3.1 Synopsis

The following chapter will cover the basic commands and functionality of the FreeBSD operating system. Much of this material is relevant for any Unix-like operating system. Feel free to skim over this chapter if you are familiar with the material. If you are new to FreeBSD, then you will definitely want to read through this chapter carefully.

After reading this chapter, you will know:

• How Unix file permissions work.

• What processes, daemons, and signals are.

• What a shell is, and how to change your default login environment.

• How to use basic text editors.

• How to read manual pages for more information.