Can't he just start using it as FreeBSD and deinstall the pcbsd .pbi stuff? I agree it would be better to just install a clean system and easier too
I taught myself to use ports while I used PC-BSD and was there 7 years, not counting 2 I took off to learn about computer security. The hard way.
I probably had .PushButtonInstaller and ports mixed and survived many learning experiences to make it here. I used pkg to install all programs on my T43 but have used ports and portmaster with it and it's running now waiting for expat update in ports to patch vulnerability before it hits pkg.
Because I know how to deal with the hard things from experience money can't buy and school can't teach. I advise a new usr not to fix what isn't broken and not tweak system or files that are working as intended, and don't don't fiddle with things that could potentially cause problems they do not yet have the experience to work through.
They become unnecessarily frustrated, start to find fault in FreeBSD, lose interest and blame FreeBSD for their inadequacy because it worked with Linux and they couldn't possibly be at fault.
Unless they are willing to put in the work it takes to learn ports and the finer points of problem solving FreeBSD and doggedly driven to become smarter than anyone around them thought possible.
That's what I wanted, an upgrade, and struggled to figure it out on my own without the Handbook using Grandmaster google-fu lots of trail and errors asking stupid questions no one could or would answer. So I have only asked one questions here and the one I did ask was something about having left IPv6 checked on lynx when I didn't have IPv6 set up and felt stupid asking it.
Now I don't have problems I can't figure out, Didn't know Bo Diddly bout BSD when I started and have written a Beginners Tutorial so people who are at the skill level I was at then don't have to struggle like I did. And it never occurred to me to use pkg instead of ports in it because ports was what I had used for years.
And I'm not going to change it past the git editing to cheat you out of the learning experience because it would be doing the budding brainiacs a disservice to do so and I think you're missing out on a vital part of knowing how FreeBSD works that can only be had from experience.
If you want things to be easy and not willing to do your homework before asking a question, or look at that damned Handbook, I believe he said, then this is just not for you. That's where there is a place for GhostBSD and maybe you will decide you want to use Vanilla FreeBSD.
I had never set up a desktop from scratch till I was a member here and 7 years of PC-BSD did not prepare me for it. I looked at someone else's Tutorial and it was one of the things I will always remember as an accomplishment.