UNIX for Dummies Questions & Answers

Hello all,
I was given an old computer that has freebsd 4.3 installed. The computer is a HP 4GB 300Mhz built in 1998. Apparently, the computer has not been used as the /home directory is empty of files.

I want to migrate away from Micro$oft and learn unix but am not a programmer and finding out that certain types of information is fiendishly hard to find. I have a very thick unix book that teaches all the basic commands (and I'm learning fast!) but leaves out other info I'd like to have. Ok, end of rant and on to the point...

1).What is the command to mount the cd in freebsd 4.3 in order to make install the ports? I can't even get emacs to work...<sigh and scream> The freebsd handbook is downright flirtatious with the information it excludes from users like myself.
I know to su to root, insert the cd. The handbook then teases with "mount the cd. Make sure the mount point is in /cdrom". This tells me nothing I can use.
Will someone take me by the hand on this one?

The cool thing about UNIX is that all of the command information is right at your finger tips First step is to use the man pages. Try typing man mount at the command line. To understand mount, also read about file types and mount points.

Mount
All files accessible in a Unix system are arranged in one
big tree, the file hierarchy, rooted at /. These files
can be spread out over several devices. The mount command
serves to attach the file system found on some device to
the big file tree. Conversely, the umount(8) command will
detach it again.
Read More

Basically, you have to first make sure the /etc/fstab is correct and really mounts your CDROM to /cdrom. Then, you can mount using the mount command as suggested.

I believe this page in the FreeBSD handbook should be a good head start to start your research:
http://www.freebsd.org/doc/en_US.ISO...t-unmount.html

Thanks for your responses.
Problem: Can't make CD work. Handbook says to 'mount' it. It says if I type 'mount device mountpoint' it will work. So I type 'mount /dev/acd0c /cdrom' which comes straight from fstab. It still doesnt work.
Suspecting I've got to be on the right track I type in every variation of the above commands I can think of. Nothing works. I then invade the option -t cd9660 in every conceivable position. No go. After 3 days of hairpulling, inspiration strikes. I type in the simple 'mount /cdrom'. Hit enter.
Joy!!!!
Now, why couldn't the handbook and the man page explain about default settings in fstab to begin with? I suspect its because those manuals were not written for point 'n click microsoft migrants. Perhaps they assume a certain level of familiarity with unix?
Therefore, I'd like to dedicate this post to any and all future migrants that run into the same problem. Heres my message to them:
Find the file called fstab. Look under the column "Mountpoint" for /cdrom. If its there then that means its the default mount point for the cdplayer and you don't have to do anything to it (this was my inspirational breakthrough). Now su to root and type: mount /cdrom. Notice, this applies only to data cd's, not music cd's. Also, this applies to FreeBSD. Dont know about Linux.
You dont gotta mount music cd's 'cause they don't have files on 'em, right? Next, study the concept of default settings and how they work on unix. Thoroughly understand why the command 'mount /cdrom' works.
By the way, what is the command to play music cd's, Migrant? Read, study and hack it out for yourself. Good luck.

Glad to see you worked it out. And by the way, Welcome to UNIX! A powerful and some what difficult operating system to learn. I guarantee you that there isnt a poster (and perhaps moderator) on this board who isnt still learning new tricks of the trade with respect to UNIX. A little elbow grease, a dab of pirspiration, and a pinch of frustration mixed in with the drive to learn the OS is your key to success!