FreeBSD install question

[bobtcowboy]

Hey all,

I downloaded the FreeBSD 4.2 iso, burned and started to install...

Then I got to where it wanted me to select the packages I wanted to install.

Then I swore, and aborted the install.

Am I just an idiot, or did that installer seriously want me to select *every* single package I wanted by hand, one-by-one?

I chose the average user, simple reccomended install... then quit cuz I figured there'd be an easier way. Then I tried an express install... great except that it left me with just a prompt... how do I just get it to do an install that leaves me with X-Windows? I'd settle for installing everything if I had to, but I don't feel like selecting them all by hand any time soon.

on a side, I've heard talk about a thing similar to apt (from Debian) on FreeBSD, what is it and how does it work? right now, I'm running Progeny Debian RC2 (yay, 1.0 is out!)

Thanks guys,

Bill

[jemfinch]

Well, if you remember, first it asks what kind of installation you want (kernel developer, X developer, etc.) That handles the big sets of packages. Then it allows you to select more individual packages by hand, if you want them. You don't have to pick anything -- at that point, you're already done installing. You can just quit out of that and be happy with a simple install, and add the packages you want later.

FreeBSD does have an apt-get-like thing, called "ports" (it also have pkg_add, which does about the same thing; ports are source packages, pkg_add gets binary packages.)

Honestly, though, if you're a new enough *nix user that you don't know what packages you want to install, I'd suggest staying with a debian-based distribution and getting to know apt-cache search. You'll have more fun installing/uninstalling package with apt-get than with the FreeBSD package tools (which are slightly less polished.) Once you know what you want out of a free *nix, go ahead and give FreeBSD another try :)

Jeremy