Is FreeBDS for me?

C

Chauvin

Hi Everyone,

I have tried other Linux distros like SME, Clark Connect, etc. (Realizing that FreeBSD is not a Linux distro) but I am wondering if FreeBSD is a better choice for me.

Here is my hardware
Sun Microsystems Motherboard with a Xeon processor at 2.4
512 Ram
1 Matrox hard drive 80 gig
1 WD hard drive 80 gig
1 Matrox hard drive 120 gig
Onboard Gig LAN card
3Com LAN card

Here is idea system

ISP --->Server (FreeBDS) ----> DD-WRT Wireless Router/Switch-----> LAN
(had a huge problem trying to get my DD-WRT to work as a Switch rather than a Router)

Here is what I current have setup

ISP----> DD-WRT Wireless Router (With NAT) ------> LAN with Server (Clark Connect under DMZ)

This is what I like to do…
Run the Server similar to a company setup.
• Email, Share Drives, Proxy server, Print Server, Firewall, NAT, etc
• Raid 1 – Simple Mirror the two 80, with the 120 as a Spare for extra file sharing etc.
• Web server – PHP (Even thou I have really no idea how it works etc), Forums, etc
• Ventrilo and Team Speak support
• External USB Backup
• Remote Desktop access (VPN possible), but I am able to access my computer through DD-WRT

And I think that’s it.

Realizing that I don’t expect any of the Distro to do this for me, but if the How Tos are clean and for anyone with little or no experience in Linux (I have some experience with Dos, ah the good old days) than I am more than willing to do it myself. (I find most of the How Tos very focused on experience Linux users) I am just trying to ensure that I have a secure web server and LAN.

So what do you think?

Thank you in advance.

Chauvin.
 
Short answer: yes

Long answer:
You can use FreeBSD for all these things and most things will work similar to Linux. You'll just have to look for configuration files under /usr/local/etc instead of /etc.

Make sure that you read through the handbook or at least through the basic sections. English HowTos are unfortunately spread throughout the web in blogs, personal home pages and the like. In other languages these things can often be found in the Wiki of a local community.

The German community BSDForen.de lists over 100 HowTos for FreeBSD in its Wiki. This includes a migration HowTo that takes more than 70 pages in its printed form.
 
One of the reasons I changed from Linux to FreeBSD many years ago and never looked back, was because of the brilliant documentation that FreeBSD has.

Not everything you mention is covered in the FreeBSD Handbook, so you should expect to have to google around for other suitable articles as well.

I wish you good luck!
 
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