Date: Thu, 6 Aug 2009 14:56:41 -0700 (PDT) From: James Phillips <anti_spam256@yahoo.ca> To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Subject: Re: FreeBSD for the common man(or woman) (was: > upgrade 7.2 Message-ID: <182370.92452.qm@web65511.mail.ac4.yahoo.com> In-Reply-To: <20090806120011.8528A106567E@hub.freebsd.org>
next in thread | previous in thread | raw e-mail | index | archive | help
=0A=0A--- On Thu, 8/6/09, freebsd-questions-request@freebsd.org <freebsd-qu=
estions-request@freebsd.org> wrote:=0A=0A=0A> =0A> Message: 16=0A> Date: Th=
u, 6 Aug 2009 06:41:12 -0500=0A> From: Neal Hogan <nealhogan@gmail.com>=0A>=
Subject: Re: FreeBSD for the common man(or woman) (was:=0A> upgrade 7.2=0A=
> =A0=A0=A0 overwrites partitions)=0A> To: Mark Stapper <stark@mapper.nl>=
=0A> Cc: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org=0A> Message-ID:=0A> =A0=A0=A0 <ab7b4=
9bc0908060441s7aa4bdg6e919655165a9551@mail.gmail.com>=0A> Content-Type: tex=
t/plain; charset=3DISO-8859-1=0A> =0A> =0A> I must say that I find this (ne=
w) thread a bit funny since=0A> it was=0A> inspired by a guy (the OP) who h=
as been using fBSD for many=0A> years=0A> (over 5 . . . I can't remember th=
e exact number).=0A> =0A=0AI have been struggling to use FreeBSD for a shor=
ter amount of time (for a fileserver). I was originally attracted to OpenBS=
D "for security." However, OpenBSD users are expected to compile all patche=
s from source. Since I wasn't planning on doing code-reviews myself, I saw =
little benefit in using extra disk space and compile time when binaries wou=
ld do.=0A=0AI was also attracted to BSD because I knew from my brief stint =
at university that the BSD man-pages were actually kept up to date. Not lik=
e the GNU system where man pages say stupid things like:=0A"The full docume=
ntation for dd is maintained as a Texinfo manual. If the info and dd p=
rograms are properly installed at your site, the command:=0A=0A =
info dd=0A=0A should give you access to the complete manual.=0A=
=0Add (coreutils) 5.97 January 2007 DD(1)"=0A=0AI actually saw =
text once (years ago) that basicly said:=0A"If we receive complaints about =
the quality of the man pages, they will be removed"=0AI have tried to use i=
nfo. I don't have time to go through the info tutorial every time I want to=
use a new command (think emacs-like hyperlinking/scripting, vi-like keybin=
dings)=0A=0AAnyway, Initially, I wanted to set up a "File and everything el=
se" server. I don't know exactly when I installed FreeBSD 5.x, but I copied=
my files of over to it March 14, 2006. I know this because I lost data: th=
e file creation times.=0A=0AFollowing the FreeBSD Handbook, I got stuck on =
trying to get the printer to work. The handbook was basicly instructing me =
to write my own print driver! I checked the HP website: they will release t=
he details of the PCL language (version 4 or so) for a price. I finally got=
it working by installing the Apsfiler package in the ports collection (no,=
did not send the post-card yet; the print server is not functional yet.)=
=0A=0AAfter basicly using the server for my own use via ssh and FTP for a w=
hile, I decided to try to get samba and NFS working. This time, I narrowed =
the scope: Fileserving (SAMBA, NFS), Printing, and working backups. Novembe=
r 18, 2007, I started my FreeBSD 6.2 installation. This time I kept notes d=
etailing what I had to do to configure each portion of the system. Looking =
up commands I may need if things go wrong ahead of time.=0A=0AInitially, I =
was struggling with a chicken&egg problem with back ups: I wanted to borrow=
a client computer's DVD drive. However, I wanted to backup the client comp=
uters to the server. It was resolved by putting a DVD burner in the server.=
I also made made few tweaks of the system to better follow the Filesystem =
Hierarchy Standard (such as symlinking /usr/local/etc to /etc/opt).=0A=0AI =
set up samba in read-only mode with little trouble. I'm not sure if I can e=
ver get read/write + user-level security working with win98. That machine i=
s slowly degrading while I try to get the fileserver working the way I want=
. The last time I did a complete re-install (of win98) I lost data due to a=
damaged disk that I copied the data to (and learned that bzip2recover is a=
quick hack that needs to be re-written properly according to the source co=
de). I hope to replace windows with wine for the most part, but wine simply=
installs the applications in the users' home directory (breaking the FHS).=
This is only resolvable IMHO by having wine use a real database back-end f=
or the registry (allowing user-level "views" of the data, while still isola=
ting different users).=0A=0ASetting up NFS was a lesson in the intecracies =
of NIS twice since my Linux clients do things a little differently. After a=
sking on one of the IRC channels that we are not advised to use; I edited t=
he /var/yp/Makefile to suppress groups outside the range of (1001 -2000). T=
hat basicly prevents the "special" groups from being exported to the Linux =
clients (that use different numbering) To do this, I DID need the gory low-=
level details in the handbook. I didn't note the exact date, but I really d=
idn't touch the server for months after that. I copied my work to the Linux=
client because the hard-disk was failing, and I still did not get DVD-burn=
ing working.=0A=0AAt one point when doing a Google search for "fxp" I came =
across this message:=0Ahttp://unix.derkeiler.com/Mailing-Lists/FreeBSD/curr=
ent/2008-10/msg00340.html=0ACall for testers: fxp(4) WOL <- My card!=0AAt =
that point, I decided to install the FreeBSD testing release (7.x). I had b=
een felling guilt about leaving a barely-used computer running 24/7. Especi=
ally since I wasn't going to trust it with my work aging until I do a succe=
ssful backup/restore.=0A=0AI finally installed FreeBSD 7.2 (release) on May=
9, 2009. However, I now note some feature creep:=0AIn addition to file/pri=
nt and backup server, I want to:=0A1. Have it sleep when not in use (part o=
f the delay was figuring out how to get the router to send the magic packet=
. I read RFC's to determine the proper way, and found a "hack" that will wo=
rk on my floppy-based router for my network set-up (send it every DHCP leas=
e). =0AProper way:=0Ahttp://www.freesco.org/support-forum/viewtopic.php?f=
=3D15&t=3D17194=0A(proposal only; rejected due to space constraints)=0A2. I=
think I want to move the Voice/Fax/Modem to the machine. Recently I realis=
ed a lack of WakeOnRing may impair phone answering if machine is sleeping.=
=0A3. I still hope to do "other things" once the machine is working reliabl=
y.=0A=0A=0ASo, this long story boils down to the following question:=0A=0AW=
hat is that best way to use the handbook and related documentation (like ma=
n-pages)?=0A=0AI am willing to do some reading, but get distracted by irrel=
evant or sometimes too low-level stuff. I want to avoid programing as much =
as possible until I actually have a work-station I am comfortable playing a=
round with. Thinking about it in the week before posting this, I think that=
part of my problem is I want to use the documentation to do the "right thi=
ng" rather than experiment. Once I move the family's files onto the server,=
it becomes essential. I won't be able to have it out of commission for wee=
ks at a time. I hope with the server properly set up, win98 may even be usa=
ble again: just do a clean install every morning! I even downloaded the Win=
dows 7 RC so that I can be informed when I say it sucks.=0A=0A=0ARegards,=
=0A=0AJames Phillips=0A=0APS: I find it a little annoying that FreeBSD rele=
ases faster than I can configure my computer! ;)=0A=0A=0A=0A=0A ______=
____________________________________________________________=0ALooking for =
the perfect gift? Give the gift of Flickr! =0A=0Ahttp://www.flickr.com/gift=
/
Want to link to this message? Use this URL: <https://mail-archive.FreeBSD.org/cgi/mid.cgi?182370.92452.qm>