Date: Fri, 27 Jul 2001 16:58:17 -0400 From: "Andrew C. Hornback" <achornback@worldnet.att.net> To: <the_philologus@excite.com>, <questions@freebsd.org> Subject: RE: Applixware 5.0 installation Message-ID: <003b01c116de$dc48e4c0$0e00000a@tomcat> In-Reply-To: <12435384.996181770164.JavaMail.imail@seamore.excite.com>
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> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG
> [mailto:owner-freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG]On Behalf Of
> the_philologus@excite.com
> Sent: Thursday, July 26, 2001 5:09 PM
> To: questions@freebsd.org
> Subject: Applixware 5.0 installation
>
> I've purchased a copy of the "Desktop Edition" of FreeBSD and wish to
> register it, esp. since I need questions answered about the
> installation of
> Applixware 5.0 that came with the package. On the CDs it says that
> "technical support" should be addressed here.
Perhaps you might have done better to pick up a copy of "The Complete
FreeBSD" or "The FreeBSD Handbook" along with your purchase. I gather from
the rest of the text of your original e-mail that you are not a seasoned
FreeBSD user, and either of these tomes are worth their weight in gold when
trying to overcome the "steep" learning curve.
> As I am new to Unix-systems in general as well as FreeBSD, the learning
> curve is steep and I have found the online help pages generally only a
> little bit helpful. They presume WAY TOO MUCH knowledge on the part of
> non-Unix users.
How so? I think one of the main things you're dealing with here is the
fact that Microsoft has "spoon fed" the computing public for so long with
their products.
Also, again, I would recommend the purchase of either of the aforementioned
books in order to help ease your journey into the wonderful environment that
FreeBSD can provide.
> Basic stuff is missing or, if present, presented in the
> least straightforward form. For example, it took me 3 days of looking to
> figure out (not "find", "figure out") what the FreeBSD command to mount a
> CD-ROM is. (Unix reference books sometimes give Unix commands with some of
> their Linux counterparts, but no FreeBSD commands.)
Okay, when you installed FreeBSD, you should have installed the "man pages"
along with your distribution. When you find the Linux command, executing a
"man command" on that command in FreeBSD will show you what you need in
order to successfully use that command on this platform.
Is that really that difficult?
> Windows users, if they
> come, will be bringing their files with them. Guess what? Accessing
> ("mounting" and reading) their old DOS-based files is going to be
> of utmost
> importance to them. This isn't even nearly adequately enough covered
> online. (Yes, I already have checked out quite a number of the links you
> give at your site. They do half a job, at best.) Exact syntax
> and EXAMPLES
> need to be given, not just some general statement of given commands. The
> "man pages" don't cut it.
Exact syntax, eh? Well, let's see... in order to do that, every machine in
existance would have to have the same slice/partition naming scheme. Sounds
kind of Orwellian, wouldn't you say?
The fact that there are no cookbook recipes on how to do things is what
makes FreeBSD a better operating system. It requires the operator to think,
and understand. Again, from reading this, you're looking for FreeBSD to
just hand you everything on a silver platter. This doesn't happen in Unix,
period. You must know what you're doing instead of mindlessly following a
set of instructions. I believe someone once said that Unix gives the
operator of a system enough rope to hang themselves, and the ability to do
it without warning, but also the ability to use that rope in so many
different ways.
> Now to my question: I wanted to mount the CD with Applixware Office suite
> to get to the readme.txt file for installation instructions.
> After finally
> finding the command and figuring out the syntax, I performed the operation
> successfully just today for the first time. However, when I went to read
> the "readme.txt" file all I got by issuing the view command was a bunch of
> squiggles (As I said, I'm new to Unix.) So, how do I actually
> READ the text
> of the readme.txt file? (Also is it online somewhere so that I can just
> read it through a regular Web browser?)
Have you tried a combination of the cat and more commands? Or perhaps
loading it in an editor such as vi, ed or pico? Putting it into an editor
can make it easier to read.
> As a consequence I have been unable to install the Applixware suite that I
> specifically bought this version of FreeBSD for. So, can you
> refer me to a
> quick command procedure for installing the FreeBSD version of Applixware
> 5.0?
You should direct that question to Applixware. This is for FreeBSD
support, not Applixware support. Someone on the list might have an
experience in this area and be willing to help you with this matter, but
this is generally not covered here.
> The Linux version gives the install command right on the CD: "mount
> -ro t iso9660 /dev/cdrom /mnt/cdrom /mnt/cdrom/install"
Mounting a CD is installing it? No... that is the command that they use
simply to mount the CD itself, and it looks quite cumbersome compared to the
way to perform this function under FreeBSD.
> May I suggest a similar placement of the corresponding appropriate command
> on future pressings of the FreeBSD versions?
And where would you like it to be placed?
> It makes life so much easier
> for us nontechies.
In regards to this, I once again point you to "The Complete FreeBSD" and
"The FreeBSD Handbook" for more information with regards to your issues with
the learning curve involved with FreeBSD.
> May I make a further suggestion for easing consumers'
> installation woes? The Linux version of Applixware has an installation
> guide. Why not take that guide and substitute the appropriate
> instructions
> and commands for FreeBSD? Since the instructions take up all of two small
> pages, it could probably be done in a couple of hours by a knowledgeable
> engineer or FreeBSD user on the project.
This may already be in the works by someone else. Or, there is perhaps a
tutorial out there on possibly BSDToday or DaemonNews to handle this. Have
you looked for something similar?
> For my $100, I should have gotten something like that in writing.
$100 for an entire Office Suite and OS? And Microsoft is getting how much
for their latest offerings? Last I looked, Office XP was running close to
$500, not to mention the OS. And then there are the associated headaches
with running anything Microsoft.
> I'm pulling for the Unix systems on the desktop, but they have such a
> loooong way to go before average users can replace their Windows
> stuff with
> them.
Unix for the masses! Unix for the masses! Problem is, have you ever
worked with "the masses"?
> Most home users WOULDN'T have spent the three nights I
> have trying to
> figure how to get the system to read a CD-ROM.
There are a lot more people than you think that are willing to do this.
> Nor should they have to.
It's all a matter of knowing where to find the information, and knowing
what you are looking for.
> They'd just give up and say, "To hell with it. I'll just stay a
> Microserf.
> Bill is good. Good is Bill."
When Microsoft starts their new licensing shenanigans, you're going to see
a lot of people willing to distance themselves from that company, no matter
the learning curve.
> I do like that FreeBSD autodetected my new ViewSonic A70f "perfect flat
> screen" monitor and without my even having to re-configure X (while SuSE
> Linux 7.0 doesn't seem to be able to do this and it looks as
> though I'm not
> going to be able to install it on the same computer).
If you are dedicated to learning FreeBSD, why would you even install Linux
on the same machine? Take away the crutches and you won't need them after a
while.
> Thank you for your help and please send me the information I need to
> register the product.
That is not our department, you will have to speak with the folks at
Applixware about registering their product. FreeBSD has no required
registration, but it is optional on the freebsd.org website.
--- Andy
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