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Date:      Wed, 16 Jun 2004 19:36:13 -0700
From:      Matt Navarre <mnavarre@cox.net>
To:        Lloyd Hayes <wyoming_antelope@yahoo.com>
Cc:        freebsd-questions@freebsd.org
Subject:   Re: FreeBSD Commands
Message-ID:  <40D1039D.6040307@cox.net>
In-Reply-To: <40D08F0B.3070402@yahoo.com>
References:  <40CF4287.1060005@yahoo.com> <20040615201058.GA1116@gothmog.gr> <40CFF491.5030902@cox.net> <40D08F0B.3070402@yahoo.com>

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Lloyd Hayes wrote:

> I agree with everything you've said here. I have considered a UNIX type 
> book. In fact I have looked at 'The Complete FreeBSD' book, but I 
> believe that your version is still the current version. 
Doubtful, mine's from 1997 and came with FreeBSD 2.2.5 on CD. I'm pretty 
sure there's a newer version :)

> One thing. I 
> didn't have any idea that the line commands were much different from the 
> old CP/M commands. And what is really startling is the lack of 
> information about this to new people switching systems.

Well, CP/M and Unix are just different. I can certainly see where it 
could be disorienting though.

Here's a help site that has dos and VMS commands and their unix equivalents.
http://unixhelp.ed.ac.uk/

I'm sure there's others.
> 
> Anyway, I created a partition on my backup computer so that I could play 
> with FreeBSD and get used to it and see if I really liked it. From what 
> I had read and seen, FreeBSD had the features that I was looking for. My 
> worst case scenario is that I can't get a grip on this and stay with 
> Windows, which I really hate.... 

Understandable.

> Or I could switch to a version of 
> Linux. Time is my most expensive commodity. This is an experiment for 
> me, and is the first time that I've used a non-Microsoft system in 10 
> years. Most of the systems that I had used for the 15 years before that 
> were non-Microsoft systems. Me and William Gates have just never seen 
> eye-to-eye on software.

You'd have the same problems with the Linux command line as FreeBSD, 
since they're basically the same at the user level. And spiffy GUI or 
no, you really need the command line for most of the admin tasks you'll 
need to do, since everything is configured with text files. Spend some 
time playing around and I'll bet you're up and running faster than you 
think. The unix learning curve is famously steep, but tends to climb in 
a lot of little "plateaus" as you learn stuff.

It does take time, but I think it's worth the effort.
> 
> I just glanced at the Gateway computer. No graphics desktop yet, but I 
> do have a graphic screen saver....
> 
> Lloyd Hayes
> 
> Email: wyoming_antelope@yahoo.com
> URL: http://TalkingStaff.bravehost.com E-FAX Number: (208) 248-6590
> Web Journal: http://lloyd_hayes.bravejournal.com/
> 
> 

-- 
"We all enter this world in the same way: naked, screaming,
  and soaked in blood. But if you live your life right, that kind
  of thing doesn't have to stop there." -- Dana Gould



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