Date: Sat, 28 Jan 2006 12:27:07 -0500 From: Byron Campbell <wa4geg@surfbest.net> To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Subject: A strategic question Message-ID: <200601281227.08099.wa4geg@surfbest.net>
next in thread | raw e-mail | index | archive | help
> This posting doesn't contain a technical question about FreeBSD, rather a > strategic one. >=20 > Some time ago, I wanted to migrate to a Unix environment, because I wanted > to have a secure, stable, convenient and efficient environment for > developing and running programs, no longer having to buy a new PC with a = new > OS and applications software every 3 years to support Bill Gates' only go= al > (becoming and remaining the richest man of the USA). At the end of the 20= th > century, it took us only a few years to have to upgrade from Win 95 to Win > 95SE, to Win 98, to Win 98SE, and to Win ME, only to remain with a poor O= S. > Now, when reinstalling my version of Windows XP, it takes me more time to > download and install the SP2 than to install Windows XP. I wonder how peo= ple > with a low-bandwidth Internet connection do to download the SP2 for Windo= ws > XP. >=20 > I downloaded Solaris 10 and a lot of documentation about it, then install= ed > Solaris 10. As opposed to Linux and free BSD implementations of UNIX, > Solaris looks like a professionally developed operating system. It seems = to > be1 a very advanced operating system. However, I soon realized that, when > one wants a yacht, it is not a good idea to acquire the Queen Mary II, ju= st > as it costs too much time to acquire a hotel to have a cup of coffee. >=20 > Then I downloaded what I thought being one of the best Linux distribution= s, > Suse Linux. I tried to install it, but the system got locked up by someth= ing > so stupid as my nVidia modem. Together with the heterogeneous quality of > Linux components, and not at all liking Linus Torvald's arrogance, I deci= ded > to abandon Linux. >=20 > I came to FreeBSD, with the idea that it had a more homogeneous quality > development model, downloaded the FreeBSD 6.0 boot CD and CD 1 and 2, and > installed it on my PC, following the handbook. >=20 > I knew UNIX is a toolkit intended to IT knowledge people, so it will never > perform a breakthrough to the average desktop user. But my disappointment > with FreeBSD was great. >=20 > In fact, to install FreeBSD, one needs already a lot of knowledge about t= he > system. To acquire that knowledge, one needs experience on an installed > system. But to have an installed system, one needs already a lot of > knowledge about the system. That's the problem. I too, coming from a M$ Windows Desktop environment, found the learning cur= ve=20 for Unix to be a straight vertical line. But I was tired of fighting worms,= =20 viruses and etc. and decided to invest in leaning Unix. And it didn't hurt= =20 matters reading somewhere that FreeBSD is the base for Mac OS-X. If it is=20 secure enough for OS-X, it is plenty secure enough for my desktop workstati= on=20 needs. >=20 > The handbook doesn't tell you that, at the "last chance" message, you have > to take out the boot CD and to insert CD 1. But if you don't do so, nothi= ng > gets installed. If you have CD1 you do not need the boot CD. Boot and install from CD1. The= n=20 CD2 will be called for during package_add as needed for the installation of= =20 user selected packages, that is, for those packages not residing on CD1.=20 There is more than one way to do anything. And I've managed to not have to = use=20 a CLI editor ever (FreeBSD 4.x to 6.0) Although I do plan to learn vi. That= 's=20 the beauty of FreeBSD. There are many paths and one can learn at ones own=20 pace. For me this means getting the FreeBSD workstation PC up and going fir= st=20 and foremost so I can get some work done.=20 To do this I choose from the install menu "All system sources, binaries, do= cs=20 and X window system". Once that is done and the user and root accounts are= =20 set up, making sure that the one standard user is a member of groups "wheel= "=20 and "operator", exit the install process which reboots the system. Then I=20 test that I log in as both user and root. All being well I proceed with the= =20 installation of KDE desktop. I like to use KDE's GUI editor KATE for doing= =20 the final system configuration, i.e. to set up ppp, devfs, fstab, configure= =20 the firewall and etc. And for my office needs, KDE (KOffice) has all the=20 apps. I need which keeps me M$ free. Other FreeBSD enthusiast will have their own individual approach. > I tried to setup an X Window environment (nVidia Geforce video adapter), = but > the horizontal and vertical refresh rates of the manufacturer didn't work= , I > had to experiment to find out the one X likes. Then I could startup X, on= ly > to not having configured at all my German keyboard. Keep in mind that the vertical refresh rate and horizontal scan rate to use= =20 are not those specifications of the video adapter, but rather those of your= =20 monitor.=20 >=20 > I tried to install emacs during installation, but it didn't succeed. > Returning to the post-installation tasks after having installed the system > resulted in a successfull installation of emacs (working only after a sys= tem > reboot). I have had similar difficulties in installing packages from the CD during t= he=20 main system installation. So these days I first install "All system sources= ,=20 binaries, docs and X window system". Then test that I can log in as root a= nd=20 user, then go back into the install to get the applications I want. >=20 > I could go on for hours with this kind of troubles. But now comes the > strategic question. >=20 > Why is it that FreeBSD people, who seem to be perfectly able to formulate > correct algorithms for implementing UNIX concepts, and translating them i= nto > code, don't care at all about a novice user, providing him with an > installation program that doesn't work as it should, even without a GUI? I too found that the installation process takes some know-how. But it is=20 getting better. Years ago as a newbie my first attempts to install (FreeBSD= =20 4.x) took several tries to get it right. To get a workstation up quickly, I= =20 found Greg Lehey's book (The Complete FreeBSD, 4th ed.) a super resource.=20 >=20 > I know UNIX is all about solving problems, but is it really interesting to > make it apparently deliberatly so difficult for a newcomer? Is it really = the > policy of those guys to make the entry level to UNIX difficult, only to > avoid a breakthrough of UNIX (FreeBSD) to the desktop users? I remember when learning how to ride a bicycle seemed deliberately difficul= t.=20 But once you learn,..... =46rom what I understand, there is a group concentrating on making FreeBSD= =20 easier for beginners. It may well be worth a look if you haven't tried it: http://www.pcbsd.com/ Best regards, Byron - WA4GEG
Want to link to this message? Use this URL: <https://mail-archive.FreeBSD.org/cgi/mid.cgi?200601281227.08099.wa4geg>