Date: Tue, 29 Sep 1998 18:03:24 +0930 From: Greg Lehey <grog@lemis.com> To: Steve Friedrich <SteveFriedrich@Hot-Shot.com>, "freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG" <freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG>, Joe Raine <questav@questronix.com.au> Subject: Re: Firewall? Message-ID: <19980929180324.Q15172@freebie.lemis.com> In-Reply-To: <199809290540.BAA03477@laker.net>; from Steve Friedrich on Tue, Sep 29, 1998 at 01:40:27AM -0400 References: <199809290540.BAA03477@laker.net>
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On Tuesday, 29 September 1998 at 1:40:27 -0400, Steve Friedrich wrote:
> On Tue, 29 Sep 1998 14:13:22 +1000, Joe Raine wrote:
>> 1. Is the learning curve horrendous for someone who is only versed in DOS
>> and Windows?
>
> The short answer is YES. But you don't have to learn everything to get
> started. And the payoff is well worth the effort. The basic problem,
> and I'm really not trying to insult you, is that you haven't learned
> anything about real computer operating systems yet. DOS and Winblows
> are just barely better than CPM. They are attempting to grow up to be
> real operating systems, but they'll never make it.
After writing what I did about this question ("it depends"), it
occurred to me that I should have elaborated.
I find configuring Microsoft systems complicated because you only see
a little bit at a time; it's like standing outside the place where
things are happening and looking in through a window. You can often
configure UNIX systems this way too, but the real way is to get inside
and look around. Instead of playing with pieces of a jigsaw puzzle,
you have a list of things to do. The best example is the main
configuration file for FreeBSD systems, /etc/rc.conf, which contains a
list of parameters to set for system startup. Want to check your
system config? That's the place to go. Did you forget something?
Then it'll be in /etc/rc.conf, but wrong. By contrast, the visual
approach requires you to have some written documentation (a book, for
example) to tell you all the places you need to check.
So I suppose the real question is: can you read, can you handle a
checklist? Then you'll find UNIX easier than Microsoft, *once* you've
got used to the change.
> The Complete Freebsd
> Greg Lehey
> Our Price: $69.95
> Paperback Book and 4 CD Roms edition (May 1998) Walnut Creek; ISBN:
> 1571762272
This is no cheaper than from Walnut Creek CDROM, who use the proceeds
of the sale in part to fund FreeBSD development. If you're not going
to have any disadvantage from buying direct from Walnut Creek, please
do so. In Joe's case, of course, there are two significant
disadvantages: first, shipping is surface mail (3 months), and
secondly it costs anyway. But the same would apply to Amazon or any
other US-based bookshop.
Greg
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