# Documentation Set and question



## dcbdbis (Aug 10, 2009)

Hello All,

In basic: "What am I doing wrong?"

Downloaded the latest DVD. Installed per the documentation in the handbook.

Some of the commands mentioned in the handbook come back that the command is not installed. doing as root.

I am using the X-user distribution set.

One of the commands so far that pukes is: "make buildworld"

Another issue: Once I use freebsd-update I get a p3 after the system name, and all port build attempts or adding software after that point beefs about being the wrong version.

Coming from many years with Linux, but wanting a more standardized and supervised OS like FreeBSD attracted me.

I am old now, and have had a series of small strokes, so please forgive if the above is an ignorant queation.



Oh....One more question. I am after a desktop system that's easy to maintain. Being an old ENIAC guy, command line prompts don't bother me.

So now the actual Q: Putting FreeBSD on a desktop. Is that a round beg in a square hole? Or is that ok?


Thank you sincerely,




Dave Babb


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## rturja (Aug 10, 2009)

dcbdbis said:
			
		

> Hello All,
> Some of the commands mentioned in the handbook come back that the command is not installed. doing as root.
> 
> I am using the X-user distribution set.
> ...



If I remember right, X-user does not have the sources installed, thus the buildworld/kernel stuff fails. (I can't remember if X-user installs the compiler so the buildworld can be initiated once sources are in place?)

You can grab the system sources easiest by copying /usr/share/examples/cvsup/[standard|stable]-supfile into a convenient location and editing the host line in it to indicate a cvsup server nearby. (I use /usr/local/etc/cvsup for my supfiles.) Remember to check that the "*default release=cvs tag=" points to the release you are running, or intend to upgrade to. 

then just running


```
csup [standard|stable]-supfile
```
from that directory should get you the sources - and later running the same csup command fetches the security updates and such as well. Remember that STABLE-branches are kind of betas and HEAD is sort of alpha, so for starters grabbing RELENG_X_X would be recommended, until you get more comfortable with the overall system.

The same procedure can be used for grabbing the latest ports as well, there is template ports-supfile available in directory mentioned above too.


```
csup ports-supfile
cd /usr/ports
make fetchindex
```
should take care of updating the sources needed for building ports.



			
				dcbdbis said:
			
		

> Another issue: Once I use freebsd-update I get a p3 after the system name, and all port build attempts or adding software after that point beefs about being the wrong version.



Sadly that is something I cannot comment on, as I tend to exclusively do the system upgrading and port building from the sources. So hopefully someone else can shed more light on this issue.



			
				dcbdbis said:
			
		

> Oh....One more question. I am after a desktop system that's easy to maintain. Being an old ENIAC guy, command line prompts don't bother me.
> 
> So now the actual Q: Putting FreeBSD on a desktop. Is that a round beg in a square hole? Or is that ok?



Putting FreeBSD on a desktop isn't in any way stupid or silly idea. There re some snags, especially if you want to run X on 64-bit system with a NVidia card or want to view websites that have flash content, but in general FreeBSD is very viable desktop OS. X works in most cases as well as in Linux with the exact same windowmanagers.

And of course he documentation and the support lists/forums for BSD's tend to be really good, so when hitting problems, quality help is almost always available.


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