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Date:      Wed, 25 Mar 2009 03:43:17 +0100
From:      Polytropon <freebsd@edvax.de>
To:        Harold Hartley <wheelie207@gwi.net>
Cc:        freebsd-questions@freebsd.org
Subject:   Re: installing freebsd on windows
Message-ID:  <20090325034317.160b149d.freebsd@edvax.de>
In-Reply-To: <49C98507.6040905@gwi.net>
References:  <49C98507.6040905@gwi.net>

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On Tue, 24 Mar 2009 21:12:39 -0400, Harold Hartley <wheelie207@gwi.net> wrote:
> I am wondering if the freebsd team has ever thought of making freebsd to 
> install on windows like ubuntu does.

I'm not sure I do understand "install FreeBSD on 'Windows'" - what
does "on" refer to?

	a) Start an installer from within "Windows" that installs
	   FreeBSD on the system

	b) Run FreeBSD within "Windows" by means of an emulator

	c) Run FreeBSD as an application in Windows

In DOS times, there was a tool that booted Linux from within
DOS. Because things are more complicated in "Windows", I don't
think such a tool does exist - it would have to kick "Windows"
out of memory, and we know that it doesn't like that. :-)

But it's still possible to use FreeBSD without leaving "Windows".
You need an emulator. I don't know how they are called in "Windows",
but they do exist in FreeBSD as well, for example qemu. In
"Windows", there's "VMWare" that you can buy.

Using such a means of emulation, you can install FreeBSD on a
"virtual PC" and then use it as it would run on "bare metal".



> I'm just a person that can't afford more than one computer cause I live 
> in a nursing home and I would like to be able to use one computer to 
> choose what I want to boot into, such as windows or unbuntu and maybe a 
> freebsd choice.

Then you would need to install FreeBSD on this box. This is
easily be done by downloading the proper ISO from the FTP
server or FreeBSD's web page. See the excellent documentation
in the handbook (on the web page, too) to learn how this is
done.



> I do boot into ubuntu 90% of the time and enjoy it so much, but I have 
> read about freebsd and researched it fully and I wish I could be able to 
>   run freebsd as with all the apps freebsd has to offer. I would love to 
> be able to install freebsd under windows so I could choose freebsd to 
> boot into when I want.

There's no need to think so complicated. You start the computer
using the bootable CD or DVD, then install the OS (just as you
installed Ubuntu) and then instruct your boot manager to add a
new entry for FreeBSD. That's all.

I hope I'm not saying anything incorrect, but to answer your main
question: No, it's not possible to install FreeBSD in "Windows".

What you want to achieve has nothing to do with "Windows", just
ignore it.



> I hope to hear from freebsd about my request, and by the way, I'm not a 
> linux expert so I don't know everything about linux, but I'm always 
> learning.

FreeBSD's documentation (the handbook and the FAQ, to be found
on FreeBSD's web site) will help you to do so.




-- 
Polytropon
>From Magdeburg, Germany
Happy FreeBSD user since 4.0
Andra moi ennepe, Mousa, ...



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