linux emulation

[Mikko Heiskanen]

I've been wondering about this some time now.
The linux compatibility layer (kernel module + linux_base -port)
is told to be able to run linux binaries. The handbook even describes
for a couple of heavy-duty applications how this is done.
However, after reading that part of the handbook and googling around the
net, I haven't the slightest idea how I'm supposed to run such program.
Let's say I have a program. Should I put it in /compat/linux/somewhere,
run it like /compat/linux/somewhere/executable and it just somehow
works? Or should I chroot to /compat/linux?
How does FreeBSD know when to use linuxemu? How does it handle, say,
stuff in /dev? Specifically when there aren't things like ethn in there.
Man linux is kinda short.
Sorry if my question is reallyreally stupid.

Thanks,
Mikko