Replace XP with FreeBSD (was Re: (no subject))

[Chris Hill]

On Thu, 6 Nov 2008, SAM HAYNES wrote:

> Greetings, O Learned Ones
> from:  Sam Haynes, Pathfinders 2008
>
> I haven't the foggiest as to how you came to be in my favorites list, 
> other than that I probably tagged you in an ongoing search for both or 
> either something to replace Win XP and or build my own personal 
> server.
>
> I have been usining XP for several years now.  Recently, I tried to 
> install XP from my OEM cd and was notified by Gates and Company that 
> XP would no longer be supported. Bummer! So what else is new?  Time to 
> part company with Bill? Vista was tha final straw.
>
> I need something that will replace XP in all the essentials but 
> without a useless bag full of coverups for poor performance..

It depends on what you consider essential. I have been using FreeBSD as 
my daily desktop for maybe 10 years now. The only complaint I have is 
that Adobe steadfastly refuses to let us run a useable Flash player. 
Even that is Adobe's fault, not FreeBSD's.

> Debian was the first encouraging encounter. It was recommended as a 
> cheap entry into the personal server concept, using a two to three 
> year old PC chassis. Sounded good but I could never figure out just 
> how to download it.

If you should decide to give FreeBSD a shot, all you need is the "disc1" 
image from 
ftp://ftp.freebsd.org/pub/FreeBSD/releases/i386/ISO-IMAGES/7.1/ -Well, 
also of course, a suitable machine on which to install. FreeBSD is a 
*lot* less resource-hungry than Windows in my experience.

7.1 is in beta right this minute, but it seems that release is imminent. 
There should be an announcement on the website when the time comes.

Anyway, the idea is to download the ISO file, burn it to a CD, and boot 
the CD. If you're in the learing/experimenting phase, I would strongly 
suggest not doing the experiment on your only computer. You'll probably 
appreciate having a working web browser, email, etc. during the process.

If you're used to Windows, this will be quite different. I like that 
FreeBSD does what you tell it to, not what it thought you might have 
wanted. Of course, that's a double-edged sword.

> So, FreeBSD appears in my fave list and server appears in the same 
> paragraph as operating system.  Here is my plan.
>
> I am 76, a retired Master Electrician, PC builder since '87, have a 
> wife of 40 plus years, debilitating medical problems and a strong 
> belief that I can milk a living out of internet affiliate marketing 
> despite the current economic crisis.

Good. You have been building PCs -and- doing wiring a lot longer than I 
have been doing either. Nobody needs to tell you what an IRQ is, or why 
a "loose neutral" might be a problem.

> My current model is to generate a basic website, use my existing isp 
> to promote two consistent converting products, bootstrap the proceeds 
> from that into building my own dedicated server to market 'how-to' 
> products over a hundred or more websites.

I have no business sense, and can't comment on the model. But I can say 
that you'd be hard-pressed to find a better server platform than 
FreeBSD.

HTH, and good luck with the plan.

--
Chris Hill               chris at monochrome.org
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