From owner-freebsd-newbies@FreeBSD.ORG Mon Jan 17 21:15:44 2005 Return-Path: Delivered-To: freebsd-newbies@freebsd.org Received: from mx1.FreeBSD.org (mx1.freebsd.org [216.136.204.125]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id CD27D16A4CE for ; Mon, 17 Jan 2005 21:15:44 +0000 (GMT) Received: from mail.finnovative.net (h204-247-59-114.ncal.verio.net [204.247.59.114]) by mx1.FreeBSD.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 9766543D2D for ; Mon, 17 Jan 2005 21:15:44 +0000 (GMT) (envelope-from linuxuser@finnovative.net) Received: from [192.168.1.121] ([204.247.59.114]) by mail.finnovative.net over TLS secured channel with Microsoft SMTPSVC(6.0.3790.211); Mon, 17 Jan 2005 13:15:44 -0800 Message-ID: <41EC2AD4.4070204@finnovative.net> Date: Mon, 17 Jan 2005 13:15:00 -0800 From: Joaquin Menchaca User-Agent: Mozilla Thunderbird 1.0 (Macintosh/20041206) X-Accept-Language: en-us, en MIME-Version: 1.0 To: freebsd-newbies@freebsd.org References: <6.2.0.14.2.20041121082609.00bec6b0@cheyenne.wixb.com> <20041121160307.3b5123ee@ariel.office.volker.de> <20041121124010.P1330@april.chuckr.org> In-Reply-To: Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-OriginalArrivalTime: 17 Jan 2005 21:15:44.0486 (UTC) FILETIME=[B4D02860:01C4FCD9] Subject: Re: Book recommendation (again) X-BeenThere: freebsd-newbies@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.1 Precedence: list List-Id: Gathering place for new users List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Mon, 17 Jan 2005 21:15:44 -0000 > I have 5.3 and am stuck. I'd like to find a book that helps me with just > a few things, but: for someone not a systems administrator who wants to > set up a workstation. I think in a sense, dealing with UNIX as far as setup/install, you wear the sys admin hat, like it or not. :-) > As an example of the level needed, where I'm stuck is I don't know how > to configure X from the incredibly primitive default setup. Yeah, I felt this too. The X is very primitive compared to things like Mandrake and SuSE Linux. However, as many have pointed out, it is good to learn the system. I would recommend delving thorugh howto linux docs on configuration of X. I myself reviewed the handbook, and found it quite nice, but still limited in helping me get off the ground. I now have generic twm and three xterms, and the mouse doesn't work. :-) > I wish to install and configure Fluxbox and Fluxspace, set up Emacs with > all sorts of goodies (got sufficient docs on that excepting using > ports), and vnc (or similar) from OSX. That sounds fun. Also here's a project that is damn skippy: http://www.software-facilities.com/x11-wm-software/skippy.php Also check out jedit for text editors. That's the new one I use besides vim. I found it when I was using Mac OS X, and now use it on all *nix platforms and well as windows ones. > The online handbook wasn't helpful for my first problem. Complete > FreeBSD, Absolute BSD, and Design and Implementation seem targeted > toward admins and server setups. Am I wrong? > > Best, Ted Ted, The book I started with is "The Complpete FreeBSD, Documentation from the Source" by Greg Lehey published by O'Reilly Community Press. As others have mentioned it old as soon as it was printed. However I like thumbing through a printed book. I refer to the online handbook for things that are different, such as xorg vs. xfree86 stuff. This book was very helpful in getting started. I have the whole system installed on a little VIA embedded system (VIA PD 10000) which uses only 80 watt power supply; I plan to use it as a router, and later add other services on it.