Date: Tue, 27 Sep 2005 16:35:41 +0200 From: jonas <jonas.de.buhr@gmx.net> To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Subject: Re: New user Message-ID: <20050927163541.688c485c@localhost> In-Reply-To: <200509271404.j8RE47Uk006116@clunix.cl.msu.edu> References: <20050927092631.53935.qmail@web36213.mail.mud.yahoo.com> <200509271404.j8RE47Uk006116@clunix.cl.msu.edu>
next in thread | previous in thread | raw e-mail | index | archive | help
On Tue, 27 Sep 2005 10:04:06 -0400 (EDT) Jerry McAllister <jerrymc@clunix.cl.msu.edu> wrote: > Hi, > > > Hi > > > > I'm a new to UNIX, I got to know about your services recently. > > Please tell me ware to start FreeBSD(UNIX) . Because I'm pissed off > > with Windows . > > One place to wstart is to break your lines in your messages at > about 70 characters. It makes your posting easier to read and > reply to from text based Email clients - used by many in the FreeBSD > world. Most Email clients can be configured to do this > automatically. If yours cannot, then just hit a RETURN/ENTER about > that point on each line. > > Also, it is best to use plain ASCII text rather than any of the > fancy types. That works in all mailers. The fancy ones only > work on mailers that have that particular type available. eg you > cover a broader group of readers with plain ASCII text and that > is what you want to do on a questions list. > > As for getting started with FreeBSD, > > First, it is a good idea. Congradulations. > > Second, it does take some effort to learn to use, but the effort > will be well rewarded in time. > > Start by reading the FreeBSD handbook. It can be read online or > downloaded freely from the FreeBSD website: http://www.freebsd.org/ > Handbook at: > http://www.freebsd.org/doc/en_US.ISO8859-1/books/handbook/index.html > For the US English version. > > You may wish to purchase one or more books on FreeBSD. There are > several good ones available. Some that come to mind while I am > sitting here writing are: "The Complete FreeBSD", "Absolute BSD" > and "FreeBSD: An Open Source Operating System". Other people may > suggest some others. Try to get the latest edition of any of them > as they get updated a lot to follow the system upgrades (and correct > errors). The latest major version of FreeBSD that is getting near > release is 6.xxx. I don't know if any of the books have been > updated for V 6.xxx yet. The Handbook is constantly being updated. > > Learn to look up things in the FAQs, list archives, search engines > such as Google and the many web sites and online publications that > have howto-s and narratives about doing various FreeBSD things. > Note, though, that almost all of these web articles are written from > the point of view of the person doing it and naturally contain all > the prejudices and presupositions of the authors. Some of those may > not suit your situation or even be the most straightforward or > efficient way of doing things. But all contribute to the body of > information. > > Follow this list and possibly the Newbies list and others that might > interest you. Check the published material, either in paper form > or online before splattering the lists with newbie questions. The > people on the lists are busy and get tired of answering the same > questions that are well documented already. > > Once you have tried to solve a problem with the documentation > available then ask questions on the lists. Don't waste time (yours > or others) with diatribes and whining about how FreeBSD is this or > that and some other OS is something else. This is an Open Source, > volunteer developed and supported system and the best way to get a > feature or fix implemented is to write it your self and submit it as > a PR. > > A nice friendly request also will get a better response that a > self-righteous whine. The main contributers know that not everyone > is capable of, or has the resources for writing some of the > suggested/requested changes and can be persuaded to add things to > their [long] lists, but are more likely to do so if it seems > reasonable and the request is a friendly one. Remember that they > are volunteers, not staff ruled by a marketing department. > > Now, we are about ready to get to doing it... > Once you have a good idea of the process - you will never learn it > completely from just reading; You have to get your hands dirty and > your carpal tunnel exercised - either purchase a CD set of the latest > and greatest from one of the vendors who make them up and contribute > a portion back to the FreeBSD project or just download the > installation CD from the FreeBSD web site or one of its mirrors. > All the information about doing so is well described in the above > mentioned documentation. For starters, choose the latest RELEASE > version available, which, at the moment, is FreeBSD 5.4 and will > probably soon be 5.5. For Newbies I would suggest waiting until you > have had a little experience before diving in to a stable version. > > If at all possible, try it all out on a machine that you can trash > without incurring much consequence. Then you can do an install and > set things up and experiment and when you mess it up too much, you > can just start from scratch. Take notes, so you don't have to repeat > mistakes too many times. With a scratch machine, you can feel less > inhibited about trying things just to see what happens. > > If you don't have a scratch machine available (it doesn't take much > of a machine to get a reasonable FreeBSD up and running - almost any > old junker beyond a 386 will do), then read up on dual booting a > machine. It is actually as easy as doing a dedicated FreeBSD machine > even though some people seem prone to trying to make it confusing and > difficult. That way you will still have a working system available to > Email questions... > > Download and install the full ports tree and the system source until > you learn enough to decide for yourself what you don't need or want. > The ports system is one of the more powerful features of FreeBSD > and source lets you tinker and learn. You can discover things by > actually reading the code. > > Maybe you expected more specific technical information that what I > have written in this response. But, actually, the things I have > covered respond to the major mistakes people make getting started > with FreeBSD. The technical things are most easily covered by > following the documentation either from the handbook or one of the > good books on FreeBSD. > > Good luck and have fun, > > ////jerry > i think this should be integrated into the FAQ :) cya, jonas
Want to link to this message? Use this URL: <https://mail-archive.FreeBSD.org/cgi/mid.cgi?20050927163541.688c485c>