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Date:      Tue, 9 Mar 1999 08:59:22 -0500 (EST)
From:      Thomas Good <tomg@nrnet.org>
To:        Clem.Dye@wdr.com
Cc:        "FreeBSD-questions@FreeBSD.ORG" <FreeBSD-questions@FreeBSD.ORG>
Subject:   RE: Printed man pages (was: "The Complete FreeBSD", THIRD , edition: , question)
Message-ID:  <Pine.LNX.3.96.990309084112.28815B-100000@mailhost.nrnet.org>
In-Reply-To: <H00000820171125d@MHS>

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On Tue, 9 Mar 1999 Clem.Dye@wdr.com wrote:

> Unix. A 'play' with Linux was to be my way of regaining some Unix 
> expertise, but something just doesn't sit right with Linux for me. I 
> too earn a living doing NT stuff (SMS, SQL, etc. etc.) and I'd like a 
> mix. I plan to use FreeBSD as a mail/web gateway at home - if that 
> doesn't force me to get to grips with the O/S, nothing will!

Clem - 

I learned vi by having deadlines and no other editor.  ;-)
Nowadays I have pine reset (on all boxes) to run vi implicitly as
the alt editor...because I keep trying to run vi cmds in pico!
I think your strategy for learning BSD is a good one.

> Starter books for FreeBSD are probably a waste of time, but I also 
> believe that something intermediate is required. As for appealing to 
> Linux/Unix wannabes, well it's fine to use Linux as a 
> bandwagon/conduit, but if users then want to 'mature' and migrate to 

Responding to your above notion (flame bait, big guy?) I would say that
Linux sits rather well with me for some sysv stuff.  I run SQL databases
on it, as well as PROGRESS databases (under ibcs2 emulation).  I use 
BSD for mail delivery, etc.  It is my bias that Linux does a better job
with my database apps than BSD does, but they are rather close.  The
Linux ibcs2 definitely performs better for running my SCO apps...

I have tried the various Linux distributions and Slackware is the most
to my liking.  It is streamlined and Patrick will not add a package until
it is tested (well, usually ;-).  This is not the case with RedHat.
In private conversations (where a pint of bitter may loosen the tongue)
I sometimes equate RedHat with MicroSoft...obviously this is not entirely
accurate but Mr. Barnes is rather more concerned with marketing than
quality control.  At least this is the conclusion I've reached.

I would say that anybody who wants to learn standard unix can't go too
far wrong with Slackware *or* FreeBSD.  Can't comment on SuSe or Debian
although some of my most serious colleagues swear by Debian.  The only
thing about Slackware that I don't like is the unusual paths to things
like Apache conf files...  :-(

I can recommend *against* UnixWare.  Even Solaris is a better choice.
(Even minix is a better choice!)

No comment on NT.  Or whatever its called this week - is 2000 the retail
price (per seat?) or the version number??  :-)

Good luck with flattening your learning curve!
Tom
----
         North Richmond Community Mental Health Center

         Thomas Good   Information Systems Coordinator
         E-Mail:       tomg@ { admin | q8 } .nrnet.org
         Phone:        718-354-5528       
         Fax:          718-354-5056  

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