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Xref: sserve comp.os.386bsd.misc:2763 comp.os.linux.misc:20007 Path: sserve!newshost.anu.edu.au!harbinger.cc.monash.edu.au!msuinfo!agate!howland.reston.ans.net!gatech!newsxfer.itd.umich.edu!uunet!illuminati.io.com!nobody From: compunet@pentagon.io.com (compunet) Newsgroups: comp.os.386bsd.misc,comp.os.linux.misc Subject: Re: I hope this won't ignite a major flame war, but I've got to know! Date: 23 Jul 1994 01:11:53 -0500 Organization: Illuminati Online, Inc. Lines: 82 Message-ID: <30qcbq$6tv@pentagon.io.com> References: <30drlt$7tc@news.u.washington.edu> <30g0af$bfv@u.cc.utah.edu> <30m54g$et7@falcon.ccs.uwo.ca> <CtCn9y.Ft9@rex.uokhsc.edu> NNTP-Posting-Host: pentagon.io.com In article <CtCn9y.Ft9@rex.uokhsc.edu>, Benjamin Z. Goldsteen <benjamin-goldsteen@uokhsc.edu> wrote: >mo@pineapple.apmaths.uwo.ca (Matthew Osborne) writes: > >>I would like to try FreeBSD out. But, people.. When I FTPed to >>ftp.cdrom.com and looked in /pub/FreeBSD .. I had NO way to really know >>what to look for. COuld SOMEONE tell me what to FTP and where?? I run >>linux right now.. It is easy to understand the FTP sites and I like the >>Yggdrasil CDROM version. > > >Hmm, I find the FreeBSD distributions MUCH easier to get than the Linux >ones. With something like Slackware 1.20, I had to comb through all >those directories on Sunsite to find what I needed. With FreeBSD, the >distributions are all right there. There is also a lot less junk in >the FreeBSD directory than Sunsite's Linux. > >Anyway, if you spend five minutes looking around, I think it should be >obvious: >- Go to "pub/FreeBSD". >- Then "ls" >- You will see some directories and files >- There will be among other things a README, RELNOTES, and FAQ. You > might want to browse these now >- There will be a directory: FreeBSD-#.#-RELEASE. In there will be a > few other files (README's, RELNOTES', etc -- some of which may be the > same as what you already read) and a few more directories: > "floppies", "bindist", "secrdist", and "scrdist" being the most > important. If you read the README/RELNOTES/FAQ/etc, you will know > that you need at least three of the floppies images from floppies and > all of bindist files. >- Since you already have things like "rawrite", you don't need to > download them again. >- About the only other files you need to concern yourself at this > early stage are "packages". Describing anything else at this point > would be like trying to sell a GM THM350 transmition to a Ford owner... > >[The latest FreeBSD-#.#-RELEASE is the one with the highest number: >FreeBSD-1.1.5.1-RELEASE. Kind of a funny number, but ...] > >So do you think -- could you give it a consideration -- that just >maybe, just possibly -- making a leap of faith -- just drawing on >common knowledge, past experiences, and things like that -- do you >think it might be possible that: > >the Linux directories seem well laid out because that is what you are >familiar with and the FreeBSD directories are confusing because you >never saw them before? Ya know, I've been following this whole stupid thread and this condescending attitude is EXACTLY the reason I won't be trying any variation of BSD. Get a clue. All he asked is what he needed to get in order to try another OS. Frankly, I think your "obvious" explanation of what is needed is not obvious at all. Further, if YOU had read the README file for Slackware, you would have found that there was no need to cruise all the subdirs to figure out what you wanted. You want TeX, get everything in the "T" directories, source code...in the "S" directories. The bottom line is to use the OS that fits you. I use Linux, Unixware, OS/2, DOS/Winders (when forced to), Netware and will probably install a beta of Chicago soon. Hell, I've even used WinNT which was kinda scary. But for goodness sakes, don't be so sarcastic when someone askes a valid question about the OS you prefer. All that does is turn others off to the idea of even trying it. Later, Ted > >>-- >>+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+ >>+ Matthew C Osborne |"I would if I could, but I can't so I won't" >>+ Co-SysOp Biffs BBS | -Unkown 1994 >>+ Node 1 (519)659-7470 | "Common sence is very uncommon." >>+ mo@pineapple.apmaths.uwo.ca | -Horace Greeley >>+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+ >-- >Benjamin Z. Goldsteen