Date: Sun, 11 Nov 2001 16:00:18 -0600 From: Mike Meyer <mwm@mired.org> To: James Buchanan <gnudev@ozemail.com.au> Cc: questions@freebsd.org Subject: Re: Software on FreeBSD Message-ID: <15342.62706.352203.217211@guru.mired.org> In-Reply-To: <33077534@toto.iv>
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James Buchanan <gnudev@ozemail.com.au> types: > I was wondering if FreeBSD has an installer program that can detect hardware. > Also, does FreeBSD come with the tools that Linux distributions do, for example: > GCC (C, C++, Java, Fortran), glibc, libstdc++, libpthreads, autoconf, automake, > make, sed, awk, perl, bash, texinfo, lout, latex, ghostscript, ghostview, flex, > bison, and other GNU tools? Is there an easy to use setup program for X? What > desktops come with FreeBSD, like Gnome or KDE? The tools are sort of mixed. The C compiler is GNU's, so you get C/C++ and Fortran you know. I don't believe any of the gnu libraries are used, but can't be sure. Make is distinctly different, but awk and perl are what you wo8uld expect. The rest are in the ports tree, and trivial to install. One of the goals of FreeBSD is that it's possible to build a system that can be distributed without having to comply with the GPL. So GNU tools are only used if there are no acceptable alternatives available with less restrictive licenses. > I'm a little worried about changing OSes since UNIX especially seems to be > pretty hard to use (I mean, for me non-logical names for things, like TTYs. An > ancient UNIX hang over). If you're used to Linux, it's not hard to get used to Unix. > Is FreeBSD at least as user-friendly as a good Linux distribution like RedHat? Depends on what you mean by that. If it's "It'll work without me having to learn anything", the answer is no. If you mean "I can make it do what I want if I'm willing to invest a little time reading the docs", then yes. > Does the manual in the boxed sets tell how to setup a modem and make a dialup > connection to an ISP, and how to connect and disconnect? The handbook describes that, and is included in the distribution. Some of the books also cover that, including the handbook. > Lastly, since FreeBSD seems to be internet oriented, it has mail programs and a > browser right? Oh, and emacs? It has a bundled mail program. Various browsers (I have at least five installed) and emacs are in the ports tree. I mentioned the ports tree a number of time. The BSD ports system is FM. Most - if not all - of the things you asked about are built and available pre-compiled on the 4-disk distribution. Those that aren't can either be fetched like rpm's, or built from the sources if you'd rather do that. The ports tree is a collection of makefiles & patches that are use the developers distribution to create the package, or you can just install it if you wish. <mike -- Mike Meyer <mwm@mired.org> http://www.mired.org/home/mwm/ Q: How do you make the gods laugh? A: Tell them your plans. To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org with "unsubscribe freebsd-questions" in the body of the message
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