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diff --git a/share/doc/handbook/nutshell.sgml b/share/doc/handbook/nutshell.sgml deleted file mode 100644 index b763564..0000000 --- a/share/doc/handbook/nutshell.sgml +++ /dev/null @@ -1,151 +0,0 @@ -<!-- $Id$ --> -<!-- The FreeBSD Documentation Project --> - -<sect><heading>FreeBSD in a nutshell<label id="nutshell"></heading> - - <p>FreeBSD is a state of the art operating system for - personal computers based on the Intel CPU architecture, which - includes the 386, 486 and Pentium processors (both SX and DX versions). - Intel compatible CPUs from AMD and Cyrix are supported as well. - FreeBSD provides you with many advanced features previously available - only on much more expensive computers. These features include: - - <itemize> - <item><bf>Preemptive multitasking</bf> with dynamic priority - adjustment to ensure smooth and fair sharing of the - computer between applications and users.</item> - <item><bf>Multiuser</bf> access means that many people can use a - FreeBSD system simultaneously for a variety of things. System - peripherals such as printers and tape drives are also properly - SHARED BETWEEN ALL users on the system.</item> - <item>Complete <bf>TCP/IP networking</bf> including SLIP, PPP, NFS - and NIS support. This means that your FreeBSD machine can - inter-operate easily with other systems as well act as an enterprise - server, providing vital functions such as NFS (remote file access) and - e-mail services or putting your organization on the Internet - with WWW, ftp, routing and firewall (security) services.</item> - <item><bf>Memory protection</bf> ensures that applications (or - users) cannot interfere with each other. One application - crashing will not affect others in any way.</item> - <item>FreeBSD is a <bf>32-bit</bf> operating system and was designed - as such from the ground up.</item> - <item>The industry standard <bf>X Window System</bf> (X11R6) - provides a graphical user interface (GUI) for the cost of a - common VGA card and monitor and comes with full sources.</item> - <item><bf>Binary compatibility</bf> with many programs built for SCO, - BSDI, NetBSD, Linux and 386BSD.</item> - <item>Hundreds of <bf>ready-to-run</bf> applications are - available from the - FreeBSD <bf>ports</bf> and <bf>packages</bf> - collection. Why search the net when you can find it all - right here?</item> - <item>Thousands of additional and <bf>easy-to-port</bf> applications - available on the Internet. FreeBSD is source code compatible - with most popular commercial Unix systems and thus most - applications require few, if any, changes to compile.</item> - <item>Demand paged <bf>virtual memory</bf> and `merged VM/buffer cache' - design efficiently satisfies applications with large appetites - for memory while still maintaining interactive response to other - users.</item> - <item><bf>Shared libraries</bf> (the Unix equivalent of - MS-Windows DLLs) provide for efficient use of disk space - and memory.</item> - <item>A full compliment of <bf>C</bf>, <bf>C++</bf> and - <bf>Fortran</bf> development tools. Many additional - languages for advanced research and development are - also available in the ports and packages collection.</item> - <item><bf>Source code</bf> for the entire system means you have - the greatest degree of control over your environment. Why be - locked into a proprietary solution and at the mercy of your vendor - when you can have a truly Open System?</item> - <item>Extensive <bf>on-line documentation</bf>.</item> - <item><bf>And many more!</bf></item> - </itemize> - - FreeBSD is based on the 4.4BSD-Lite release from Computer - Systems Research Group (CSRG) at the University of - California at Berkeley, and carries on the distinguished - tradition of BSD systems development. In addition to the - fine work provided by CSRG, the FreeBSD Project has put in - many thousands of hours in fine tuning the system for - maximum performance and reliability in real-life load - situations. As many of the commercial giants struggle to - field PC operating systems with such features, performance - and reliability, FreeBSD can offer them <bf>now</bf>! - - The applications to which FreeBSD can be put are truly - limited only by your own imagination. From software - development to factory automation, inventory control to - azimuth correction of remote satellite antennae; if it can - be done with a commercial UNIX product then it is more than - likely that you can do it with FreeBSD, too! FreeBSD also - benefits significantly from the literally thousands of high - quality applications developed by research centers and - universities around the world, often available at little - to no cost. Commercial applications are also available - and appearing in greater numbers every day. - - Because the source code for FreeBSD itself is generally - available, the system can also be customized to an almost - unheard of degree for special applications or projects, and - in ways not generally possible with operating systems from - most major commercial vendors. Here is just a sampling of - some of the applications in which people are currently - using FreeBSD: - - <itemize> - <item><bf>Internet Services:</bf> The robust TCP/IP networking - built into FreeBSD makes it an ideal platform for a - variety of Internet services such as: - <itemize> - <item>FTP servers</item> - <item>World Wide Web servers</item> - <item>Gopher servers</item> - <item>Electronic Mail servers</item> - <item>USENET News</item> - <item>Bulletin Board Systems</item> - <item>And more...</item> - </itemize> - You can easily start out small with an inexpensive 386 - class PC and upgrade as your enterprise grows.</item> - <item><bf>Education:</bf> Are you a student of computer science - or a related engineering field? There is no better way - of learning about operating systems, computer - architecture and networking than the hands on, under the - hood experience that FreeBSD can provide. A number of - freely available CAD, mathematical and graphic design - packages also make it highly useful to those who's - primary interest in a computer is to get <em>other</em> - work done!</item> - <item><bf>Research:</bf> With source code for the entire system - available, FreeBSD is an excellent platform for research - in operating systems as well as other branches of - computer science. FreeBSD's freely available nature also - makes it possible for remote groups to collaborate on - ideas or shared development without having to worry about - special licensing agreements or limitations on what - may be discussed in open forums.</item> - <item><bf>Networking:</bf> Need a new router? A name server - (DNS)? A firewall to keep people out of your internal - network? FreeBSD can easily turn that unused 386 or 486 PC - sitting in the corner into an advanced router with - sophisticated packet filtering capabilities. </item> - <item><bf>X Window workstation:</bf> FreeBSD is a fine - choice for an inexpensive X terminal solution, either - using the freely available XFree86 server or one - of the excellent commercial servers provided by X Inside. - Unlike an X - terminal, FreeBSD allows many applications to be run - locally, if desired, thus relieving the burden on a - central server. FreeBSD can even boot - "diskless", making individual workstations even cheaper - and easier to administer.</item> - <item><bf>Software Development:</bf> The basic FreeBSD system - comes with a full compliment of development tools - including the renowned GNU C/C++ compiler and - debugger. </item> - </itemize> - -FreeBSD is available in both source and binary form on CDROM and -via anonymous ftp. See <ref id="mirrors" name="Obtaining FreeBSD"> -for more details. |
