FreeBSD Expedition: Entry #1

K,

I've decided to learn FreeBSD. Here goes me! I went to google and punched in "FreeBSD" (cuz, I kept reading about it on /.) and the first link took me to this site: http://www.freebsd.org/. I'm already afraid cuz when I got there I saw a devil -- a cute, little, devil, but still a devil. What are they already trying to tell me? That this will be hell? Why do Open Source people choose such zany mascots?

Debils! I see Debils!!! ----
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So, I go there and immediately want the ISOs to burn the install disks. I had to look for a good minute to find the right link -- not too hard, but all sites should have a huge "DOWNLOAD HERE" button or area on the site for easy, and thought free, downloading cuz, well, not just to deal with dumb people like me, but mostly because I HATE WAITING or LOOKING or ANYTHING THAT TAKES AWAY ONE SECOND OF MY LIFE THAT COULD LATER BE SPENT WATCHING THE SIMPSONS!!!

So, four clicks later -- and more thinking and looking for what I want, cuz I want the latest greatest being teethed on Windows, and will settle for nothing less, and, well, 5.3 is the latest/greatest, but I see the date on the 4.11 folder (erm directory) is actually later than on the 5.3 and -- well, got confused but figured it out and DLed it.... Btw, when I think of OSes and 4.11 I think of Netware....

So, got the ISOs DLed and burned and pop disk 1 into the ol' CD drive. Helo (proper way to spell "helo" when doing SMTP commands) Darik and thine way cool hard disk eraser! I know thee well -- well, not well ... just used it once before, but still. I hit the read me on a floppy of Darik's I already had made and read the readme to find "quick" and do a quick erase -- um, quick ... ya right quick....

"DBAN succeeded. All selected disks have been wiped...."

Woohoo! On to FreeBSD install! This should be a cinch!...