From owner-freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG Tue Apr 5 13:36:55 2005 Return-Path: Delivered-To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Received: from mx1.FreeBSD.org (mx1.freebsd.org [216.136.204.125]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 2D8C416A4CE; Tue, 5 Apr 2005 13:36:55 +0000 (GMT) Received: from sys34.mail.msu.edu (sys34.mail.msu.edu [35.9.75.134]) by mx1.FreeBSD.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 7F26D43D41; Tue, 5 Apr 2005 13:36:54 +0000 (GMT) (envelope-from jerrymc@msu.edu) Received: from jerrymc by sys34.mail.msu.edu with local (Exim 4.44 #1) id 1DIoEX-0000uG-UJ; Tue, 05 Apr 2005 09:36:45 -0400 References: In-Reply-To: From: "Jerold McAllister" To: "Ted Mittelstaedt" Date: Tue, 05 Apr 2005 09:36:45 -0400 Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="utf-8" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Message-Id: cc: bob@a1poweruser.com cc: Jerry McAllister cc: dot.icabod@gmail.com cc: Giorgos Keramidas cc: Randy Pratt cc: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Subject: Re: New Freebsd Install Guide Available X-BeenThere: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.1 Precedence: list List-Id: User questions List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Tue, 05 Apr 2005 13:36:55 -0000 Ted Mittelstaedt writes: > > >> -----Original Message----- >> From: owner-freebsd-questions@freebsd.org >> [mailto:owner-freebsd-questions@freebsd.org]On Behalf Of Jerry >> McAllister > >> Well, both types of documentation are needed. The official formal >> documentation, which, of necessity , needs to be written in a rather >> formal language style and other explanitory docs for newbies and >> those of us who need a more conversational and step by step style >> at least to get started at things. There are several good books >> out with more conversational style and some reasonable web sites >> with tutorials. >> >> The only problem with many of the web sites and even the books is >> that they tend to take a personal preference prejucidial attitude >> toward things rather than encouraging readers to try out various >> things and giving them instruction toward those other choices. >> Some examples are installing and using Gnome. To read some guides, >> one would think it is impossible to run FreeBSD without Gnome. >> Some seem to imply it is absolutely necessary to install a third >> party MBR/boot manager such as Grub to boot FreeBSD, just because >> they like it. Some tend to think the only possible shell to use >> is bash or sh and anyone using something else can't possibly get their >> work done. The list could go on. >> > > That sort of thing may be present in some books but it wasn't in > mine. > > I will say one thing though, that a 3rd party book must specialize on > some aspect of FreeBSD if people are going to buy it. People that > buy documentation usually have a more specific need than that they > just want to boot FreeBSD on whatever spare PC they have lying around. > So, for example in my book all examples were Bourne shell, because > the focus of the book wasn't on running shells under UNIX. However I > never wrote in the book that that readers should only use Bourne. > In fact, on the section on system administration I specifically said > Bourne and csh wern't optimal for new users, and tcsh and bash were > more popular, followed by an overview of the major shells. Please > be careful where your swinging that tarpot and brush in the future. Sure, I know that. I probably should have continued the qualifier I used for the web site and said something like 'some of the books' since it would be what I meant. And the prejudices are different from one source to the next - it isn't the same everywhere. It is just something to be aware of. Even the official Handbook has a few personal prejudices that aren't really as absolute as the text may imply, though I haven't looked for any lately and it continues to be updated. ////jerry > > Ted Mittelstaedt > Author, The FreeBSD Corporate Networker's Guide. > http://www.freebsd-corp-net-guide.com/ > _______________________________________________ > freebsd-questions@freebsd.org mailing list > http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions > To unsubscribe, send any mail to "freebsd-questions-unsubscribe@freebsd.org" >