Date: Thu, 26 Jul 2001 14:09:27 -0700 (PDT) From: the_philologus@excite.com To: questions@freebsd.org Subject: Applixware 5.0 installation Message-ID: <12435384.996181770164.JavaMail.imail@seamore.excite.com>
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I've purchased a copy of the "Desktop Edition" of FreeBSD and wish to
register it, esp. since I need questions answered about the installation of
Applixware 5.0 that came with the package. On the CDs it says that
"technical support" should be addressed here.
The registration card that comes along with the manual will be mailed, but
it is made out to the (old?) Walnut Creek address. Is there a corrected
address to send it to? (I find it curious that, with such a Net-centered
technology, Walnut Creek CDROM has/d no online registration.)
As I am new to Unix-systems in general as well as FreeBSD, the learning
curve is steep and I have found the online help pages generally only a
little bit helpful. They presume WAY TOO MUCH knowledge on the part of
non-Unix users. Basic stuff is missing or, if present, presented in the
least straightforward form. For example, it took me 3 days of looking to
figure out (not "find", "figure out") what the FreeBSD command to mount a
CD-ROM is. (Unix reference books sometimes give Unix commands with some of
their Linux counterparts, but no FreeBSD commands.) Windows users, if they
come, will be bringing their files with them. Guess what? Accessing
("mounting" and reading) their old DOS-based files is going to be of utmost
importance to them. This isn't even nearly adequately enough covered
online. (Yes, I already have checked out quite a number of the links you
give at your site. They do half a job, at best.) Exact syntax and EXAMPLES
need to be given, not just some general statement of given commands. The
"man pages" don't cut it.
Now to my question: I wanted to mount the CD with Applixware Office suite
to get to the readme.txt file for installation instructions. After finally
finding the command and figuring out the syntax, I performed the operation
successfully just today for the first time. However, when I went to read
the "readme.txt" file all I got by issuing the view command was a bunch of
squiggles (As I said, I'm new to Unix.) So, how do I actually READ the text
of the readme.txt file? (Also is it online somewhere so that I can just
read it through a regular Web browser?)
As a consequence I have been unable to install the Applixware suite that I
specifically bought this version of FreeBSD for. So, can you refer me to a
quick command procedure for installing the FreeBSD version of Applixware
5.0? The Linux version gives the install command right on the CD: "mount
-ro t iso9660 /dev/cdrom /mnt/cdrom /mnt/cdrom/install"
May I suggest a similar placement of the corresponding appropriate command
on future pressings of the FreeBSD versions? It makes life so much easier
for us nontechies. May I make a further suggestion for easing consumers'
installation woes? The Linux version of Applixware has an installation
guide. Why not take that guide and substitute the appropriate instructions
and commands for FreeBSD? Since the instructions take up all of two small
pages, it could probably be done in a couple of hours by a knowledgeable
engineer or FreeBSD user on the project.
For my $100, I should have gotten something like that in writing.
I'm pulling for the Unix systems on the desktop, but they have such a
loooong way to go before average users can replace their Windows stuff with
them. Most home users WOULDN'T have spent the three nights I have trying to
figure how to get the system to read a CD-ROM. Nor should they have to.
They'd just give up and say, "To hell with it. I'll just stay a Microserf.
Bill is good. Good is Bill."
I do like that FreeBSD autodetected my new ViewSonic A70f "perfect flat
screen" monitor and without my even having to re-configure X (while SuSE
Linux 7.0 doesn't seem to be able to do this and it looks as though I'm not
going to be able to install it on the same computer).
Thank you for your help and please send me the information I need to
register the product.
L. Brockman
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