# downloading packages



## nextstopearth (Mar 6, 2009)

I just want to install some software but don't know where to start. I tried the faq on this site for downloading packages, but the ftp example doesn't work("hostname or servname provided, or not known") and the pkg_add program is "unable to fetch from url". So I'm really just stuck and don't know what to do...


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## DutchDaemon (Mar 6, 2009)

The definitive guide is at http://www.freebsd.org/doc/en_US.ISO8859-1/books/handbook/ports.html

Sounds to me like you either have no nameservers enabled, or are behind a proxy server.


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## nextstopearth (Mar 6, 2009)

Ya thats the one I was reading. 

I've never heard of a nameserver. Am I supposed to enable an internet connection or something like that before hand?

It may make a difference that I'm running it virtually with SunxVM virtualbox. I wouldn't think it would thought because all the other unix/linux versions I've tried haven't had at problems with it.


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## DutchDaemon (Mar 6, 2009)

Do you have an IP address (ifconfig -a)? Do you have a gateway (netstat -rn, first entry, 'default')? Do you have nameservers (cat /etc/resolv.conf)? Can you ping any host on the Internet (ping http://www.freebsd.org and/or ping 69.147.83.33)? Etc.


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## nextstopearth (Mar 7, 2009)

Thanks, thats helpful advice. 

I have no /etc/resolv.conf file. I couldn't ping anything either. I cant copy/paste the other two commands, but if it helps, the output of ifconfig shows a status of active for the first (em0) entry.


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## DutchDaemon (Mar 7, 2009)

Well, 'active' means that the card is working and has an ethernet connection (a 'carrier signal'). If there's no IP address in the output, it just sits there without doing anything. If you unplug the network cable, the 'active' will be replaced by 'no carrier'. How are you supposed to be getting an IP address, a gateway, and nameserver setings? Is it supposed to be handed out by a DHCP server in the network? If so, your /etc/rc.conf file should have something like 

ifconfig_xl0="DHCP"

Replace xl0 with the name of the network card as it shows up in ifconfig -a. If there is no DHCP server to set up your network, you will have to add settings manually. 

See http://www.freebsd.org/doc/en_US.ISO8859-1/books/handbook/config-network-setup.html and other parts of the Handbook.


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