FreeBSD starter machine

[Beecher Rintoul]

On Monday 12 December 2005 02:19 pm, Chris Whitehouse wrote:
> Matt S. Gann wrote:
> >   I have a few questions about FreeBSD.  I am just beginning to get into
> > UNIX.  I know a few line commands,
>
>   but really want to get familiar and comfortable with the OS.  I have
> been intrugued by FreeBSD for many
> years now, but I own a windows-based PC and am not keen about running
> dual OS's.  I would like to get a
> cheap, used, small desktop or laptop to "tinker" with Unix/Linix and
> FreeBSD.  However, I know little
> to nothing about system requirements and/or hardware compability.  I was
> thinking of an old 486 or Pentium
> 1 to get started.  Any thoughts on what I could start with?

Although you can run FreeBSD on a 486 I wouldn't recommend it. Rebuilding the 
system from sources took two full days. Also if you plan to run "X" and 
something like KDE you will find it painfully slow. One of my boxes is a 
500MHz Celeron which is quite usable. If you have a reasonably fast box I 
concur with just adding a second drive. You can always mount your windows 
drive and copy files into FreeBSD. Except for some proprietary apps you will 
find plenty of software in the FreeBSD ports to do just about anything you 
can do in windows.  
>
> A way to use your current machine for both operating systems without
> dual booting is to install a second hard disk, install FreeBSD and
> select which to boot from in the bios. It's a slight faff changing boot
> disk but works fine and keeps the OS's completely separate.
>
> OT; I still have a PC I made with three HD's plugged in to a home made
> ide cable with an extra connector and a three position switch on the
> front which switches power to only one disk. All three disks are
> effectively primary master so whichever has power when the computer is
> turned on boots. I never had the courage to switch while the computer
> was running!
>
> Whichever way you go FreeBSD is a very rewarding OS.
>
> Chris
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