can read more about > > ports, at . > > > > Lots of other useful documents can be found at www.freebsd.org > > explaining a lot of things. See the site for details. > > > > > Also does this come with any crypto software? > > > > Yes, FreeBSD has support for various ways to use cryptography and > > related tools. What is it that you are specifically interested in? > > > > > Pardon my ignorance, I tried to look around, but couldn't find info > > > on compilers etc.. > > > > Well, look at the site. > > You'll find lots and lots of documentation to get you started and > > going a long way, there. > > > > Ciao, > > > > I hope I've helped a bit. > > > > -giorgos > > > > To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org > > with "unsubscribe freebsd-questions" in the body of the message > > > > > To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org > with "unsubscribe freebsd-questions" in the body of the message > To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org with "unsubscribe freebsd-questions" in the body of the message