From owner-freebsd-questions Mon Jun 16 13:28:23 1997 Return-Path: Received: (from root@localhost) by hub.freebsd.org (8.8.5/8.8.5) id NAA28658 for questions-outgoing; Mon, 16 Jun 1997 13:28:23 -0700 (PDT) Received: from tangelo.lal.ufl.edu ([204.199.163.200]) by hub.freebsd.org (8.8.5/8.8.5) with SMTP id NAA28653 for ; Mon, 16 Jun 1997 13:28:18 -0700 (PDT) Received: from bates-dialup (204.199.163.191) by tangelo.lal.ufl.edu (EMWAC SMTPRS 0.81) with SMTP id ; Mon, 16 Jun 1997 16:32:04 -0400 Message-ID: From: "Brad Bates" To: "Tony Costa" , Subject: NO flames -- Re: Simplicity. Date: Mon, 16 Jun 1997 16:24:15 -0400 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Priority: 3 X-Mailer: Microsoft Internet Mail 4.70.1161 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Sender: owner-questions@freebsd.org X-Loop: FreeBSD.org Precedence: bulk Hello Tony, This is not a flame, so if you have not deleted it, feel free to read on... ---------- > From: Tony Costa > To: freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG > Subject: Simplicity. > Date: Sunday, June 15, 1997 5:52 PM > > hello folks, > I am a very dedicated computer lover and I intend to try FreeBSD in my > computer. Good. We are in agreement, <- snip -> > The reason Microsoft and Apple are so famous all ,over the world is the > simplicity and directness of their applications and approach. <- snip -> except on this minor count. I can bash with the best of 'em (and do), but the real reasons behind much of the success of Microsoft(R) is their marketing -- it works and people buy their stuff. That, combined with a lot of history and business junk none of us want to read here. Apple is in decline, and yes, there is history there too (start back at PARC place for that?). <- snip -> > I appreciate anything that leads me to the right directon without the > need for me to take a full computer course. Okay, but let's keep it to the point and leave out the editorial parts. Specifically, what do you want to know at this point, and what have you completed (step-wise) up to now? Also, a list of your hardware might be helpful (someone may see a pitfall ahead based on experience to date). If I can't help you, someone will. This is that kind of list. Finally, I concur with your assessment of the installation process. It is not a point-and-shoot type of thing like, say, installing some small application or even Win 95 on a normal WINTEL box. I believe it could be made easier, but I am not sure if the payoff is there. I have seen much more difficult installations (System V, ver 3.2 comes to mind), and a certain amount of the installation of any UNIX needs to be left open for an administrator to configure -- you can install and build a kernel for the OS that does not work from a registry (NT or Win 95). To do that you have to make decisions on what options you want to take, and can tune things to fit your needs. Also, I understand that the CD-ROM installation is very easy (haven't seen it). Read the docs, and ask questions to the list as needed. You may find that if you can tell us in advance what you have read or what reference you are working from, that you will get a quicker, or at least a more complete answer in less time. Most do expect you to read (quite a bit) before you ask though -- it saves many questions that the docs answer. bab PS DOS, and all that followed, came from UNIX, and Bill Gates knows it. Anyone care to comment on how parts of the NT registry act a bit like a bloated set of rc.d files when it boots?