From owner-freebsd-stable@FreeBSD.ORG Wed Feb 13 22:13:46 2008 Return-Path: Delivered-To: freebsd-stable@freebsd.org Received: from mx1.freebsd.org (mx1.freebsd.org [IPv6:2001:4f8:fff6::34]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id C406F16A47C for ; Wed, 13 Feb 2008 22:13:46 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from spomerg@cwu.EDU) Received: from charybdis.cts.cwu.edu (charybdis.cts.cwu.edu [198.104.67.152]) by mx1.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id A8CE413C4E9 for ; Wed, 13 Feb 2008 22:13:46 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from spomerg@cwu.EDU) Received: from CONVERSION-CWU-DAEMON.CHARYBDIS.CTS.CWU.EDU by CHARYBDIS.CTS.CWU.EDU (PMDF V6.3-x13 #31358) id <01MR90RLWB80000LOO@CHARYBDIS.CTS.CWU.EDU> for freebsd-stable@freebsd.org; Wed, 13 Feb 2008 14:13:46 -0800 (PST) Received: from hermes.cwu.edu (hermes.cwu.edu [172.16.21.28]) by CHARYBDIS.CTS.CWU.EDU (PMDF V6.3-x13 #31358) with ESMTP id <01MR90RLLPS6000MPB@CHARYBDIS.CTS.CWU.EDU> for freebsd-stable@freebsd.org; Wed, 13 Feb 2008 14:13:45 -0800 (PST) Received: from cwugate1-MTA by hermes.cwu.edu with Novell_GroupWise; Wed, 13 Feb 2008 14:13:45 -0800 Date: Wed, 13 Feb 2008 14:13:32 -0800 From: Gavin Spomer To: freebsd-stable@freebsd.org Message-id: <47B2FB0C0200009000013E76@hermes.cwu.edu> MIME-version: 1.0 X-Mailer: Novell GroupWise Internet Agent 7.0.2 HP Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-transfer-encoding: quoted-printable Content-disposition: inline Subject: Re: Rebuilding World Problems X-BeenThere: freebsd-stable@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5 Precedence: list List-Id: Production branch of FreeBSD source code List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Wed, 13 Feb 2008 22:13:46 -0000 >>> "Chris H." 02/13/08 1:25 PM >>> > > Surprisingly I grokked most of your cheatsheet and looked at a few=20 > > man pages to figure out most of the rest. Haven't tried it all yet. = I=20 > > was wondering about the "mount -u /". Is it really necessary to = mount=20 > > the root partition prior to mounting all of them in the next step? >=20 > Absolutely. Think about it for a momment. Given that EVERYTHING > (save swap) is mounted off of root ( / ). So it becomes quite > impossible to mount /usr/ if / hasn't already been mounted. In > other words; if / hasn't been mounted it doesn't exist for usr/ > to mount from it. :) For some reason I was thinking that they were still separate, regardless = of their hierarchical relationship. Well, might as well just do them both = since it doesn't hurt. After all, what's a few keystrokes? > > > > I don't really understand the "swapon -a". When is it necessary and=20 > > when is it not? >=20 > As a rule, it is already available after boot. So executing swapon -a > is often considered overkill. /But/ absolutely no harm will come of > doing it, and it /may/ be necessary. So this just insures you have > an "event free" journey. :) >=20 > > > > Also, UPDATING has "adjkerntz -i" just before "mergemaster -p". I=20 > > looked at the man page for adjkerntz and am still uncertain if I = need=20 > > to do this. I run an ntpd client, if that makes any difference. >=20 > Again, just a precaution. Think "safe", or "event free". :) Yeah, I like to think I balance a fearless attitude with caution quite = well. Being fearless allows one to make mistakes and thus potentially = learn more than if not making them, but when it's obvious that safety can = save you a lot of grief, that is the path to take in that instance. > > > > I think the documentation is an excellent reference for people who=20 > > already, moderately know FreeBSD. I am not even a true newbie as I=20 > > have a CS degree and have been a Linux admin for 2 years. Even so I=20 > > often have a hard time with the complexity of FreeBSD. I recognize=20 > > the value of understanding the fine-grain "nuts and bolts" of a=20 > > system, but even so I wonder if FreeBSD over-complicates some things? >=20 > This is the "UNIX way". It breaks everything into small bits of > useful stuff. There-by providing the "nuts & bolts" to build, or > accomplish almost /anything/ with little, or no effort. Linux kind > of "missed the boat" on this one. But even Linus T. indicates that > Linux is not UNIX. I'd have to say, it's more a "feels like UNIX" > than anything else. I agree with the "accomplish almost/anything" fully, but from *my* = experience I respectfully, but strongly disagree with the "with little, or = no effort" part. But that is likely because I don't know Unix even a tenth = as well as you do. :D I guess it's just particularly hard for me in this = case to see benefit; it takes only one command and a lot less time to = patch my SuSE systems, for example. But again, it all boils down to = perspective, I guess. Make sense? > to a new user. One must remember, after all, that it is a /server/ > and perhaps, not best suited to an average "desktop" user. But, if > given the time, will become your best friend - /really/. :) I never run any GUI on my servers. > Best wishes to you. >=20 > --Chris H. Thanks, I am genuinely having a LOT of fun dinking around with FreeBSD on = my test server! Linux was definitely a good warm up. And it's nice to be = able to tinker under the hood on all my Mac's. (Have 2 @ work and 1 @ = home)