FreeBSD, Linux and any other os beside Microsoft

[Andy K]

Hiya Ajax Munroe 

Seems that you don't have a lot of patience :) 

I never made a bootable CD - I just downloaded the .iso images and went
nuts. Sure it took a little getting used to, I also come from a windows
environment and am stuck in one everyday at work.BSD is for everyone,
it's just that Bill has taken away our opportunity to learn what we are
doing. Should you persevere with BSD, you will find that windows is
purely a display manager not a true computer - FreeBSD is both. It also
has the ability to do a great deal more than give a pretty desktop to
play games on. Have a mess around with some of the command line stuff
(yeah it seems boring at first, when you get the hang of it, it feels
like a real accomplishment) that gear is hardcore and FAST. Don't get me
wrong, if you prefer windows, well... each to their own. I too had quite
some trouble setting up BSD for the first time, but now I am very glad I
went through it all, I too though I was 'computer literate' till I tried
BSD, now I feel like a total newbie.BTW - I believe that windows would
be a mad OS is Bill would make it open source. Also, If you get to X,
try QVFM, LOL - you will really feel at home :)Check it out at
www.qvwm.org. 
Another biggie for FreeBSD is the ports collection - being from windows
you haven't seen anything like this before. Ports rawk. They are my
personal favourite feature with FreeBSD, which outlines my next point -
cost. 
When the previous sysadmin here (yep previous, installing FreeBSD gave
me the skills needed to take over, as I mentioned earlier, I  thought
that I was quite handy with a PC, FreeBSD humbled my opinion of myself)
told management that a firewall was going to cost in excess of ten
thousand dollars plus tax, they hit the roof, as we had already wasted
around $50K on M$ software. Enter FreeBSD. 1K later (including all parts
and labour) not only did we have a firewall that our ISP couldn't find
(they actually rang and asked what was going on, usage was happening,
but there was no host, I love blackholes!)That's how I became the new
sysadmin. And he was a LINUX man ! meh. Now we have saved a fortune -
BSD is compatible with M$ and makes a great file server with SAMBA as
the interface.We also save money as we now host our own webpage (thanks
Apache), mail (thanks Postfix), firewall (thanks Squid)and caching,
which is steadilly cutting down our bill each month. The server will
cache all our windows updates, virus updates etc. etc. 
You also mention partitions. What's hard about that - incidentally it is
documented in the handbook. Had you put that on questions whilst
installing, I'll bet you received a lot of email with RTFM in them. I
have done windows partitions (it is easy, but you still have to do the
work, you will also see that the FreeBSD partition system is set in such
a way so that any user may totally crash their OS, yet you can still log
in as root, repair the problem and return to work. Windows would require
a full reinstall.Not sure if you realise it, but windows is full of crap
you will never use, with BSD you pick what you want and how you want it
to work. Much more efficient, and much faster. 
Viruses - what ?????. BSD doesn't recognise em.Go nuts MS Blaster. You
can't hurt me :) 
The install difficulties are just a learning curve (remember the first
time you switched windows on? Seemed a little alien, K it's running, now
what - ohh surf the web.Error 505 windows has crashed, would you like to
play another game?) The first install of BSD took me two weeks. I
install win 98 on a laptop here three weeks ago, and set BSD on install
at the same time.Windows was still installing while BSD was on the web
installing some interesting ports.It just takes a little getting used
to. Think I have the hang of it now. 
Yep BSD is a jigsaw puzzle, but you get a nice picture when you are
finished/ Windows - well Bill comes in and does the puzzle for you.
What's the fun in that ???? Windows has to be ready to load on any PC
anywhere in the world. As a result, you end up with a mountain of
rubbish that makes your system slow and buggy. Must be the cause of many
windows crashes I'm sure. BSD doesn't crash. It just doesn't. 
Windows is user friendly in the fact that you don't need to know what a
computer is to run it. I guess that's why the business world has
embraced it. No work, no setup costs, and now with XP,as you say, stick
the disc in and you are done. No knowledge required.We have eXPensive
Pro workstations here, and I installed them.Talk about an easy job
alright. Pop that disc in, drink coffee and done.I wouldn't mind betting
M$'s next OS will be on your Hdd with voice activation. Don't even pop a
disc in, just say INSTALL. 
As I said earlier, each to their own, and I do agree to some extent.
Windows is made for convenience, and is quite good at what it is made
for (even if Bill did steal most of it from UNIX and *BSD, so I am told
and read on the net all the time) yet if you have a little curiosity,
desire speed, performance, stability and the ability to own your system
(BSD will do whatever you want, you just have to know how to ask
it!)then *BSD is for you. I still believe that Windows would be a great
OS if only Bill would release it to the open source community. Those
guy's are real good and there is a great deal more developers for UNIX
and BSD than there is for windows (I doubt if even Bill could afford the
amount of people that contribute to BSD) and if that isn't enough, ring
the M$ help line. That'll put you of M$ for life !!! 
Lastly, I would like to mention the handbook. You say you want an OS
that is easy to use. The handbook is indeed scary. 900 pages of 'light
reading' isn't my idea of a good time either (If any of you BSD
developers are listening - how about an easy to use condensed version -
nobody wants to read for four weeks before they use their OS!!!) Some of
that stuff is over anybody's head, especially if you are migrating from
Windows, or any OS that isn't like UNIX - (shame BeOS died) Don't knbow
if you have heard of the 'cheat sheets' but they sure make life easy,
and give you that head-start into BSD so that you don't have to read for
a month before you may use your OS. They have made my life much easier,
and are a great reference for problem solving - depending on what you
wish to do of course. 
That's my two cents :) Hope you stay with us, perhaps Linux is more for
you (even if only as a stepping stone to understand BSD a little better,
not the same, but the principals will point you in the right
direction)However I honestly believe that you will find that BSD is the
superior OS amongst all of it's competitors. Hey install it just to say
THERE I DID IT. The community here is refreshingly helpful, great people
who always try to help you achieve you goal (even if it's how do I
change a wallpaper ? post that and watch your replies roll in !!) 
You have stumbled on a truly magic OS, don't turn away, the initial
problems and learning curve are worth the trouble.Well worth it. Wait
till you look at ports, nothing like this on the market !! FreeBSD IS
fun and easy to use. 

Good Luck 
Hope we hear from you again 
Andrew Kozak 
FreeBSD Rox my Sox !!!!! 

  
I dont have a question but I would like to make a statement. I
downloaded Freebsd version 5.0 release 
             and unpacked it in great anticipation. I made a bootable CD
(the best I could, It's not as easy as making 
             a bootable windows CD) put the cd in my rom and found that
BSD is not for me. Look, Im not trying 
              to put BSD down or anything, I would love to have it on my
computer fully working so that I could 
              use something other than Windows! Im by no means bored
with Windows, I find new and exciting 
              things out with it all the time.I feel that im pretty
literate when it comes to computers, which brings 
              me to this: You people have to make a product that is just
slightly more user friendly.Cant you 
              think of a way to auto-mount your os like windows? Setting
up your os is like trying to work your 
              way through a jigsaw puzzle.(Windows even partitions your
drive for you) If someone expects to 
              challenge the makers of Windows they are going to have to
come up with a user friendly system 
               like Windows where you have an easy command format
instead of what your trying to do. I mean 
               come on, first you have to figure out what to partition
the drive in because you dont explain any 
               of this, then you have to mount everything,which is
beyond the average users comprehension, 
               then you have to figure out commands to pass along to the
kernel..etc...etc...etc. With Windows 
               all you do is stick in the disk and it's all pretty
straight forward from there on out. 


               Please, if you could just tell me of one of your systems
thats a little more user friendly I would 
               love to use it, and tell all my friends about it too so
that they can spread the word about the new 
               operating system thats fun and easy to use.