Date: Sat, 05 Mar 2005 08:31:31 -0600 From: Laurence Sanford <lauasanf@wilderness.homeip.net> To: Chris <cjheinlein@cablespeed.com> Cc: questions@freebsd.org Subject: Re: Please help if you can Message-ID: <4229C2C3.6040801@wilderness.homeip.net> In-Reply-To: <001501c52197$14127760$6501a8c0@chris> References: <001501c52197$14127760$6501a8c0@chris>
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Chris wrote: > I would like to know if this OS platform supports your everday and ever so standard .EXE applications. Basically, I am wondering if FreeBSD is compatible to all of the endless softwares out there that "require" you to be using a certain version of Microsoft Windows? > > FreeBSD does not have native support for "windows" software. You might try an emulator or something such as wine to run some programs that you run under Windows. Depending on what you are doing though, there are very few Windows programs you will need on FreeBSD. You will find that the free software world has filled most of the needs of the average user with free software that runs fine on unix type systems. >What I am hoping to gain out of using FreeBSD is first and foremost, rid of Windows for good. I have used Window for quite so many years now and have seen it fall more and more as more and more new versions came out. I'm finally fed up with it. But I'm afraid of one thing... that I won't have the capabilities with a Linux based OS that I did with Windows. Unfortunately, Microsoft is pretty much a monopoly, we all know that, and they pride themselves on forcing others out of business, but once again, there's the compatibility issue that I'm worried about. > > Like I said above, just because the only software you see on the shelf in a store runs under windows, doesn't mean that's the only software out there that does what that software does. >If you could assist me in any way to my question, I would greatly appreciate it and try FreeBSD out immediately. I sent an inquiry about another Linux based OS, and recieved a reply of "we're going to be releasing a new version in the next few months, I'll hold on to this email and answer your questions upon release". I really hope I do not get this kind of response from you. I have read the background of the FreeBSD world, and greatly respect you, most of all for providing this for free instead of charging an arm and a leg for the OS per machine. > >That's pretty much all I use as far as hardware goes, and really the only things I wish to gain confirmation on being supported. I wouldn't think of boring you with the endless amounts of software that I use, cause I can figure that out on my own later. I just want to make sure that I can actually use the OS before I install it and possibly end up with time and cd's wasted. The only reason I say this is due to several other "free" versions of Linux based OS's. > > > Be aware that FreeBSD is *not* a Linux based OS. This is a completely different bird. I think what you would find most helpful, is posting a list of software you use, or what functionality you need, and people will be happy to recommend programs that *will* run on FreeBSD that do what you need.
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