how to boot or access problem file system

[Paul Schmehl]

--On Thursday, July 30, 2009 14:45:46 -0500 PJ <af.gourmet at videotron.ca> wrote:
>
> Mike,
> I am not particularly interested in becoming a guru on FreeBSD. I just
> want to be able to use it productively... by that I do not mean make
> money, but get something achieved in the way of programming stuff for my
> own website etc. Having to "go back to school" to understand all the
> stuff about FBSD is a bit overkill.
> The real problem is that the instructions for upgrading and updating
> trip all over themselves and confuse the shit out of most of us who are
> not FBSD experts. Funny, that there are so many posts and wueries on
> google to fix things on FreeBSD. I found one that was very clear and the
> upgrade worked...
> yet there is something wrong with the upgrade since I cannot get X to
> recognize a puny little mouse.

You need to run both dbus and hal if you want Xorg to detect your mouse and 
keyboard.  That requires you to add two lines to /etc/rc.conf; hald_enable=YES 
and dbus_enable=YES.

> And consequently I have no idea if
> Firefox is working or if flashplayer is working or acroread9 or anything
> for that matter.

If you're doing website development and you need to have flash working you need 
to find another OS.  Flash on FreeBSD is unreliable at best.  Move to Ubuntu or 
CentOS or Gentoo or some other Linux flavor that can run Flash natively.

> And there are no explanations that are readily evident
> on what to use, when, how and where to use the different programs line
> the linux emulation...

No matter what you use, there is going to be a learning curve.  I've just 
started using Vista Enterprise, and it drives me nuts.  Things aren't where I'm 
used to them being, and I can't find what I used to know was there.  And I was 
editing the registry in Windows 3.1 when many people didn't even know there was 
a registry.

All OSes take time to learn, some more than others.  FreeBSD is on the steeper 
side of the learning curve table, so maybe you shouldn't invest the time.  Life 
is too short to be constantly frustrated.
>
> I do appreciate the help you are offering as well as all the other guys
> who take time out to help us.
> It sounds, from what you are telling me, like it may be possible to do
> something with my problem computer... will try.

If you are willing to invest the time, FreeBSD can be a great OS to use.  But 
nobody but you can run your box, and no amount of help can overcome an 
unwillingness to take the time to learn.  That's not an indictment of you. 
Your priorities are not others' priorities.  But don't keep banging your head 
against the FreeBSD wall if you just want to get an OS up and running and using 
Flash.

Hell, buy a Mac.  Then you'll have the best of both worlds.

-- 
Paul Schmehl, Senior Infosec Analyst
As if it wasn't already obvious, my opinions
are my own and not those of my employer.
*******************************************
"It is as useless to argue with those who have
renounced the use of reason as to administer
medication to the dead." Thomas Jefferson