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Pc-bsd... I Got Suckered But Willing To Live With The Consequences.


h3%5kr3w

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Ok, so a nice little tip to all of you just FYI.. If your going to install ANY distro you are not familiar with to the physical HDD READ UP ON THE INSTALL FIRST!!!

So just in case you don't know where this is leading, I have had my eye on BSD for a while, and even downloaded FreeBSD once and tried installing in Virtuabox, however it was a long lengthy process, didn't feel like finding EXACTLY everything to install, so I just said hell with it. Day-Before-Yesterday, I saw PC-BSD 8. Looked bad ass, and since everyone has always ooohe'd and aahhhe'd at how stable and universal BSD is, I figured eh.. Why not. Tried it in VirtualBox, but it seemed too restrictive for the little beast. Was going to use it as a server on a new/used 3.33 Celeron D that I just obtained but it didn't like the fact that it had 512mb, and I'm not seeking to upgrade it anytime in the near future. So that was out. Ok I said, I'll install it along side Windows.. No big deal right? Well, here is where my dillema really started...

So the install was superb. Sweet, short, to the point. Really nice to look at. And also really quick and easy...

Unfortunately what I DID NOT KNOW about PC-BSD (or any other BSD as I have read), is it does not.. I mean ABSOLUTELY DOES NOT play well along side Windows. But that's not REALLY my problem. Unfortunately it seems, regardless if you select the little button "Use Entire Disk" or not in the partition manager upon install, it takes off ALL the partitions and leaves you with what it put on. Furthermore, something I didn't know before hand, if installing at all on a physical disk, make the partitions out of the BSD installer First, and then select them in the installer interface.

So the fortunate thing here is this: Everything that I even really cared about is backed up on a separate hard drive.. No problems there. I was going to BACKUP and then reinstall 7 soon anyways... Ok, well that was a little sooner than expected. And to top it all off, I will say that the smoothness of the OS and the cleanliness of KDE 4 on it is awesome. Configuration is actually easier than Ubuntu for most things (crazy to think... cause BSD has always been the configurators worst nightmare).

However now that I have it on here, I really don't feel like redoing the whole install process. Yes I am lazy. But is there anything extra I should know about BSD? I know there are few and far between supporters for BSD, but if any general users of it have any suggestions on software give me a hollar. The major downside to this for me is actually just that I have to mess with it a little to install Chrome on it, but no biggie. Ok. [/rant]

Edited by h3%5kr3w
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1: Do not install PC-BSD.

2: FreeBSD is one of the best *server* OS out there, but so-so on the desktop.

3: Do a minimal install of FreeBSD + ports and man pages, then start from there. Be prepared to start over many times.

4: Read the FreeBSD handbook.

5: Take your time with it, it will be worth it.

I've always been a huge fan of FreeBSD, while it has a bit of a learning curve it is really simple to use, and it just works. Stick with it and you will go far.

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Owie. I've done that a couple times, thankfully I have images of all my machines on my server, so getting back up and running takes maybe ~ 30-45 minutes.

Would you recommend running FreeBSD in VirtualBox first to get a feel for it before trying to set up a server with it, VaKo?

(Yes it is a very stupid question)

Edited by Charles
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1: Do not install PC-BSD.

2: FreeBSD is one of the best *server* OS out there, but so-so on the desktop.

3: Do a minimal install of FreeBSD + ports and man pages, then start from there. Be prepared to start over many times.

4: Read the FreeBSD handbook.

5: Take your time with it, it will be worth it.

I've always been a huge fan of FreeBSD, while it has a bit of a learning curve it is really simple to use, and it just works. Stick with it and you will go far.

This. I've heard great things about OpenBSD too.

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The way I learnt it was to get an old machine with 2x 533Mhz P3's and 1GB of RAM, and then spending the next few months learning how to build a web server. I must have reinstalled 30 times in the first month, each time learning a little more. But at this point I was struggling with Ubuntu so YMMV.

As for OpenBSD, Metatron will disagree with me I am sure, but I don't see the point. The supposed security gains are very little IMHO, and it sacrifices way to much in terms of usability when compared to FreeBSD. Plus, as soon as you install software on the box your back to square 1. FreeBSD is far more rounded.

Also, WITHOUT_X11=yes will be useful.

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QUOTE (VaKo @ Thu, 25 Feb 2010 19:21:52 +0000) *

1: Do not install PC-BSD.

I lol'd. Yeah. I have always heard a little bad mojo about PC-BSD, but it actually has turned out quite nice. The only problems I have had doesn't even really have anything to do with BSD at all. (kde weather widgets that are broken.. I read up and everybody on KDE4 is having this problem. oh well, it's just a widget)

I am suprised at myself though when it comes down to liking the KDE4. I hated it when it first came out, but now. eh, not so bad. I'll tell you one damn thing though, Sauerbraten runs like butter churned w/0w10 oil on this thing! You can definitely tell the TCP/IP stack is superior, and the memory management is awesome. Also the (few) quick installable apps are a breeze. Thinking I have found my other Ubuntu.... The real upside, I think looking at myself now, I am stuck to the cloud for most things anyways, so I think I'll stay and play on this PC-BSD, but I am definitely going to get virutalbox now and learn on me some Free-BSD.

Oh! one more thing. Since BSD is sort-of a little bit of OSX, is it possible to run OSX apps? I know that's a little far fetched, but I have seen where a lot of people have asked this question just to not get an answer.

Edited by h3%5kr3w
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Oh! one more thing. Since BSD is sort-of a little bit of OSX, is it possible to run OSX apps? I know that's a little far fetched, but I have seen where a lot of people have asked this question just to not get an answer.

Not really. The OS X kernel is based on the BSD kernel, but the BSDs do not have many of the requirements to run Cocoa apps. Most importantly, FreeBSD and the like do not have Aqua, OS X's graphical environment, so you would be unable to run apps that require it. However, many of the CLI apps have have been ported to and from Darwin, so you should be able to install many of the same command line apps that Mac users can.

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@VaKo - That's something else I always heard about freeBSD vs. openBSD. And I finally got around to learning how to install port apps. and port into port. This does seem easier than ubuntu :X Well that is until something breaks and I am sitting here wondering where a config file is when it's not where I am used to it being but the differences between the BSD and the Linux folder placing isn't too terribly different.

@bmwracer0 - I did think about Aqua, but was not sure if Aqua handled the actual code for the windowed apps or if it just rendered the windowing system and Darwin handled the underlying code. I know nothing about Mac...

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Thanks operat0r! But I think I am good.. Still can't get Chrome to build, but I think it's only a matter of time, and I am not THAT tech/programming inclined. Only thing I really have as an issue, is that it locks up here and there if left on. I think it has to do with jank drivers running for the sound card, but not sure. Oh well, no biggie

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