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Path: euryale.cc.adfa.oz.au!newshost.anu.edu.au!harbinger.cc.monash.edu.au!news.mel.connect.com.au!yarrina.connect.com.au!munnari.OZ.AU!news.ecn.uoknor.edu!fizban.solace.mh.se!vampire.xinit.se!newsfeed.tip.net!news.seinf.abb.se!nooft.abb.no!Norway.EU.net!EU.net!ieunet!maths.tcd.ie!not-for-mail From: tim@maths.tcd.ie (Timothy Murphy) Newsgroups: comp.os.linux.advocacy,comp.unix.bsd.freebsd.misc,comp.unix.advocacy,comp.unix.misc Subject: Re: Linux vs FreeBSD Date: 4 Dec 1995 20:04:55 -0000 Organization: Dept. of Maths, Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland. Lines: 48 Message-ID: <49vk97$9es@hamilton.maths.tcd.ie> References: <489kuu$rbo@pelican.cs.ucla.edu> <49o2n2$t4e@daffy.anetsrvcs.uwrf.edu> <49q9ol$7l@dyson.iquest.net> <49ssit$51@bell.maths.tcd.ie> <49teb7$ac@dyson.iquest.net> NNTP-Posting-Host: hamilton.maths.tcd.ie Xref: euryale.cc.adfa.oz.au comp.os.linux.advocacy:29098 comp.unix.bsd.freebsd.misc:9762 comp.unix.advocacy:11699 comp.unix.misc:19806 root@dyson.iquest.net (John S. Dyson) writes: >>I wouldn't recomment FreeBSD to anyone who is not familiar with BSD Unix >>unless this [the documentation] has been cleaned up. >Actually, I was only familiar with SVR3 when I got started with BSD :-). >I am quite suprised that it would be difficult for anyone familiar with >relatively standard versions of UNIX to navigate their way around FreeBSD. It isn't a question of "navigating" one's way around, but of finding out the many things specific to particular Unix implementations. Eg how do I mount a floppy disk, or a CD-ROM? How do I access DOS partitions? [Nb I don't want answers to these questions; I am just indicating the kind of question that arises.] >Please refer to /usr/share/doc, /usr/share/FAQ (I think that the info is there.) >Also, there is a fairly large project to produce SGML/HTML documentation. This was what I was referring to, when I said that last time I looked at it, it was in a shambles. That was some time ago -- I hope it has now been properly organised. Basically, I was looking for something like the Linux Documentation Project, with its 4 excellent manuals. Incidentally, I am running Linux and FreeBSD at the moment. I don't find any noticeable difference between them, in speed, ease of use (apart from documentation), or reliability. Both are just as reliable as any commercial system I know. I think a newbie is better advised to use Linux at the moment, because the documentation is better, and he is more likely to get assistance from the net. Finally, I am all in favour of FreeBSD. I believe that competition between FreeBSD and Linux will be good for both of them. In particular, I hope it will cause FreeBSD to look to their documentation. -- Timothy Murphy e-mail: tim@maths.tcd.ie tel: +353-1-2842366 s-mail: School of Mathematics, Trinity College, Dublin 2, Ireland