Date: Wed, 19 Jul 1995 20:39:28 +0000 () From: Leo Papandreou <leo@lisa.rur.com> To: Terry Lambert <terry@cs.weber.edu> Cc: Heikki Suonsivu <hsu@cs.hut.fi>, jmacd@freefall.cdrom.com, freebsd-hackers@freefall.cdrom.com Subject: Re: What people are doing with FBSD Message-ID: <Pine.BSF.3.91.950719192054.2791D-100000@lisa.rur.com> In-Reply-To: <9507191742.AA28329@cs.weber.edu>
next in thread | previous in thread | raw e-mail | index | archive | help
On Wed, 19 Jul 1995, Terry Lambert wrote: > BSD in general and FreeBSD in particular rival this, no problem. If > you can get installed, then you're pretty much rock solid from then > on. The issue for BSD here (and I'll readily admit it's a problem) > is getting installed. > > I was personally *shocked* at the complexity of the install of FreeBSD, > though for a large number of installations the fact that FreeBSD has > solved the front-loading problem (ie: I answer all the questions up > front, and then I can go away) is a *BIG* plus in BSD's favor. The > next job is to crank the tech level down on the install, which is > mostly a finger-pointing at the disk management crap, which is more > information than most people want to know. > I never saw a unix prompt in my life before this year when I installed 2.0 off the cd-rom. I started to read the doc files but got impatient and decided to wing it. It worked but its not like I knew why or what was happening. I didnt bother to backup the dos partition (and Im sure Im in the majority on this) so it was an anxious experience. In this regard the 2.0.5 installation is probably even more daunting to the complete unix neophyte (but otherwise vastly superior.) Perhaps you can get someone off the street and talk them through the installation while recording the event in a question and answer format? Its just a thought but the point is that Joe Windows and Jordan are never going to be in sync despite Jordan's efforts to be as lucid and non-techy as possible. > > and lots of masses using Linux. > > Largely propaganda. They're fanatics. Is there not one Linux user that does NOT mention the fact in their sig? Sheesh, it's like a usenet jihad strike force. > Not that there shouldn't be a "BSD Journal" or other > propaganda mechanism for BSD (and to present a united front for BSD, even > if a merge is impossible (or undesirable, in the case of BSDI). > Well www.freebsd.org could be jazzed up to include an online Journal. I appreciate how busy the core team must be but I cant help thinking what a listing under Netscape's cool links would do to further the cause. cgi shouldnt be a problem for you guys; is there nobody around with a design and graphics background? wcarhive is hit heavily (apparently the busiest site on the net?) but what percentage of people using a windows ftp program even see the FreeBSD info as it scrolls past at a 100 miles/hour? > I'd like to hear the subtle ones 8^). I think the only one of merit Well it would be nice if the folks at netscape, mosaic, real-audio, etc distributed FreeBSD binaries. As it is they do distribute Linux binaries. Consider the position of a person looking at installing a free unix on their system. What are they going to choose in the weight of all this subtle pressure? There develops a tacit assumption that Linux is the superior OS. Its wrong but how many non-unix people are going to do a little research in the face of all this "evidence?" As I write this there is a commercial for the movie "The Net" on the boob-tube. The radio station I listen to is promoting their web site. The newspaper I read is warning me that there is sex on the net (yeah, like that's going to keep people away in droves.) There doesnt seem to be any slowdown in net growth and this, IMHO, is going to translate directly into increased interest for UNIX. The opportunity is here but a superior product is not going to be enough. Like my boss says, even to get laid you need marketing. -Leo
Want to link to this message? Use this URL: <https://mail-archive.FreeBSD.org/cgi/mid.cgi?Pine.BSF.3.91.950719192054.2791D-100000>