Date: Fri, 23 Apr 2004 12:37:00 -0700 From: Joe Rhett <jrhett@isite.net> To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Subject: Items missing from the handbook and/or FAQs. Message-ID: <20040423193700.GA5329@isite.net>
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Sorry, it's been quite a while since I've played with FreeBSD and some
things are taking a while to get used to. The configuration system has
come a long way... but the documentation seems to be lacking a bit.
This is a quick list of items that I had to struggle through without
references from the documentation. I have figured most of them out from
reading through the rc and init scripts, but that's hardly an easy way to
handle this.
version: 4.9-stable installed from ISO images.
hardware: Sony VAIO PCG-F350
(not relevant, because I have no hardware issues...)
1. How to disable ppp ?
The handbook has lots of information on how to configure it. Apparently I
chose to enable it during install (I don't remember this) and I'm trying to
get rid of the ppp0 and sl0 interfaces. The answer was to copy related
parameters from /etc/defaults/rc.conf to /etc/rc.conf and change them.
(The handbook actually does say "modify rc.conf" but it doesn't say what
items should be modified!)
2. How to configure a wireless card?
If you're coming from any other unixy OS, you're going to be looking for
iwconfig and relatives. Just a note somewhere that all wireless
configuration is handled through ifconfig would have saved me some time.
Also a note to create /etc/start_if.{ifname} to put the wireless options in
would also have saved me reading through the rc scripts. I asusme that's a
general case for all interfaces, but it could bear repeating in the wireless
documentation. (when there is some...)
3. Choosing filesystem types
During setup you can create filesystems other than FreeBSD, but you are
supposed to magickally know their filesystem type numbers. The setup
documenation and the fdisk tools only tell you the filesystem numbers for
freebsd, linux and dos. An option to get a list would be nice.
Documentation of the filesystem types would be nice too. (I had to use
fdisk on a linux system to get the filesystem numbers I needed)
4. Why is xdm still listed as the way to set up X?
Okay, I'm certain that a bunch of people will respond to tell me that gnome
and kde are evil and should be destroyed, but the vast majority of people
are expecting modern graphical interfaces.
Suggestion: put a gdm configuration script there right next to the xdm
configuration. The people who love twm know what to do to make it happy.
Forcing people who aren't in love with twm and startx to hack at and make
their own gdm startup scripts doesn't make much sense.
(yes, there is an example gdm startup script, but it won't work be default
and you have to search for it, edit it, move it to the proper directory,
etc....)
5. Why doesn't the gdm package set up the gdm user?
Running gdm fails because of the lack of a gdm user. Why isn't this
handled by the package installation script?
LEFTOVER:
There's a few things I'm still hacking at and haven't solved yet. I'll
probably figure these out in the next few hours, but anyone who wants to
clue-by-four me would be appreciated.
1. How to put DHCP on the wireless card?
I still haven't figured this out. I run dhclient on the interface by hand
after every reboot and it works fine, but I'm assuming there is some
standard method of telling the system that wi0 should be a dhcp-managed, right?
2. What is interface faith0 ?
It took a ridiculous amount of searching to determine that faith0 was an
ipv4 -> ipv6 interface. And I can find nothing about how to disable it.
(and if you say compile a new kernel and make world, excuse me while I puke)
--
Joe Rhett Chief Geek
JRhett@Isite.Net Isite Services, Inc.
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