I like lorikE (logic): matx (math) and algorithms, physics. The diavoia (dianoia: understanding) of this is computer engineering. Good places to start are probably fsf.org, opengroup.org, comp.unix.shell & comp.unix.programmer faqs, maybe comp. electronics newsgroups. For dos/9x/me help see Cubic.org, crest.untergrund.net, and for its demoscene soundcard info by M. Schmitt: Gravis ultrasound plug & play faq. NetBSD.org, Slackware.com, and presumably OpenSolaris.org have docs.
    Help I seek is: booting hurd with full hardware, matrox g450 Linux framebuffer, realloc() for getline(), babyl format, unix midi->trackers (Psytexx needs it), compiling NetBSD kernel and doscmd, ksh.kshrc info that makes BSD usable (might have lost ksh info), simply compiling simplekde, running "stomper synthesizer" or something in unix.

        Unix:
    Sokrates: Definitions of operating systems in your "Oxford English Dictionary" are posix (root: cs language: unix)   Posix is: "sys V" and Bsd in solaris; Bsd alone such as netBsd; linux such as slackware, and (in most operating systems) gnu: hurd is gnu's own developing system. To put unices on a harddisc; learn the fastest disk partitioner: linux fdisk, and then install grub loader. I think grub frees you from dos/windows fdisk. Linux requires making your own kernel if you want things like several processors; over 768Mb ram; cdvd; usb; soundcards, and i repeat that later.
    David: Thank you for kathapsis, i see some loros photismos (logos lighting.)
    Sokrates: Are you getting to theosis or did you write that in your OED?!
    sofist: Why can't we have ower operayting sistim windos.
    Sokrates: ... let you have windows.
    David: Would you say if people use ms window, society needs more information technicians?
    Sokrates: clearly it involves it.
    sofist: Why can't we operat MS windos I want?
    David: i might not know.
    sofist: I said I am a person who wants that and i.t.!?!! and meat-eating and doctors.
    Sokrates: Let society have extra i.t. and doctors and pain.
    David: There is filosofy of science of operating systems of forms
    Sokrates: Oh, EpistemE uvix; i will teach this loros. For this discussion any 2-syllable or more word with "name" as one is a pronoun. Let us start with Bsd and go to linux, and i wonder what you know about Open Solaris.
    Bsd can use more than 1 cpu (if you know not, it says soon after you turn on; after bios shows) with that choose "custom install," also "smp kernel." If Bsd detects no harddisc: find its geometry.
    Get help with man and info, like:
#man commandname
even
#man man
and info works like man; also like:
#info
    Get into discs with mount, like:
#mount -t linuxosdiscname linuxmntname directoryname
#mount -t Bsdosdiscname Bsdmntname directoryname
linux osdiscname are /dev/hdletternumber, mntnames are: ext2 ffs iso9660 vfat, and vfat is mswindows.
Bsd osdiscnames are /dev/wdnumberletter, mntnames are: ffs ext2fs cd9660 msdos, and mswindows is msdos.
directory names are whatever you think you can use, like:
# mount -t vfat /dev/hda1 /mnt
# mount -t msdos /dev/wd0a /mnt
    List and copy files inluding directories ("folders") with ls by typing file or files after it like:
#ls filename
copy files with cp, like:
#cp filename filename2
and if either is a directory say "cp -R" not just cp.
Paths are filenames separated with / like: /usr/local/myprogram
    Concatenate files with cat; or scroll with more, like:
#cat filename
also:
#more filename
    Change to and make directories with cd and mkdir like:
#cd directoryname
Make directories with mkdir like:
#mkdir directoryname
Modify files with editors ed, vi, emacs, pico, nano, xedit, kate like:
#editorname filename
or to use gui, find xedit in X; or kate in kde. I write on it further on.
    BSd root login message can go away if you remove it from .login. A good script is to ask if you want to delete things. Scripts are mentioned further on     Get to other discs after restarting like:
#editorname /etc/fstab
Type the partition; path; filesystem for each partition; ro or rw for read "only" or "write;" and 1 as anything that has a 1st number number except /swap.
    Bsd can have more screens only if /etc/ttys and /etc/wscons.conf are edited like:
screen 0 can only be 80x25. Switch to another after reboot by Ctrl Alt Fn (F1, F2,F3 etc)
Edit .profile.   try not to leave /usr/pkg instead of replacing with standard /usr/local because the only way to pkg_add software where you want is change the BSD os.
    Edit resolv.conf and type "nameserver" and the number, for each gateway and dns server.
    Print with cups, and rtfm on it; it is easy, but also search Bsd and tldp for how to make /dev/prn. Try to enable groff, nroff, or troff; whatever is the manpage reader on compact disc so it is easy to use. Otherwise, print out an editor's help text, to be most futile instead of more futile.
    Modem use is easiest after reading 1990s ppp howto.
    Bsd dsl is set up by editing /etc/rc.conf and on a blank line typing dhclient=YES
#vi /etc/dhclient-enter-hooks
press a type: make_resolv_conf() {
echo "doing nothing to resolv.conf"
}
    Press Esc, :, and wq to finish.
    Get programs with ftp or in BSD also pkg_add for example:
ftp ftpsitename
#ftp ftp.netbsd.org"
ftp.NetBSD.org FTP server (NetBSD-ftpd 20040809) ready.
Name (ftp.netbsd.org:root): anonymous
Password: password
Seek ready programs with cd; for example:
ftp> cd pub/packages/NetBSD/packages/versionname/processorname
For example editors are in editors, cdrtools is in sysutils.
Get programs you find like:
ftp> get programname
Bsd pkg_add needs pkgsrc or PKG_PATH. Pkgsrc is usually in ftp.netbsd.org's pub/NetBSD. Pkgsrc requires a directory on your computer. Open pkgsrc (or other gz, tgz, or tar.gz files) like:
#tar -xzvf pkgsrcname
Go to a package's directory and do:
#make fetch-list|sh&&make install&&make clean&&makeclean-depends
PKG_PATH is like:
#PKG_PATH="ftp://ftp.netbsd.org/pub/NetBSD/packages/2.0/i386/All;ftp://ftp.netbsd.org/pub/NetBSD/packages/2.0/i386/vulnerable"
#export PKG_PATH"
PKG_ADD is like:
#pkg_add -v filename
or
#pkg_add -v *fixfilename*
or even:
#pkg_add -v *
    Scripts that you make can be put out of the way in a directory. Bsd needs directory in .profile; or /etc/ksh.kshrc if it works but does not in any or all of rc.
/etc/ksh.kshrc can enable del; maybe home; and end keys to ksh. Search for such keys at os site and a couple .kshrc will come up
    Copy files and directories to cd or cdvd with cdrtools and cdrtools-ossdvd.
    Linux can have graphical user interface; gui, setup with xorgconfig or xorgcfg, like like:
#xorgconfig
or without typing:
#xorgcfg
Make it ready like:
#xwmconfig
 Bsd can have gui setup with XF86config or xf86cfg, like:
#XF86config
or without typing:
#xf86cfg
Kde makes X look and work almost much better. To use it in Bsd change every occurence of xdm in /usr/X11R6/lib/X11/xinit/ or /etc/X11/xinit/xinitrc to startkde.
    To add users adduser or useradd and edit /etc/group like:
# adduser
or
# useradd username
also with:
# editorname /etc/group
    Linux requires a personal kernel if you want things like several processors; over 768Mb ram; cdvd; usb; soundcards. System.map and defconfig have to be copied from their /usr/src/linux directories to
similar files in /boot. Save boot files 1st.
Link new ones (or other files) like:
# ln -s filename linkname
For kernel files use f with ln so they can be updated, like:
# ln -fs linux-ide-2.4.29 vmlinuz
# ln -fs System.map-ide-kernelnumber sys_2.4.29
# ln -fs config-ide-kernelnumber config-2.4.29
Probably copy these from /usr/src/linux to boot with more proper seeming names like linux_2.429, sys_2.429, cfg_2.429.
    For slackware linux find a tool called swaret that updates sofware.
    Other standard unix programs info is:
emacs (text and TeX edit, email, newsgroups, programming.)
rhide, pico/nano, kate/kedit (tolerable as Borland and Microsoft text edit.)
fetchmail (still easier than getmail)
konqueror (tolerable as file manager)
gimp, sane, povray, fractint (art)
ircII or epic with jmz or BitchX, and gaim (irc, im)
If you irc, login with another name than root. If you do not want an extra home directory, chown "your username" /root.
kde (graphic user interface)
lynx/links, netscape/firefox (w3)
open office (like wordperfect or MS office)
xmms-modplug (play music like mod4win, winamp)
xpdf (adobe file viewer, and there are acrobat and firefox viewers which crash)
Linux also has mod trackers which someone knows how to work for BSD.
Aspirant David, what things have you found truly relating to this while i have been with KPIETOS?
David: Marvus Master Xiepei Sokrates, since you met Marvus Adonai Kpistos Ysua, we know:
cron: when you alarm clock, redirect chime to /dev/null /dev/console.
Sokrates: Oh, the script... i can not necessarily tell you anything past partial temporal differentials or that... well continue.
files to back up:
/etc/dhclient-enter-hooks (BSD)
/etc/genericstable
/etc/fstab
/etc/group
/etc/ksh.kshrc, /root/.kshrc (BSD)
/etc/rc.conf
#(BSD)
/etc/ttys
#(BSD)
/etc/wscons.conf
#(Linux)
/etc/X11/xorgcfg
#(Bsd)
/etc/X11/XF86Config
#chown "your username" root for irc
~/.emacs
~/.fetchmailrc
~/.firefox
~/.gaim
~/.gnus
~/.kde
#or maybe
./kderc
~/.lynxrc
~/.login
~/.mozilla
~/.newsrc
~/.profile
~/.ircrc
~/.kshrc
#(Linux)
/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/xinit/xinitrc
#(Bsd)
/etc/X11/xinit/xinitrc
sofist: Even you talked a long time!
a filosofer: if you think so, rtfm such as Plato's Laws