From owner-freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG Sat Dec 24 09:10:13 2005 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 85C2516A41F for ; Sat, 24 Dec 2005 09:10:13 +0000 (GMT) (envelope-from bsd@bathnetworks.com) Received: from lmail.bathnetworks.co.uk (mail.bathnetworks.com [84.92.24.252]) by mx1.FreeBSD.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 1483E43D58 for ; Sat, 24 Dec 2005 09:10:11 +0000 (GMT) (envelope-from bsd@bathnetworks.com) Received: (qmail 9738 invoked by uid 510); 24 Dec 2005 09:12:16 +0000 Received: from 84.92.24.252 by lmail.bathnetworks.co.uk (envelope-from , uid 508) with qmail-scanner-1.24-st-qms (clamdscan: 0.87/1146. spamassassin: 3.0.2. perlscan: 1.24-st-qms. Clear:RC:0(84.92.24.252):SA:0(-3.9/5.0):. Processed in 2.970202 secs); 24 Dec 2005 09:12:16 -0000 X-Spam-Status: No, hits=-3.9 required=5.0 X-Antivirus-MYDOMAIN-Mail-From: bsd@bathnetworks.com via lmail.bathnetworks.co.uk X-Antivirus-MYDOMAIN: 1.24-st-qms (Clear:RC:0(84.92.24.252):SA:0(-3.9/5.0):. Processed in 2.970202 secs Process 9731) Received: from mail.bathnetworks.com (HELO ?84.92.24.252?) (bsd@bathnetworks.com@84.92.24.252) by lmail.bathnetworks.co.uk with SMTP; 24 Dec 2005 09:12:13 +0000 From: Robert Slade To: Andy Sjostrom In-Reply-To: <20051224081054.29659.qmail@web31304.mail.mud.yahoo.com> References: <20051224081054.29659.qmail@web31304.mail.mud.yahoo.com> Content-Type: text/plain Message-Id: <1135415533.8441.33.camel@lmail.bathnetworks.co.uk> Mime-Version: 1.0 X-Mailer: Ximian Evolution 1.4.6 (1.4.6-2) Date: Sat, 24 Dec 2005 09:12:13 +0000 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Cc: "freebsd-questions@freebsd.org" Subject: Re: BSD Question's. 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: Sat, 24 Dec 2005 09:10:13 -0000 On Sat, 2005-12-24 at 08:10, Andy Sjostrom wrote: > To whom this may concern, > H-E-L-P! > LOL! > I've been online since 1992( the windows 3.1 days for me.) I'm 48 yrs.old. and also a windows XP > user. > Because of recent issue I have had with Mr. William Gates and his product. > about every 6 months I have had to overhaul my windows XP. during the last up grade I was told > that my XP product code was invaild, then when is made the repair up grades something in my > registory changed, and when that auto updater downloaded the new security patches it somehow > downloaded 2969 trojans as well. > > I have decided to start the search for a new OS. > In my case the new OS must be completely 100 percent user friendly. > Please bare in mind that 100 percent means "NO CODE" writting. I'm not a programer...LOL! > I run a very small one man company at, > http://www.geocities.com/andy_sjostrom/index.html > > From time to time I also like to rip and burn a CD as well, > Publish articles to my yahoo 360 blog. edit a few images from time to to time. > surf the net, copy and paste, chat with friends in my favorite yahoo chat room. > fold protiens for the fold@home project at stanford U. > (I'm on team #40154.) > I also have a logitech Clicksmart420 that the new OS must be willing to accept. > I've been doing some reading and every thing I have been able to find for OS's boils down to three > basic choices. > BSD > Unix > Linux > A windows Hybird like ReactOS. > > There is one other very important thing Because I'm on a fixed income and things with me are very > tight money wise the new OS must be free. > Is there any thing you can do to help me. Such as point me in the right direction. > > > > > > > . > D&A Consultants > George A. Sjostrom II > Helping those who can help them selves > http://www.geocities.com/andy_sjostrom/index.html > Andy, Welcome. I understand your position, and if you will accept some thoughts from someone older than you by 10 years. Very few of the alternatives to Windows have the ability to run on any platform and it is likely that you will run into compatibility problems so you will need to be more aware of the hardware you are using including editing scripts etc. You are probably more used to doing things via a GUI. Whilst BSD does run either gnome or KDE etc, you will still need to do a fair amount via the command line even if it is just to get the GUI working. There is one tip here - read the handbook. The Linux Distributions are in general more suited to running a GUI and some install one as the default. I have not used any of the other versions of BSD (Net and Open) but FreeBSD is more suited to server applications although that is changing and it will run as a desktop machine. I would suggest that you try some to the Linux distributions - you can get or download live CD's which will run without being installed so you can try them before committing to an installation. ISTR that there is a FreeBSD live CD available. You can find out more about the various distributions at: http://distrowatch.com/ BTW, I used to say I'm no programmer but ..... Let me know if you have any questions. Rob