Date: Mon, 02 May 2011 20:07:54 -0500 From: Kevin Kinsey <kdk@daleco.biz> To: Polytropon <freebsd@edvax.de> Cc: Louis Marrero <louis_marrero@yahoo.com>, freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Subject: Re: For My Edification Message-ID: <4DBF556A.1010507@daleco.biz> In-Reply-To: <20110503024427.2c0ace89.freebsd@edvax.de> References: <000001cc091a$e041f380$a0c5da80$@com> <20110503024427.2c0ace89.freebsd@edvax.de>
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On 05/02/11 19:44, Polytropon wrote: > Although others have already given you excellent replies, > I would like to add a few comments. > > I have a couple of suggestion that I've not yet seen in the thread ... and kudos to you for a] asking, and nicely done, and b] gathering your courage to give this a try. > On Mon, 2 May 2011 18:47:11 -0400, "Louis Marrero"<louis_marrero@yahoo.com> wrote: >> Although I am familiar with basic computer operation, I've been trying to >> understand a very experienced programmer friend that mixes Linux/Unix >> terminology in his vocabulary under the assumption that everyone knows the >> language. > You can learn about this terminology, and I can really > encourage you to do so, as it is a neccessary means to > access the professional parts of Linux and UNIX, and if > you want to "be into IT" more deeply, there is no way > around it. > > With those basics, you'll be able to access and under- > stand _any_ UNIX(-like) operating system as they share > basics and have many things in common. > All I have here is a "me too". >> Being familiar only with general knowledge on the Windows XP that I use >> daily, I've gone on the web to find out more information on some of the >> terms used by this programmer, such as "BSD", > Berkeley Software Distribution, from which FreeBSD is > derived. There are other BSDs. > > > >> "shell terminal", > A dialog terminal that runs an interactive shell, a > command-line processor that you use to issue commands > to the system. The term's origin is the "terminal", > a stand-alone device (often called "dumb terminal") > that served the same purpose - communicate with the > computer - without being "a real computer". > Windows systems also have a command interpreter, though (arguably) it's hardly used and considered arcane by most users. On all the NT and later systems this is "cmd.exe". >> "nc -u", > The netcat utility. On a UNIX system, see "man nc" > (local manual page). > > > >> etc. Since my friend knows that my computer is strictly MS Windows, when my >> friend writes down something like "In a shell terminal type nc -u >> 10.101.97.200 5555." it makes me wonder what I'm missing. > You "miss" understanding of the terminology, that's nothing > bad, as you can easily learn and understand it. > > > >> Here are some questions that can help my understanding: >> >> >> >> 1. I know that Windows is an OS, > In this mentioning, it refers to a family of operating systems. :-) > > > >> and Linux/Unix as well as FreeBSD >> are other Operating System. > Correct. There are many Linux (fully correct. GNU/Linux) > distributions, as well as different BSDs and UNIXes. > > > >> My very basic question is this: Is it even >> possible to install a second OS, like FreeBSD on an existing Windows-based >> computer? > That's easily possible. You need to do a proper partitioning > of the hard disk and then install FreeBSD into a free partition. > > You can also make use of so-called "Live systems", a thing > not common to "Windows": This is an installed and configured > operating system that you boot from a CD, DVD or USB stick. > You do NOT have to install it. > > And this is the only *real* interesting input. Download Sun's Virtual machine software, "VirtualBox" (I believe they just released version 4.0.6) and you can set up a FreeBSD machine *inside* your windows machine with no need to add any additional hardware or do any repartitioning of the hard disk. >> 2. Is it possible to link my Windows laptop to a web server with >> Unix or FreeBSD and exercise Unix/Linux commands. If so, how is that done? > You don't usually communicate to a web server. A web server > delivers web pages. What you mean is a dialog access, usually > done by SSH. You can use PuTTY (on your "Windows" laptop) to > access a FreeBSD system via SSH. It will show up as a terminal > window to you. > > > >> I'd be grateful for any information. > I may point you to the EXCELLENT documentation online: The > FreeBSD Handbook and the FAQ. Those are QUALITY material > not comparable to anything you find in "Windows" land. If > you're dealing with IT matter, you'll have no problem to > determine _what_ to read. Those resources can be easily > accessed through the FreeBSD web page, but can also used > locally (maybe on systems without Internet or web access). +1 for the FreeBSD Handbook. Ten years ago, I downloaded it, and now scores of people in my area think I'm the guru to match all 'Nix gurus. Of course, they're all Windows users ;-) The people on this list know that I'm just a newb with 10 years of FreeBSD under my belt ;-) We look forward to assisting with your further edification :-) Kevin D. Kinsey
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