From owner-freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG Fri Mar 5 02:08:06 2004 Return-Path: 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 C0F6F16A4CE for ; Fri, 5 Mar 2004 02:08:06 -0800 (PST) Received: from mail015.syd.optusnet.com.au (mail015.syd.optusnet.com.au [211.29.132.161]) by mx1.FreeBSD.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id CC5F143D1D for ; Fri, 5 Mar 2004 02:08:04 -0800 (PST) (envelope-from anubis357@optusnet.com.au) Received: from rdlax7-135.dialup.optusnet.com.au (rdlax7-135.dialup.optusnet.com.au [211.28.169.135])i25A6gL30011; Fri, 5 Mar 2004 21:06:42 +1100 From: anubis To: "Loren M. Lang" , FreeBSD Mailing list Date: Fri, 5 Mar 2004 20:09:52 +1000 User-Agent: KMail/1.5.4 References: <20040305081609.GA1378@alzatex.com> In-Reply-To: <20040305081609.GA1378@alzatex.com> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Disposition: inline Message-Id: <200403052009.52968.anubis357@optusnet.com.au> Subject: Re: New Users Learning FreeBSD X-BeenThere: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.1 Precedence: list List-Id: User questions List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Fri, 05 Mar 2004 10:08:06 -0000 On Fri, 5 Mar 2004 6:16 pm, Loren M. Lang wrote: > I am curious what some newbies experiences were with FreeBSD who > have have no unix experience before. I have someone that I might > be setting up a unix workstation of some kind for and I'm debating > whether I should use FreeBSD or some Linux distro like mandrake or > debian. I will be there most of the time to help if needed as this > is for work and will not be his home desktop, at least not yet. He > only have some experience with using dos and windoze, but he does > have some technical background with computers. This is my opinion. Your opinion and mileage may vary. I dont think that something like mandrake is easier to use than freebsd. They use the same applications and share the same window managers so if you do a good enough job of setting up freebsd it should be functionally the same or better than any linux distro. As far as maintaining the system what could be easier than the freebsd upgrade process? For adding software the ports system is dead simple. As far as using unix, with both of them he is going to be on a learning curve if all he has known is windows. I would say that the freebsd documentation is going to be of great help here. You may wish to give him a book on freebsd to help. I found Absolute BSD an excellent book that really helped me get to know the basics of freebsd. If freebsd is what you know and are using on your machine it will be easier for you management wise as you are only worrying about 1 os not 2. Your friend will also recieve better support from you if it is something that you are comfortable with and are using yourself. After using both I have personally found freebsd easier to use than linux.