Figure 1.19: Network Configuration menu

Your Host name is a unique name for your computer. It might be something like "Webserver" or "test". It should be all one word.

The Domain name is the domain your computer is a part of. This computer was set up to test examples for Absolute BSD, so I made it part of http://absolutebsd.com/. If you don't have a local domain name, ask your network administrator.

Earlier in the install I suggested that you get an IP address, netmask, default gateway, and nameserver IP address from your network administrator. Enter this information here.

Even if DHCP configuration works, you will still need to set your Host name and Domain name. Otherwise, your system will boot calling itself "Amnesiac."

Xfree86

If you're an experienced UNIX administrator, you'll probably notice a couple of menu items that say "Configure XFree86". XFree86 is the GUI that generates pretty pictures on your monitor. Take my advice; don't go there now. I've had several installs fail at this point because my XFree86 configuration went bad. You can always configure X after a reboot, using xf86cfg or your preferred tool. And X isn't useful on a server, in any event. All it does is consume system resources.

We aren't going to discuss X in this book. If you're really interested in X, I suggest you get The New Xfree86, by Bill Ball (Premier Press). X is not just a window system, like the Microsoft Windows GUI; it's an entire protocol.

Software

If you're an experienced UNIX hand, you probably know what software you want to install. One popular choice is the Emacs text editor, for example. You can choose to install these programs under the Packages option on the Configuration menu. The Packages option will bring up the Package Selection menu shown in Figure 1.20.

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