Date: Thu, 26 Feb 2004 12:28:47 +0900 From: R <bsdrockford@pastrytech.com> To: freebsd-newbies@freebsd.org Subject: My experience Message-ID: <403D67EF.1040100@pastrytech.com> In-Reply-To: <20040225200124.9E40016A4D7@hub.freebsd.org> References: <20040225200124.9E40016A4D7@hub.freebsd.org>
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Hello, I'm a new subscriber, and just thought I'd post my experiences. I decided to use FreeBSD on a web server project, and just recently installed 4.9 on a cheap used PC to practice for the real installation on the eventual real server. I'm using Zope and MySQL, and perhaps an Apache frontend. I'm used to Macs and Windows, and no Linux experience besides playing around with Knoppix. However I love the Amiga OS (which was based on unix) the most, so I'm quite used to CLI stuff. In fact, if I can get an Amiga "look" (AKA "skin") for X I might put FreeBSD on my next laptop... perhaps with a dual install for Windows games. Or just boot into UAE (I had done this with my old laptop using Windows, but Windows has a lot of overhead...). So far I haven't been able to get X to work, but I haven't given it much of a try because I'm making a server and I'm mostly telneting into it from my Windows laptop anyway. Installing FreeBSD was not easy. I thought I could get by with online info, but ended up buying 2 books: FreeBSD: An Open-Source Operating System for Your Personal Computer, and The Complete FreeBSD. The latter was especially helpful, while the first was somewhat helpful but a strange mix of complete beginner info and glossing over of more advanced things that I wanted to know. My biggest installation problems: setting up a domain and IP for the machine, and configuring Samba so that my laptop could talk to the server. I think networking information should be explained more completely online and in the books I mentioned above. I did a lot of trial and error, which proved fatal with Samba, because as it turns out Windows XP Home is intentionally crippled when it comes to networking and using Samba is difficult (if not impossible - I still don't understand, and I wasted a week screwing around trying to get it to work). Finally I gave up and just use FTP to move files back and forth. Works fine and at least I understand it, unlike Windows "shares." Most FreeBSD directions assume the user has an internet connection and therefor champion ports. I used packages because I don't have a landline (I'm in Japan and it's $700 for a licence to have a phone). I use a cell phone and cellular modem in my laptop to get online. I don't like how different programs/packages get placed all over the filesystem... It means more typing and more lost moments trying to remember where everything is. That kind of gives me pause about using FreeBSD as a desktop. I tried several times to get X working, with no luck. Part of the trouble is that this is a used system so I don't have manuals for the display card and monitor. I used Knoppix to get some idea of what I have, and tried the closest drivers/settings, but no luck. Anyway, this is a server so CLI is fine. As for the programs, the newest Zope compiled with no problems. I used a package of Python and MySQL. I have had some problems getting the mysql-python and mysqldba (database adaptor) working with Zope and MySQL, but that appears to be just a mixture of poor documentation, a corrupt gzip, and a multitude of version combinations, of which only a few are correct. (I gather that's a problem with OSS in general.) Anyway, I've enjoyed tinkering around but I've had a few headaches along the way! I have plenty of super-newbie type questions that I'll probably start asking on freebsd-questions... R
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