Date: Sat, 26 Jul 1997 21:48:12 -0400 (EDT) From: Chuck Robey <chuckr@glue.umd.edu> To: "Larry E. Watkins" <lwatkins1@juno.com> Cc: hackers@FreeBSD.ORG Subject: Re: Looking for help Message-ID: <Pine.BSF.3.96.970726214154.2823B-100000@Journey2.mat.net> In-Reply-To: <19970726.164753.12062.0.lwatkins1@juno.com>
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On Sat, 26 Jul 1997, Larry E. Watkins wrote: Your request is too broad, and sent to the wrong list. Unix is huge, with many, many possible avenues to explore. Your request was analogous to "teach me about life", because a ten word answer is as true as an answer that comes in a five book set. Narrow your focus, pick one thing you want to learn about, and someone will point your towards something you can read, and when you do it, send it to the FreeBSD-Questions list, not FreeBSD-Hackers. A first thing, tho, would be to visit your bookstore and get an introductory Unix book. There are many of them, pick one you find readable. Once you have the general idea, you will have an easier time generating a reasonable question. > Hi -- > > I've been stimulated to write because I just received the "FreeBSD News" > and have been reminded that I'm missing out on too much. > > I have a dual boot IBM compatible PC with FreeBSD installed on it's own > hard drive. I'm a long-time computer user, ex-programmer, quite familiar > with DOS and Windows and although I've had FreeBSD for nearly 2 years I'm > pretty much a novice at it and Unix in general -- just the kind of calls > for help you probably like to get I'll bet :-). > > I've learned enough about my BSD system to complete a Perl course and > have done some extensive Perl development using vi. I've also learned how > to get files onto diskette so that I can transfer them between my Win95 > machine and my BSD machine. My Windows machine is my Internet connection > -- I've not gotten BSD to operate with my modem, and frankly wouldn't > know what to do with it once I did get connected. So, basically, I've > been using my nice BSD machine to simulate a big dumb DOS box and little > else. > > I need to get out of the rut. I'd started to install XWindows so that I > could have a windows-like environment but apparently when I initially > installed FreeBSD I neglected to install everything -- XWindows wouldn't > install because it said some of the required directories are missing. I > started to reinstall FreeBSD but the warning message says it's possible I > could lose everything in the process and although I don't have a heck of > a lot to lose, there is enough working that I chose not to risk the > reinstall. > > What I'd like help with to begin with is to in getting my machine > connected to the Internet and learning what I can do with it once I'm > there -- on my Windows machine I use ftp, telnet, Netscape and MS > Internet Explorer, and e-mail. > > So, I need some direction and someone to give me a shove. If I could get > connected properly perhaps someone there could connect to me and take a > look at my system and let me know what I can do to make it hum. > > I can see the handwriting on the wall and it's spelling FreeBSD -- as > time goes by the less I can use Microsoft the happier I'll be. Looking > forward to hearing from someone whenever you have the time. > > > Larry Watkins > Sacramento > > ----------------------------+----------------------------------------------- Chuck Robey | Interests include any kind of voice or data chuckr@eng.umd.edu | communications topic, C programming, and Unix. 213 Lakeside Drive Apt T-1 | Greenbelt, MD 20770 | I run Journey2 and picnic, both FreeBSD (301) 220-2114 | version 3.0 current -- and great FUN! ----------------------------+-----------------------------------------------
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