Date: Mon, 2 May 2011 19:37:46 -0400 (EDT) From: Chris Hill <chris@monochrome.org> To: Louis Marrero <louis_marrero@yahoo.com> Cc: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Subject: Unix basics (was Re: For My Edification) Message-ID: <alpine.BSF.2.00.1105021924360.21351@tripel.monochrome.org> In-Reply-To: <000001cc091a$e041f380$a0c5da80$@com> References: <000001cc091a$e041f380$a0c5da80$@com>
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On Mon, 2 May 2011, Louis Marrero wrote: > I have a number of really dumb questions that I hope you might be able > to shed some light on. I shall endeavor to provide dumb answers in return :^) For *good* answers, a great place to start is the Handbook, http://www.freebsd.org/doc/en_US.ISO8859-1/books/handbook/index.html. In addition, I'm sure some of the many smart people on this list will speak up. Also, notice that I've changed the subject line to reflect a hint of the message's content. This list is archived, and anyone searching later migh not know to use 'edification' as a search term. > 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. > > 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", "shell terminal", "nc -u", > 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. When he says "shell terminal", think "command prompt". nc is netcat, but I didn't know Windows had that. In your friend's defense, I use Windows every day (at work) and I can't always remember what things are called. Especially since MS changes terminology every now and then, evidently just for the hell of it. > 1. I know that Windows is an OS, and Linux/Unix as well as FreeBSD are > other Operating System. My very basic question is this: Is it even > possible to install a second OS, like FreeBSD on an existing > Windows-based computer? Yes. You can either set it up for dual boot - either by adding a second hard drive, or by partitioning your existing drive if there's space - or you can run another OS within a virtual machine of some sort. The latter would need a pretty fast machine if the guest OS is to have decent performance. Having said that, I found it easier to get started using an old PC that was too slow to run a modern Windows, but perfectly fine for a GUI-free BSD. I'm typing this on an old Dell that I bought on ebay. > 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? The server's admin would have to give you a shell account. Most commercial ISPs won't do that, but maybe your friend will. > I'd be grateful for any information. Hope this helps, and welcome. -- Chris Hill chris@monochrome.org ** [ Busy Expunging </> ]
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