I just installed FreeBSD 4.4 (by mistake I downloaded 4.4, instead of 4.5). I am downloading 4.5 now. So, I will probably continue to ask a few install realted questions in this thread.

One thing that I noticed in both 4.3 and 4.4 is that when you boot the machine, it takes you to command prompt login, and not GUI login like Linux. Is it normal?

Screen Messed up:
I am hoping to use X-Windows rather than KDE for FreeBSD.
How to change the default Window manager?
Morever, the screen is messed up. It goes faar beyond what I can see, starts scrolling when I move the mouse to either end. How do I configure x windows?

Thx in advance for any help,
Ravi

Regarding GUI Vs Text log in:

-- GUI is not standard for "Linux", it is standard for some Linux Distros and is an option in many more. You should take a look at XDM, KDM, or GDM if you want a graphical login.

Regarding X-Windows instead of KDE:

The X Window System (which is not called X-Windows in any official manor) is the lowest level of most *NIX systems. KDE is a desktop environment that you can run on top of it. I don't believe it is possible to run KDE without X.

Regarding changing the Window Manager:

On most Linux systems (and therefore I assume FreeBSD also) you can create a file called .xinitrc in your home directory containing a list of commands to execute when the startx command is typed. There is an example file in the Linux Config section of http://david.us-lot.org/

Regarding the desktop being larger then the resolution:

Edit your X config file (man XF86Config-4 to find out which file this is). Remove resolutions you can't use from the list, place the highest resolution you can run at the left hand edge of the list.

dorward's right - x windows is the system that supports you even having a graphical environment on a unix system. novell uses it for netware too. If your unix build is configured to use X and you set it up right, you can run one of several window managers on top of it that give you different desktop styles and interfaces.
When it boils down to it, unix (linux included) is not about the GUI; chances are if you're using it for any kind of dedicated server or development station, you won't need X. If you want a nice desktop system for browsing, graphics, etc. then it's a must-have. For this reason, none of the BSDs install with a mandatory X-setup.