Snail I have Mint and i like it very much. I want to keep it and run a dualboot with FreeBSD. Mint is fantastic for a Linux machine. I really like the cinnamon DE but some will say that it is because i am a windows user
Your post was a very nice read. I enjoyed your contribution to the thread. Thank You!
astyle I know that the dir command is ls. I made an error. I actually use ls -l as i prefer to see more info (also ls -l -d)
I also know about alias. see my attached screen captures but i have no desire to use dir, much less add it to my shrc file for longterm memory.
I want to add my notes for installing FreeBSD in VirtualBox in Windows 10 for any users interested in also installing FreeBSD. I notice that i have found alot of misinformation in threads and it is probably because 14.2 has changed certain things and those threads contain info for older versions of FreeBSD. For example, one does not have to add mouse to xinitrc because the mouse is enabled by default. The documentation mentions this as well. I suppose it is because of virtualbox-ose-additions. Little things like that have made my journey complicated. I have finally completed notes that i think could be helpful to other newbies. Please let me know if anything need adjusted. The following notes have worked for me in virtualbox 6.1.30 r148432 (Qt5.6.2)
1. setup Virtualbox
Quick outlook of Virtual box settings
I like to alot 40GB dynamic sizing but it is your call here.
However, you should atleast use 20 GB to enjoy installing packages
system
set Base memory to end of green area (half or slightly less-than half of total mem)
unchecked floppy (unless you want it)
checked Optical
checked Hard Disk
unchecked Network
checked Enable I/O APIC
display
Video Memory 128 MB
Graphics Controller: VBoxSVGA
unchecked Enable 3D Acceleration
Storage:
FreeBSD virtual drive (obviously)
I like to add two IDE devices for cds and leave empty
Audio
checked Enable Audio Output
default settings work:
Host Audio Driver: Windows DirectSound
Audio Controller: ICH AC97
Network
checked Enable Network Adapter
Attached to: Bridged Adapter
Name: your adapter should appear here
Advanced: checked Cable connected (wired is better and easier)
default Adapter type works: Intel PRO/1000 MT Desktop (8254OEM)
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2. install FreeBSD using the FreeBSD-14.2-RELEASE-amd64-dvd1.iso
attached to one of your cdrom devices
a. be sure to add a non-root user during installation
b. at the end of installation you will notice a prompt:
use a shell to make further modifications?
select yes. you will be at a shell and see #
now is a good time to update FreeBSD.
issue the following commands (internet required and internet
should be attached when installing):
# freebsd-update fetch
wait for the update information to be fetched
when less reaches END, press Q key to quit less
# freebsd-update install
wait for the updates to be installed
exit the shell with a shutdown command:
# shutdown -h now
close virtualbox window (power off machine) whenever
you see the press any key to reboot text (do not reboot)
reboot seems to have issues when the iso is still attached
after shutdown.
vm settings: detach/remove installation iso from cdrom
start the FreeBSD virtualmachine again.
3. setup and configuration of FreeBSD
login as root (su doesn't make sense here):
$ pkg
- pkg is not installed so type yes to fetch it
$ pkg update
$ pkg install doas
- or: $ pkg install sudo
- i prefer doas. your choice.
$ pkg install nano
- i like nano editor over vi. your choice.
- vi is already installed, so continue.
change user permissions for your added user
my added user name is john
use your added user name instead of john:
$ pw groupmod wheel -m john
$ pw groupmod video -m john
$ pw groupmod operator -m john
if you chose to install doas:
$ nano /usr/local/etc/doas.conf
type the following in nano but change john:
permit :wheel
permit keepenv john as root
press Control key plus letter o to write
press enter to save/write the file
press Control key plus letter x to exit nano
if you chose to install sudo (and using vi):
$ visudo
find the following line:
# %wheel ALL=(ALL) ALL
remove the comment (#):
%wheel ALL=(ALL) ALL
to remove the comment, type i in vi to enter insert mode
just move the cursor to the # and press enter to move
the text to a newline.
press ESC key to exit insert mode.
type :wq
to write and quit vi.
now we need to make some changes to rc.conf
if you want to run a display manager at boot
$ sysrc sddm_enable="YES"
or whatever dm you have installed light-dm etc
i prefer to maintain a login shell and exit xorg to the shell
so at the prompt type:
$ sysrc moused_enable="YES"
- this enables mouse daemon
$ sysrc pf_enable="YES"
- this enables the built-in p(acket) f(ilter)
- you could also enable firewalls like ipfw instead of pf
$ sysrc sshd_enable="NO"
- if you have no need to run ssh, then disable it
$ sysrc dbus_enable="YES"
- if you want to run DEs, then enable it
$ sysrc hald_enable="YES"
- some say that it runs by default but i do not yet know
$ sysrc vboxguest_enable="YES"
$ sysrc vboxservice_enable="YES"
$ sysrc vboxnet_enable="YES"
- i do not know if the vbox entries are necessary in 14.2 or not
in order to mount cdrom, we need to enable the user to do so:
$ sysctl vfs.usermount=1
note: some say that the following UFS disk setting adds speed:
- sysctl vfs.read_max="128"
- i do not know if this is true or not
- do not use if ZFS is your installation selection
now we need to make a /boot loader.conf file:
$nano /boot/loader.conf
type the following into nano, then write, enter save, then exit:
autoboot_delay="5"
coretemp_load="YES"
ahci_load="YES"
aio_load="YES"
tmpfs_load="YES"
vboxdrv_load="YES"
pf_load="YES"
pflog_load="YES"
fusefs_load="YES"
snd_ich_load="YES"
snd_driver_load="YES"
the sound loaders are necessary to hear audio.
if ich is not your virtualbox controller, then you
probably selected hda. snd_hda_load="YES"
now we have to add pseudo file system support
$ nano /etc/fstab
add the following data to the file:
proc /proc procfs rw 0 0
then write, enter save, x to exit nano.
you can type clear at the prompt and return/enter to clear the screen:
$ clear
now we are done as root:
$ exit
login as regular user
login: $ john
password: $ ********
$ doas pkg install virtualbox-ose-additions
- or $ sudo pkg install virtualbox-ose-additions
FreeBSD is not windows but i like to reboot (-r) here:
$ doas shutdown -r now
- or $ sudo shutdown -r now
you can now install xorg for a graphical environment:
$ doas pkg install xorg
- or $ sudo pkg install xorg
you are now up and running with FreeBSD in VirtualBox.
when you want to shutdown/halt (-h):
$ doas shutdown -h now
- or $ sudo shutdown -h now
I hope that my notes are helpful to you
, like via .shrc, .login, or even via a symlink. Or you can write a Perl/Python/ruby script that lets you use Windows commands in a UNIX shell - I do remember seeing such an exercise in one of my Computer Science classes in college, BTW. The point was to type a Windows command into a UNIX shell, and have the shell actually react with a similar listing. One simple example was equating 
