Date: Tue, 3 Aug 1999 09:46:14 +0100 From: "Peter McGarvey" <Networks.Manager@rncm.ac.uk> To: "Paul Anderson" <paul@geeky1.ebtech.net> Cc: "David Kudrav" <dkudrav@eng.ua.edu>, <freebsd-newbies@FreeBSD.ORG>, <kudra001@bama.ua.edu> Subject: RE: basic info on freebsd needed... Message-ID: <NDBBJLAJELEHNLGABIJNEEPFCBAA.Networks.Manager@rncm.ac.uk> In-Reply-To: <Pine.LNX.3.96.990802121116.369s-100000@geeky1.ebtech.net>
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> > IMHO FreeBSD is definately the better OS, and is much easier to
> > install.
> >
> The big problem I had with FreeBSD is that very little documentation comes
> with it on the CD. So, as a result I had the exact opposite experience
> you did. I found that the system was essentially undocumented(IME, the
> FreeBSD Handbook only briefly glazes over each of it's topics and has very
> little detailed documentation), and very much different from what I was
> used to. It took a remarkable amount of struggle just to get syslogd to
> spew log messages to one of the tty's, I still have no idea why the line
> wouldn't work at the bottom of syslogd.conf and would work at the top.
>
> IMHO, FreeBSD could sure use some better documentation. It took me days
> just to figure out that the device for the NE2000 ether card is ed0 - not
> a whisp of a clue in the docs. TTYL!
Okay, I have two modes of operation. At work I'm online with a nice ATM
connection to my LAN. At home I'm totally of offline.
In work mode I've found I have a mine of information about FreeBSD and
Linux. Linux definately has more docs. However, on a couple of occasions
I've found something that appears to be useful but turns out useless because
it skims right over what I'm having problems with. With FreeBSD I usally
find my answers fairly quickly by searching the Mailing List so I seldom go
looking for prober doc. On the whole I've found both FreeBSD and Linux have
enough online resources to keep me going.
In home mode the picture is somewhat different. Like I said I'm totally
off-line so I usually have to resort to books. When I actually purchased my
first copy of FreeBSD I also got a book - The Complete FreeBSD by Greg
Lehey. When I purchased my copy of RedHat it came with 2 books. However,
the FreeBSD book is actually useful - it's over a year old now but I still
use it all the time. The RedHat books were useful for about 2 days.
I suppose I could always buy another Linux book but I Linux is already the
expensive choice:
FreeBSD with Book £28.00
RedHat with Books £40.00
TTFN, FNORD
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Peter McGarvey, Networks Manager | email: Networks.Manager@rncm.ac.uk
Royal Northern College of Music | tel: +44 (0)161 907 5218
124 Oxford Road, Manchester, | fax: +44 (0)161 273 7611
England M13 9RD | mobile: +44 (0)7887 990564
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