# Newbie to BSD



## MrDerby01 (Feb 12, 2012)

Hello everyone,

New to BSD and would like to know if a good start is to use PCBSD or should I just hit right into FreeBSD?

Running on a Dell Inspiron E1505.

Thank you in advance,

Joe:stud


----------



## jrm@ (Feb 12, 2012)

Hello Joe;

It's difficult to make suggestions without more information.  

Would you rather be up running and quickly with a few clicks of a button, or would you rather spend a little more time tinkering, and as a consequence learning a little more about how things work?

Are you coming from Linux, Windows, Mac?

In a nutshell, PC-BSD automates many tasks for you.  For example, third party packages are dealt with a little differently.  PC-BSD use something called PBI (Push-Button Installer) package management.

If you are patient, curious and excited to learn more about how a great operating works, I'd say give FreeBSD a shot.  Lots of people here will be happy to help when you get stuck.


----------



## vermaden (Feb 12, 2012)

If You want to learn and do not afraid to get Your hand dirty, then get FreeBSD and start reading the FreeBSD Handbook [1], if You feel more 'newbie', then grab PC-BSD and install that one, there is also PC-BSD Handbook [2] for help 

[1] http://freebsd.org/handbook
[2] http://wiki.pcbsd.org/index.php/PC-BSD_Users_Handbook


----------



## MrDerby01 (Feb 12, 2012)

Hey guys!

Thank you..  I am eager to learn!  I at the moment want to have something sorta running but I want to make the most of it and have a understanding. What I have done is on my Dell Inspiron E1505.  I will use FreeBSD and on my work laptop a Probook 6465b I will run the VirtualBSD 9.0 package that was put together to be used under VM.   

Also.. I was sorta bad =D   I printed all 1050 pages of the handbook and will start to read through.

I do come from a MS environment. Have been a tech for over 7years now professionally.  I am trying to find focus and really start to key in and specialize.. I am really interested in network security.  Not to knock anyone using Linux but with so many distros I feel Unix has a lot more to offer for me and in the future I wish to contribute back to the community.  

Thanks to both of you!

Cheers! 

Joe


----------

