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Date:      Fri, 19 Aug 2011 10:56:13 -0400
From:      Jerry McAllister <jerrymc@msu.edu>
To:        scott mcclellan <rockabyeinn@yahoo.com>
Cc:        "freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.org" <freebsd-questions@freebsd.org>
Subject:   Re: new to os
Message-ID:  <20110819145613.GA43263@gizmo.acns.msu.edu>
In-Reply-To: <1313705889.77615.YahooMailNeo@web45712.mail.sp1.yahoo.com>
References:  <1313705889.77615.YahooMailNeo@web45712.mail.sp1.yahoo.com>

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On Thu, Aug 18, 2011 at 03:18:09PM -0700, scott mcclellan wrote:

> I'm looking to try something different with my machine (or maybe I'm 
> going through a midlife crisis).
>  
> Currently run Wimdows (point and click), and would like to gravitate 
> back to DOS (this is a thing of the ancient past for me 30 years - on 
> a TRS-80). I know remember extremely little of OS vernacular.
>  
> Am I biting off more than I can chew, or is there a OS commands for 
> dummies out there, or does FreeBSD have such a critter that one can 
> go through.

I am not sure what you are trying to do here.   If it is to learn a
modern command line oriented system to replace all of the GUI, only 
can do what the author already thought up stuff like MS, then FreeBSD 
is a very good choice, probably the best.

If it is to really get a DOS or CPM system, then, I think there some
DOS emulators that used to work under FreeBSD, but I have never tried
them.   Some people also promote FreeDOS for this.  

> I'll pour through the FAQ and got hrough the online manuals for now. 
> But it all seems greek. Can someone point me in a diresction to 
> degreek this stuff for me.

There are some other tutorials and attempts at documentation out
on the net in various places.  Google is your friend for these.
They can help fill in some of the initial empty spaces.

Otherwise, the best thing for learning FreeBSD is to take the
FreeBSD Handbook in one hand, an install CD/DVD in another and
the keyboard in your remaining hand and do a couple of installs
on an otherwise unused machine.  Once you get a base system in
and running, try some stuff.   When you destroy it, install it
again.   You won't kill it very many times before you have a 
good handle on it and then find out it is extremely stable and
survives pretty harsh mistreatment.

Start with the latest RELEASE which is 8.2 and go from there.
Just follow the Handbook instructions and it works.

////jerry


>  
> Thanks,
>  
> Scott McClellan
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