Introduction to the text version
This document is the complete text of the third edition of ``The Complete
FreeBSD'', including all updates as of 16 September 1999. It does not include
the man pages, which you can view more conveniently using the man program, but
they are included in the table of contents so that there are page numbers for
the cross references. Don't use these cross reference numbers: they are dif-
ferent from the page numbers in the printed book.
You can best view the text in an xterm window at least 85 characters wide and
exactly 56 lines high: this is the height of the "page". If you're using
Emacs, use a window 59 lines high. Some of the tables are wider than 85 char-
acters, and if you can display 100 characters width, it will work better.
``The Complete FreeBSD'' includes standard printing features such as:
o Text of varied size and font to indicate specific meanings. This ASCII ver-
sion can't reproduce them. This will make it very hard to read. See the dis-
cussion on page xxxii to see how much difference this makes.
o Illustrations such as screen images. I have had to completely omit them from
this version.
o Diagrams. Most of these are still present, but the low resolution of nroff
means that some would be distorted beyond recognition, for example the moni-
tor waveform diagrams in the chapter on X theory. There's no good way to do
this kind of diagram in ASCII, so I have omitted them. You may still be able
to recognize something in the diagram of the reference network on page 485,
so I have left it in there.
All in all, the result is very second-rate. So why even bother? There are a
couple of reasons:
1. You can use programs such as grep to search for specific texts.
2. It may be better than nothing if you're in trouble installing the system.
3. Since none of these problems exist with the printed book, it may make you
decide to buy the book :-)
i
One thing you should note, though: this book is copyright. By buying the CD-
ROM, you have a license to use it for your own personal use. You may not give
it to other people, or use the text in other documents without the prior writ-
ten approval of Walnut Creek CDROM. If you distribute this image without prior
agreement, a royalty of $1.00 per copy shall apply.
ii
The Complete FreeBSD(R)
_____________________________________________________________
Important notice
A list of errata and addenda is available for this book on the first CD-
ROM in the file /book/errata. The most up-to-date list is on
ftp://ftp.lemis.com/pub/cfbsd/errata-3. Please check these lists before
reporting problems.
If you find errors in this book, please report them to Greg Lehey
<grog@lemis.com> for inclusion in the errata list.
The Complete FreeBSD(R)
Third Edition
Greg Lehey
Walnut Creek CDROM
The Complete FreeBSD(R)
by Greg Lehey <grog@FreeBSD.ORG>
Published by Walnut Creek CDROM
Suite 260, 1547 Palos Verdes Mall
Walnut Creek CA 94596 USA
o Sales +1-925 674-0783
o Technical support +1-925 603-1234
o Fax +1-925 674-0821
o Email: info@cdrom.com
o Web:
http://www.cdrom.com/
All Rights Reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in
any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying,
recording, or by any information storage or retrieval system, without written
permission from the publisher.
Copyright (C) 1996, 1997, 1999 Greg Lehey and Walnut Creek CDROM
Cover design by Kristina Fuxell.
FreeBSD(R) is a Registered Trade Mark of FreeBSD Inc. and Walnut Creek CDROM.
UNIX(R) is currently a Registered Trade Mark of The Open Group. For more in-
formation, see
http://www.rdg.opengroup.org/public/tech/unix/trademark.html.
As used in this book, UNIX refers to the operating system development which
predated the registration of the UNIX trademark.
Significant portions copyright (C) 1993, 1994, 1995 FreeBSD Inc.
Portions copyright (C) 1994, 1995 The XFree86 Project, Inc. Many of the man
pages are Copyright (C) of the Free Software Foundation. See the FSF license
on page 737 for further details.
The Berkeley daemon on the cover was included with kind permission of M. Kirk
McKusick.
Walnut Creek CDROM acknowledges copyright names and trademarks which may be in-
cidentally mentioned in this material.
See page xxxvi for the list of the RCS IDs which was previously printed on this
page.
This book was written in troff and formatted on 16 September 1999 with GNU
groff version 1.11 running under FreeBSD 4.0-CURRENT.
Contents
Introduction to the text version i
Preface xxxi
The third edition xxxi
Conventions used in this book xxxii
Describing the keyboard xxxiii
Acknowledgements xxxiv
Book reviewers xxxiv
How this book was written xxxv
