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Date:      Sat, 8 Jan 2000 21:59:43 -0600 (CST)
From:      Ryan Thompson <freebsd@sasknow.com>
To:        Josh Welborn <freak_on_leash_14@hotmail.com>
Cc:        freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG
Subject:   FreeBSD/Windows interchangeability [Was Re:  ] 
Message-ID:  <Pine.BSF.4.10.10001082148390.90364-100000@sasknow.com>
In-Reply-To: <20000109033108.89640.qmail@hotmail.com>

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On Sat, 8 Jan 2000, Josh Welborn wrote:

>   Can you have freebsd and windows on the same computer at the same time?  

Perhaps not in the way that you would like.  You can NOT, strictly
speaking, use both operating systems at the same time.  You CAN, however,
have them both installed on your computer.  When your system is running,
though, you must use EITHER Windows or FreeBSD.  This is the same story
with ANY two distinct operating systems. *

* - Yes, it IS sometimes technically possible to imbed one operating
system in another (in some cases, with emulation)... Read below.


> How?

Short answer:  Dual booting.  Basically, you need to allocate a hard disk
drive, or a fixed portion of a hard disk drive, with use of a partition
manager, which FreeBSD will reside in.  Then, when you cold start or
reboot your system, you will be able to choose which operating system you
wish to boot into--Windows or FreeBSD.  Details on this can be found in
the FreeBSD handbook, and install guide, found somewhere on
http://www.freebsd.org/.  Also look at INSTALL.TXT, found with any FreeBSD
distribution.


>   Can you run the same programs that you have on windows on freebsd?

Generally speaking, the answer is NO.  Windows and Unix use differing
binary formats, have differing system-level functions, and, generally, are
two differing universes of existence :-)  In FreeBSD, there ARE ports (3rd
party programs) available, such as WinE, that will allow you to (with
limited success) emulate enough of Windows to be able to run simple
Windows programs. (Though, as a long thread from a few weeks ago would
suggest, even getting something as simple as Solitare to run is not always
easy :-)



--
  Ryan Thompson <ryan@sasknow.com>
  50% Owner, Technical and Accounts
  Phone: +1 (306) 664-1161

  SaskNow Technologies     http://www.sasknow.com
  #106-380 3120 8th St E   Saskatoon, SK  S7H 0W2





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