FreeBSD is a high-performance, professional quality operating system for 
Intel-compatible PCs. It is based on Berkeley UNIX Ñ the version of UNIXTM developed 
at the University of California at Berkeley between 1975 and 1993 Ñ and derived from 
the final Berkeley Software Distribution, 4.4BSD Lite. FreeBSD offers a combination of 
features unmatched by any other operating system:

FreeBSD is a general purpose operating system, and is especially suited to networking applications. The Internet has its origins in Berkeley UNIX, and FreeBSD supplies the same mature, high-performance networking code, making it the primary choice of Internet Service Providers and other serious businesses. For example, Walnut Creek CDROM relies almost exclusively on FreeBSD, including running FreeBSD on its 
1,200-user, P6-based World Wide Web server at ftp.cdrom.com.

FreeBSD 2.1 also supplies a full complement of software development tools, over 300 additional software packages, as well as XFree86, Version 3.1.2 Ñ the Intel-based version of the X Window System.

FreeBSD 2.1 compares favorably in performance and stability both with commercial operating systems such as UNIX System Vr4, SCO UNIX, and also with Linux. Unlike the commercial offerings, it is a truly open system and comes with complete source code. Along with technical support from Walnut Creek CDROM, you get a large, informal support network on the Internet, including FreeBSDÕs development team.

FreeBSD is non-proprietary, therefore it is possible to quickly share bug fixes and enhancements with all users. FreeBSDÕs centralized development model and network synchronization tools insure that you can easily stay up-to-date.

	This book helps you take your first steps with FreeBSD, from installing the system 
to getting to know the environment. YouÕll read detailed descriptions of the installation 
process, including how to share disks between FreeBSD and other operating systems. 
YouÕll also learn to install and configure your X Window System, get to know FreeBSD,
and reconfigure your FreeBSD kernel.