Figure 1.20: Package Selection menu

If you're already familiar with UNIX, you probably know the names of several packages you would like to install. One popular choice is bash, a command shell. Arrow down to "shells", press ENTER to open that category, arrow down to "bash", and press the space bar to select it. Then press ENTER to go back to the Package Selection menu.

If you're not familiar with UNIX software, there's one package you need to install to use this book properly. Select Packages from the Configuration menu, select "net" from the Package Selection menu, and then select "cvsup" (see Figure 1.21). We'll use the cvsup tool in Chapter 6.

Figure 1.21: Individual package listings

When you have chosen all the packages you want to install, return to the main Package Selection menu. Press TAB to move the cursor from OK to Install, then press ENTER. Your system will begin installing packages.

Restart

This last step should get you up and running! Remove any CD−ROMs or floppy disks from your computer, exit the installer, and reboot. You should now have a complete FreeBSD system,

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configured properly for most Internet operations and for all the examples in this book.

If you find that you need to do some configuration later, you can always reenter sysinstall:

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# /stand/sysinstall

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Throughout the course of this book, you'll learn how to work more quickly and efficiently by avoiding sysinstall and manipulating the configuration files directly. The sysinstall program can act as a crutch to get you through the worst parts, however.

A Note on Editors

No, I'm not talking about the fine editors of this excellent book: text editors. Which is the "best" UNIX text editor has been a matter of prolonged debate over many years. FreeBSD includes vi, as its licensing terms are the same as FreeBSD's. Vi terrifies many newcomers, however; it's from an earlier aeon of UNIX. It's a dinosaur—specifically, a velociraptor, small and deadly and very powerful if you have mastered its arcane syntax.

If vi is not your bag, try the Easy Editor, ee. It holds your hand and is much more approachable for the newcomer. The ee program is also much more limited than vi; when you're tired of those limitations, you can graduate to vi or install Emacs. (I use both, and prefer Emacs.) Vi has the unquestioned advantage of being available on all UNIX platforms, however, and is well worth knowing.

You can tell most programs to use your editor of choice by adding the following line to the .cshrc file in your home directory. Substitute your preferred editor for vi.

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setenv EDITOR vi

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