BSD or Linux

[Tekron-X]

Well so far my experiences with BSD are not good. I can use it fine but I am having some problems. FreeBSD did not work right with my hardware. Then I installed NetBSD which works better then FreeBSD however, I keep getting a Soft File System error or something like that. Also I have trouble installing packages. It seems to lock up the terminal. Now I have no proble learning Unix it is quite easy it is just my hardware may not be really compatible lol.

So should I use BSD or Linux. I have a Unix Book that the commands learned supposedly can be used in all Unix flavors. BTW I am not sure what all my hardware is but I know the HD is a Maxtor 15 gb. I don't feel like opening the box for the rest because it is a old one I had lying around but I know for a fact that the Processor is 600 MHZ.

[gore]

OK so you don't know what you have??? Didn't you find this when you installed? **** man. Linux will have better drivers for the hardware but this is opinion.

[Tekron-X]

I am not as stupid as you think lol. I just don't remember the brand of the darn cpu lol. It is x86/i386 processor. It has a ATI TNT2 vid card. Maxtor 15gb hd. And a Kingston network card but the network card is compatible with BSD so is the vid card the processor may be a AMD Duron but not positive I would have to open the case.

[devpon]

I can use it fine but I am having some problems. FreeBSD did not work right with my hardware.

Scratches head? Does that mean your BSD boots up, or it does not even do that? If it does boot, then in a terminal run "dmesg | less", you can find info on your hardware and any error messages during the boot process.

I keep getting a Soft File System error or something like that.

We are not mind readers, so " a Soft File System error or something like that" does not do us any good in trying to help you, more info and the correct eroor messages sure would help.

[Tekron-X]

Ok this is a specific I can get on the NetBSD error.

viaide0:0:0: lost interrupt
type: ata tc_bcount: 8192 tc_skip: 0
viaide0:0:0: bus-master DMA error: missing interrupt, status=0x20
viaide0:0:0: device timeout, cbcount=8192, c-skip0
wd0: transfer error, downgrading to PIO mode 4
wd0(viaide0:0:0): using PIO mode 4
wd0a: device timeout writing fsbn 2105408 of 2105408-2105423 (wdo bn 2105417; cn
2088 tn 12 sn 11), retrying
wdo: soft error(corrected)

now this error pops up at the end of the boot cycle and at various other times running the operating system. When I say various other times I mean out of the blue it just pops up even if I am doing nothing.

[Tekron-X]

Does anyone have any clue about this error.

[SirDice]

I can highly recommend trying FreeBSD again.

Read this post.

What where your problems with FreeBSD?
I've been using fbsd ever since 3.2, never had any problems with my hardware.

[Tekron-X]

well the biggest problem for one is that it only completes install 1 out of about every 12 times. It seems that my HD i think keeps timing out and kills the installation. And then when I get it installed I can't get packages to install without the terminal locking up. Also I get hard disk errors that I think have to do with the timeouts. I would give specific errors but i can't get it to install atm. i think my maxtor HD is not liking to work. i may just have to pick up another and things will be fine I am not sure tho. I don't want to have to buy a HD if I don't have to.

[Tekron-X]

Ok I got a huge deal on a Western Digital 8mb cash 80gb hard disk and I installed FreeBSD on it and it works like a charm. Problem solved.