Date: Wed, 25 Jun 1997 15:05:07 +0800 (HKT) From: Greg Lehey <grog@FreeBSD.ORG> To: davidn@labs.usn.blaze.net.au (David Nugent) Cc: chat@FreeBSD.ORG (FreeBSD Chat) Subject: Re: OS/2 users going to FreeBSD? :-) Message-ID: <199706250705.PAA02522@papillon.lemis.com> In-Reply-To: <199706241944.FAA00315@labs.usn.blaze.net.au> from David Nugent at "Jun 25, 97 05:44:40 am"
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David Nugent writes: >> The other good thing about OS/2 is that setting up dialup to the >> internet is painless. It took me weeks to get FreeBSD connected to >> the internet and even then with LOTS of help. My first internnet >> experience was with OS/2 and I got everything running in minutes not >> weeks. > > Yes, it is pretty easy, although I never made use of it. I use a > FreeBSD system as a router for a local network. :) I think that this is only part of the story. The first few times I set up a ppp connect (including to blazenet), it went like a dream. Then I tried to connect to Telstra, and discovered that they were expecting me to throw the first stone. Took me a long while to figure that out. And when the Chinese started talking X.25 over ppp, I had to give up altogether. The real problem, as I see it, is that ppp gives you lots of choice in connection setup, and if you find one of the more bizarre ones, you're on your own. >> I think Unix/FreeBSD won't get more acceptance at the desktop until >> there is more emphasis placed on usability. For instance setting up >> dialup PPP should not require people to understand so many things. > > You're leaving out or missing a large part of the picture. > > FreeBSD is not just a client system, and that's all the internet > dialer can really do. If you had to set up an OS/2 system as a > PPP server (which FreeBSD, as delivered, is quite capable of > doing), then I daresay you'll be in for all sorts of problems. While it's true that FreeBSD is more flexible, I don't think this makes for a more complex setup. The real problem is in the documentation. > Sure, FreeBSD is more complex to set up for the simple client > environment, but the emphasis on its development and use is not > really as a client system; ie. the "desktop". It can certainly > make a fine desktop system, but unlike the OS/2 system, it can > make an even better server. IBM's focus has obviously been more > specific, and therefore they can afford to cater for the desktop > user. There's nothing that would preclude FreeBSD catering *also* for the "desktop" user, unless it's time and inclination. >> If I knew more I would write a darn perl script (I just copied some >> files people gave me to get my ppp going). I do admit that once I had >> a different provider and it was much easier, but my current provider, >> IBM Net, uses chap/pap(?). > > So do I, incidently, with FreeBSD at both ends. > > Have you seen the handbook? If so, in what way didn't it provide the > information you needed to get ppp going? This document is the > real help-line. To be fair, the handbook is pretty superficial. I'm not trying to knock it--it's better than nothing--but we need something in much more depth. I'm not just bitching about it: I've got a document half ready, but I'm too busy at the moment to put on the final polish. If somebody starts bugging me, that may change. Greg
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