This is a guide that will take you step-by-step through the process of deciding if a Unix operating system is suitable for your computing needs, choosing a flavor and a distribution of Unix, then partitioning, installing and configuring a Unix operating system. Screen shots are used whenever they are helpful.
Step 1. Is a Unix Operating System for You?
Every computer has an operating system. This article gives you a succinct explanation of what an operating system is and how it works. It also gives a brief introduction on Unix and Windows, the top two families of operating systems.
Step 2. Choose a Unix Flavor
Unix is not a single operating system. It has over a hundred flavors. What are they? And which one should you choose? Read this article to see some of the factors you should consider when picking a Unix flavor, and see which flavors I recommend for new-comers who are looking for a Unix operating system for a regular PC with an Intel-compatible platform.
Step 3. Choose a BSD Variants
BSD is not only a flavor of Unix, it also has several variants of its own. Read a brief review of the history of BSD and comparisons of the variants in the BSD family, including BSD/OS (aka. BSDi), FreeBSD, OpenBSD and NetBSD.
Step 4. FreeBSD Installation and Configuration
A step-by-step guide, with screen shots, leading you through the process of partitioning, installation and configuration of a FreeBSD operating system.
Step 5. Software Picks for FreeBSD
Finally, I will review some free and inexpensive software applications that support the FreeBSD platform.
