Linux compatibility problems, 4.8 and 5.1

[Philip Sydney Lavers]

Gentlemen, 
 
I am a long term user of FreeBSD. 
 
recently i have migrated through 4.2, 4.4 and 4.7 with 
wonderful usefulness except that I have never got CUPS or 
anything else to drive my CanonS400SP printer. I have a 
linux machine in my network just to print things on the 
Canon.  
 
This was just a nuisance. 
 
Now I have four new machines with 4.8 in one and 5.1 in the 
other three on which I need to run some distributed 
processing routines.  
 
To my dismay, Linux compatibility and everything that 
depends on it fails both on installation and when I try 
manual ports.  Apache ant also fails in the same way. 
Also Clusterit would not install. 
 
I am phycisist, not really a computer person, but I need 
something like FreeBSd because my trusty DEC Alpha has 
finally died. 
 
The machines that I am  using are a PentiumIII and three AMD 
Athlons. 
 
I would be grateful to receive any suggestions. I have found 
nothing useful on the mailing lists. 
 
I hope you can help me. 
 
Regards, and thanks for this wonderful OS, 
 
Philip Lavers.