Newbie to FreeBSD

Hi, I've been using Linux (redhat) for 3 yrs and I can handle it well without GUI. Now, I'm going to jump into FreeBSD. Before I do that, just wonder if there has any major different between BSD and Linux? What else I need to pay more attention. Thanks for all of your help.

this through this link first:

http://forums.devshed.com/showthrea...t=freebsd+linux

Yes, go read that thread, and pay attention to software PREFIX, read hier(7), just because this is something Linux lacks of.

Nice. Thanks alot.

Say you are familiar with Redhat and FreeBSD. Would you take over a Redhat server or a FreeBSD server? I'd say the answer is FreeBSD, because almost 99.9% of the filesystem hierachy in FreeBSD are well organized (possibly take you few minutes to get familiar with it). Conversely, 99.9999999% of Redhat boxes are having their own playground where files and weird dirs are all over the places (could take months). This by far is the most serious mistakes that ALL Linux users make.

I'll have to agree on that point.

The Linuxes for me have been a nightmare hunting around to try and figure out where things go.

If you're comfortable on the command line, FreeBSD is easy to administer because there's only a couple of places you have to look to find stuff.

The major thing I like about FreeBSD default install is that it is minimal, you add the things you want. Red Hat especially, man I hate going back and having to remove things I don't need.

Red Hat you can do better!

I just have to add that while some of the posts (especialy in the referanced thread) seem to imply that BSD would be dificult for a linux user as a newbie.

Reast easy, while it is oftem made out to be the OS of the Brainy people, it is actualy a piece of cake compared to the linux command line.

Thats the beauty of the BSD's they are lightwieght, consistent, and simple.

I have used both (and others) for years. BSD's make great servers because of the above listed strengths, but lack for most other purposes for the same reasons. they do not have the same flexibility, software selection, or capibility of the linux kernel.

dont forget to check out the ports collection.. that is a thing of beauty and simplicity at its best.

Yep, the sysinstall program too makes it simple to install other applications too.

Installing an app on FreeBSD is sometimes just as easy as running an install shield on Windows.

One other thing to add to Phreakazoid's post, is that you can enable, "Linux Compatibility Mode" on FreeBSD, and run Linux binaries. This isn't really an emulator either, so there is not any performance loss.