Re: Free operating system for home pc

2003-09-20 Thread Jerry McAllister

> 
> Jerry McAllister wrote:
> 
> >>I would  like to find an open source operating 
> >>system to use for a personal computer. I have "WindowsXP" now, but I 
> >>feel I'd be at home with something at least a little in tune with my 
> >>personal philosophy, which "microsoft" is not.. Can anybody tell me if 
> >>there are any free open source versions available ?  The computer I use 
> >>is a simple e-machine with a celeron processor (1.4ghz).
> >>
> >>
> >
> >You have come to the right place.
> >Go to the FreeBSD web page and start learning.
> >  http://www.freebsd.org/
> >
> >Starting on that web page there is a huge amount of material
> >linked to tell you how to get started, download free installation ISOs, 
> >do the installations and configurations, add ports of useful additional
> >utilities and manage the system.   
> >
> >It will take some time and effort to get over the initial hump
> >learning the basics, but you will find that it is worth it in
> >the long run. 
> >
> >Have fun,
> >
> >jerry
> >
> >>Thank you,
> >>   
> >>   
> >>Frank
> >> 
> 
>   
> Jerry
> Thanks for all the useful info. I'm going check it out 
> now. Can you tell me though, would this mean my windows OS will be 
> replaced, or is it possible to segregate the two operating systems and 
> switch between them ( if I have the hard disc space)? I think I'd prefer 
> something else anyway, but I'm concerned about losing some gaming 
> options with games that might not work on a new platform.

There is a whole section in the handbook and many other pieces of
documentation and comentary on "dual booting" a machine with
FreeBSD.   I use a a couple of machines with some Microsloth Windows
thing along with FreeBSD.   You will probably have to also get a
utility to move the MSwin slice around to make room on the disk
for FreeBSD unless you happen to be lucky and have another bootable
disk avilable to house the FreeBSD.   Then the MS disk only needs to 
know how to boot either and FreeBSd has a MBR (Master Boot Record) 
that can be plugged in on the MS disk to do it without harming MS.

So, have fun,

Read a lot,
ALso, by the way,  besides the handbook and other documentation (man pages, 
howtos, tutorials, Email list archives on the FreeBSD web site or linked by 
it, there is a lot of stuff available by Google and other search engines.
Almost every problem you will have has been had by someone else already
and commented on and discussed voluminously in some online forum.
So, as you get going, make good use of searches.

jerry

> 
>  
>   
> Thanks,
> 
> Frank
> 
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >
> >
> >
> >  
> >
> 
> 
> 


--825E216A4B3.1064099734/hub.freebsd.org--

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Re: Free operating system for home pc

2003-09-20 Thread Jerry McAllister
> 
> 
> I would  like to find an open source operating 
> system to use for a personal computer. I have "WindowsXP" now, but I 
> feel I'd be at home with something at least a little in tune with my 
> personal philosophy, which "microsoft" is not.. Can anybody tell me if 
> there are any free open source versions available ?  The computer I use 
> is a simple e-machine with a celeron processor (1.4ghz).

You have come to the right place.
Go to the FreeBSD web page and start learning.
  http://www.freebsd.org/

Starting on that web page there is a huge amount of material
linked to tell you how to get started, download free installation ISOs, 
do the installations and configurations, add ports of useful additional
utilities and manage the system.   

Start with everything under Documentation, then go to the
Software section and then installation guides and release notes.
At least skim everything so you have a good idea - it is too much 
to read in detail all at once.  Then get the latest production
release (currently 4.8 - soon to be 4.9 == skip the development
release - 5.x for now until you are well versed) and install it.
You will learn more by just doing it than all the reading, except
you have to do some reading before you start.  

You can either buy a CD set for the nominal production cost or
download the ISO for free and burn your own CD.  In that case
unless your net connection is really slow, just download the mini-ISO
and then do the install over the net.   Download the whole ports
tree with it (that is just the structure, not all the source for 
the ports - the ports sources download when you building them)..  

The initial basic install is pretty easy.  Most people get hung
up in adding extras to their system.  There are enough possibilities
and variations to boggle the mind.

It will take some time and effort to get over the initial hump
learning the basics, but you will find that it is worth it in
the long run. 

Have fun,

jerry

>  
>  
> Thank you,
>  
> 
> Frank
>  
> 
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Re: Free operating system for home pc

2003-09-20 Thread Vulpes Velox
On Sat, 20 Sep 2003 18:13:51 -0400
sunghero <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:

> 
> I would  like to find an open source operating 
> system to use for a personal computer. I have "WindowsXP" now, but I 
> feel I'd be at home with something at least a little in tune with my 
> personal philosophy, which "microsoft" is not.. Can anybody tell me if 
> there are any free open source versions available ?  The computer I use 
> is a simple e-machine with a celeron processor (1.4ghz).

Yeah, FreeBSD is both open source and free. It works rather nicely as a desktop
OS. If you are thinking of trying it, I strongly suggest reading the manual and
finding a few unix tutorials.
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