Why do you use FreeBSD on desktop?

Short version, FreeBSD as a daily driver, it just works.

Advantages to me:
  • simple process to upgrade to next major release (e.g. 12-RELEASE to 13-RELEASE)
  • up-to-date ports and binary packages (I'm primarily use binary packages) compared to linux distributions like RedHat
  • ZFS integrated into base system including boot environments, encryption, snapshots, that's at least what I primarily use (ZFS as unsupported linux kernel module, I can't recommend that in a business environment)
  • stable and reliable (my workstation is running 24/7, 365)
  • documentation: FreeBSD Handbook, and books like Absolute FreeBSD, etc.
Disadvantages I can cope with:
  • Suspend/Hibernation, but my laptop is most of the time attached to a docking station, and when I travel I power it off for security reasons
  • Wifi support, but my dock has a wired connection, so no need for that, except when traveling and then connecting to my phone hotspot is a piece of cake
For me the move to FreeBSD a few years back was out of the motivation to have a system with minimum maintenance and maximum daily comfort. I had been using RedHat, CentOS for over 10 years on the desktop and the lack of up-to-date packages, and reliable and stable way to upgrade between major releases, made me move away from it.
 
BobSlacker said:
The FAQ it is the first resource that a OBSD user need to read, even before the installation.
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The FAQ is certainly useful but I don't think it is what they are referring to when discussing the very good documentation.
For one, it is an FAQ rather than a proper handbook, etc.
 
I use it on desktop because its the lesser evil compared to rest of them. Sanest approach, i had to cut some corners here and there but not something very critical. Every linux distro i used i was furious about something.

Ubuntu - execution times compared to other distros are insane, ubuntu is bloated asf.
Fedora - six months support cycle, i often had breakages because of its cutting edge, red hat crash-test distro idea(Last version i used was 19/20).
Gentoo - i am forced to recompile everything everytime, if i didn't upgrade for week or two i had huge problems with circular dependencies especially when perl or python gets huge upgrade. Also compiling webkit and llvm is huge pain in the a**.

FreeBSD doesn't have any of those problems above.
 
Profighost said:
At the moment (app. 2y) FreeBSD is my only system for everything,
and FreeBSD only.

... <full quote removed - MOD>

You all have a nice weekend!

P.
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All this you wrote for running FreeBSD desktop on 10y hardware?
 
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easy to mantain , speed, simplicity (besides the WM) in my case FVWM
no 200 process running on a fresh instalation..and many more advantages
 
jb82 said:
You guys who use FreeBSD as a daily driver on desktops.
Just curious, why you've picked FreeBSD instead of Linux, Mac...? IMHO, it would be great to have this kind of information up to date in 2023.
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  • 1990 -- bought a new Mac Classic. Really liked the OS. Got a Performa and one of the first generation PowerBook after. Stayed until System 8.5. Decent system, but the hardware is too expensive;
  • 2006 -- bought a company sponsored Windows laptop. Needed to be Windows to be able to run company software;
  • 2009 -- dumped Windows because updates stacked and made my laptop slow. Started using Fedora after a short period of dual boot, trying and dropping the obvious other distro's. Learned to like the *NIX-way and software repositories;
  • 2017 -- tried FreeBSD first for my i386 netbook that still had good hardware and a nice form factor. Soon after I changed to FreeBSD also on my main machine. Never had the urge to try another *BSD because you can install and delete any software and DM you want. For me, the Linuxes became too much a pre-installed do-it-all W-alternative.
Changed to and stayed with FreeBSD because it is rock stable, has good software and for a novice in UNIX-land a good Handbook and helpful community. Starting from scratch, only install and config what I need, no preset programs etc. Super -- Freedom of Choice! My setup is the same for the last five years.

I don't need the latest software, have no interest in what licencing. A nifty text editor (vim, with help of pandoc and some LaTeX), decent file manager (ranger, xfe), mailclient (mutt) and browser (luakit, firefox for websites that seem to need it), and all is fine. Like software that runs both on TTY and GUI. I only install what I need. No fan that is going nuts because of some heavy process. Suckless, without frills distraction (CWM).
 
meine said:
firefox for websites that seem to need it), and all is fine. Like software that runs both on TTY and GUI. I only install what I need. No fan that is going nuts because of some heavy process. Suckless, without frills
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Which version of Firefox do you have??? I recently tried 109 and later, it's got awful memory leaks that cannot be stopped even with jails/rctl... I had to switch to chromium to have any semblance of stability.
 
meine said:
  • 1990 -- bought a new Mac Classic. Really liked the OS. Got a Performa and one of the first generation PowerBook after. Stayed until System 8.5. Decent system, but the hardware is too expensive;
  • 2006 -- bought a company sponsored Windows laptop. Needed to be Windows to be able to run company software;
  • 2009 -- dumped Windows because updates stacked and made my laptop slow. Started using Fedora after a short period of dual boot, trying and dropping the obvious other distro's. Learned to like the *NIX-way and software repositories;
  • 2017 -- tried FreeBSD first for my i386 netbook that still had good hardware and a nice form factor. Soon after I changed to FreeBSD also on my main machine. Never had the urge to try another *BSD because you can install and delete any software and DM you want. For me, the Linuxes became too much a pre-installed do-it-all W-alternative.
Changed to and stayed with FreeBSD because it is rock stable, has good software and for a novice in UNIX-land a good Handbook and helpful community. Starting from scratch, only install and config what I need, no preset programs etc. Super -- Freedom of Choice! My setup is the same for the last five years.

I don't need the latest software, have no interest in what licencing. A nifty text editor (vim, with help of pandoc and some LaTeX), decent file manager (ranger, xfe), mailclient (mutt) and browser (luakit, firefox for websites that seem to need it), and all is fine. Like software that runs both on TTY and GUI. I only install what I need. No fan that is going nuts because of some heavy process. Suckless, without frills distraction (CWM).
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Do you store your external email keys for Mutt in plain text or hash? I think there are several levels between considering bloated software and primitive software built for another era.
The (modern) desktop definition is quite broad here. Most of the answers seem like a choice of taste, not so much necessity, even mine. There was no killer condition. What you describe can be done with Linux anyway. If I didn't like FreeBSD/Unix, I'd be on Linux or even Windows. I want to think that this applies to most of those who don't use FreeBSD out of obligation.
Just my opinion.
 
jb82 said:
You guys who use FreeBSD as a daily driver on desktops.
Just curious, why you've picked FreeBSD instead of Linux, Mac...? IMHO, it would be great to have this kind of information up to date in 2023.
Click to expand...

What's the point of having up-to-da.te information if the ideology of the few who use FreeBSD only interested in freebsd for server. Since I started testing this system for the first time years ago, there have only been toxic discussion of using it for desktop environment, there ...who don't want it to be extended by default for desktop environment, and things full of opposition.

Then the questions are useless or sterile, because you are immediately branded of troll or trolling. According to them, for FreeBSD desktop environment there are the derivatives such as GhosBSD, and other projects that are not they walk or failed as PC-BSD, due to its null of acceptance or little similarity with FreeBSD.
 
teo said:
Since I started testing this system for the first time years ago, there have only been toxic discussion of using it for desktop environment, there ...who don't want it to be extended by default for desktop environment, and things full of opposition
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Y'know, there are people on these Forums who are fans of command-line, and don't have a desktop running... and that's OK. I don't see why they should be branded 'toxic'.

FreeBSD provides a DIY starting point for a wide variety of desktops. On that point, other BSDs and Linux are also like that.

DIY setup of a DE or window manager is part of the fun. These Forums even provide a thread to encourage that: Thread freebsd-screen-shots.8877. The Forums also provide a place to ask questions of other DIY enthusiasts and share knowledge.

It's up to you to get useful information out of the content you see. If you don't see info you can make use of, please feel free to use these Forums to ask a question. Just don't complain about questions being 'useless or sterile'.
 
astyle said:
Y'know, there are people on these Forums who are fans of command-line, and don't have a desktop running... and that's OK. I don't see why they should be branded 'toxic'.

FreeBSD provides a DIY starting point for a wide variety of desktops. On that point, other BSDs and Linux are also like that.

DIY setup of a DE or window manager is part of the fun. These Forums even provide a thread to encourage that: Thread freebsd-screen-shots.8877. The Forums also provide a place to ask questions of other DIY enthusiasts and share knowledge.

It's up to you to get useful information out of the content you see. If you don't see info you can make use of, please feel free to use these Forums to ask a question. Just don't complain about questions being 'useless or sterile'.
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So why do those fanatics of commands,refuse to allow FreeBSD to be extended by default for the desktop environment? As has been discussed in other threads, the base graphical installer for FreeBSD should have two options, one for the base system installation, and the other by continuation of the desktop environment by default. But no.... make of starting a toxic discussion with countless negative elements, shutting down the possibility of FreeBSD being extended by default for the graphical desktop environment.
 
teo said:
So these people who are fans of the command's line, why do they refuse to have FreeBSD extended by default for desktop environment? As already discussed in other topics, the FreeBSD base graphical installer should have two options, the one option for base system installation, and the other option for desktop environment continuity. But no....those server users start a toxic discussion with countless negative elements, closing themselves to FreeBSD not being extended by default to the desktop environment.
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There's too many different DE's, they have their fans, it's easier to offer a DIY starting point than to decide on one specific default DE. Kind of like selling land rather than throw in a prefab house with every single plot. Having a solid DIY starting point just happens to be more important than throwing in a default DE.

Having a specific default DE is a Linux distro playbook thing. Nothing wrong with that. There are real estate agents that sell land and prefab houses as a package, and then there are agents that only sell land to build your custom home on. There are upsides and downsides to either approach. The Forums point out the upsides and downsides. Users have opinions. Calling the conversations toxic - I'd say that's a stretch.
 
astyle said:
There's too many different DE's, they have their fans, it's easier to offer a DIY starting point than to decide on one specific default DE. Kind of like selling land rather than throw in a prefab house with every single plot. Having a solid DIY starting point just happens to be more important than throwing in a default DE.

Having a specific default DE is a Linux distro playbook thing. Nothing wrong with that. There are real estate agents that sell land and prefab houses as a package, and then there are agents that only sell land to build your custom home on. There are upsides and downsides to either approach. The Forums point out the upsides and downsides. Users have opinions. Calling the conversations toxic - I'd say that's a stretch.
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FreeBSD starting point was 1993, it's been 30 years and it's still a server, and you see where FreeBSD is now, about to disappear. And when I mention toxic discussions, it is because some fanatics don't want FreeBSD to be extended by default for desktop graphical environment, start saying a lot of negative things, and on top of that some start going off topic, and start insulting by saying troll or trolling, just because there are end users who would like FreeBSD to be extended by default for desktop environment, the end users are the majority in the world. In all these 30 years of freebsd's existence, some topics have been closed for falling into toxic, useless and sterile discussions.
 
teo said:
and you see where FreeBSD is now, about to disappear.
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Any day now... I feel it in my old command-line bones! :cool:

Isn't Arch Linux's installer CLI/TUI driven? That's crazy popular also as a desktop OS and rapidly growing. Their reasons for sticking with a text installer is likely similar to FreeBSD's.
 
FreeBSD gives me a warm feeling in my heart ❤️ 💙 💜
My favourite desktop shell of all time was Unity on Ubuntu. I think Canonical were insane to abandon it. So these days I tend to install KDE on FreeBSD and customise it to look and feel like Unity. I understand that there is an Ubuntu Unity spin now but I seem to recall that the project is led by a 12-year-old, which doesn't exactly inspire confidence...
 
teo said:
FreeBSD starting point was 1993, it's been 30 years and it's still a server, and you see where FreeBSD is now, about to disappear. And when I mention toxic discussions, it is because some fanatics don't want FreeBSD to be extended by default for desktop graphical environment, start saying a lot of negative things, and on top of that some start going off topic, and start insulting by saying troll or trolling, just because there are end users who would like FreeBSD to be extended by default for desktop environment, the end users are the majority in the world. In all these 30 years of freebsd's existence, some topics have been closed for falling into toxic, useless and sterile discussions.
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You're missing the point here... 'DIY Starting point' term means 'Fresh install' of FreeBSD. Everybody's got an opinion on what FreeBSD is good for. Yes, FreeBSD does have pain points (for me, it's wifi).

Forums do not provide FreeBSD devs with directions... even if somebody on the Forums got really loud about wanting FreeBSD to come with a default desktop (FREEBSD OWES IT TO ME TO COME WITH A DEFAULT DESKTOP!!!), that won't make a difference to the people actually working on FreeBSD releases.

Also: Forums (in their current incarnation) have only been around since 2010... So go and find a 20-year-old thread that has been closed for "falling into toxic, useless and sterile discussions". :p This is supposedly younger than FreeBSD itself, anyway.

'Saying a lot of negative things': Just re-read your own posts.
 
ProphetOfDoom said:
but I seem to recall that the project is led by a 12-year-old, which doesn't exactly inspire confidence...
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Heh, I do get that. But to give him credit, it seems to be running longer than the recent project for a desktop BSD started by Jordan Hubbard (and Kip Macy). Hubbard had all the big-wig Apple, iX Systems fame but in the end it didn't have the required 12-year old's youthful exuberance.
 
kpedersen said:
Any day now... I feel it in my old command-line bones! :cool:

Isn't Arch Linux's installer CLI/TUI driven? That's crazy popular also as a desktop OS and rapidly growing. Their reasons for sticking with a text installer is likely similar to FreeBSD's.
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I should also add that installing FreeBSD is really simple unlike Arch/Gentoo. Usually It's not possible to install these distros without wiki.
 
teo said:
So why do those fanatics of commands,refuse to allow FreeBSD to be extended by default for the desktop environment? As has been discussed in other threads, the base graphical installer for FreeBSD should have two options, one for the base system installation, and the other by continuation of the desktop environment by default. But no.... make of starting a toxic discussion with countless negative elements, shutting down the possibility of FreeBSD being extended by default for the graphical desktop environment.
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1. If you don't like FreeBSD, just use something else and maybe try to do something constructive with your aggressions.
2. The reasons why the base installer can't be used to install some desktop with all bells and whistles were explained countless of times here. Just repeating the most important one: Base doesn't include anything related to GUI (because it's a BASE system, not everyone will want/need it) and there's a strict line between base and ports which gives lots of advantages people certainly won't "trade in" for yet another 1-click-desktop-foo.
3. There's really nothing to "extend", FreeBSD fully supports desktop installations. Just install the packages.
4. Well, if you don't like FreeBSD, just use something else.
 
Yeah I agree that a pair of fresh eyes and boundless energy could be a really good thing. I suppose my issue is that whilst 12-year-olds can be hyper-intelligent... they're seldom wise (apart from some very anomalous cases of Catholic Saints).
When I clicked on your link kpedersen I was expecting to be taken to that HelloSystem project, and instead I see a BSD I'd never even heard of! I sort of think that further fragmenting something as niche as FreeBSD just dilutes things without making anything better, and maybe people should contribute to FreeBSD instead? It must be great to be the benevolent dictator of an OS, though.
 
teo said:
FreeBSD starting point was 1993, it's been 30 years and it's still a server, and you see where FreeBSD is now, about to disappear. And when I mention toxic discussions, it is because some fanatics don't want FreeBSD to be extended by default for desktop graphical environment, start saying a lot of negative things, and on top of that some start going off topic, and start insulting by saying troll or trolling, just because there are end users who would like FreeBSD to be extended by default for desktop environment, the end users are the majority in the world. In all these 30 years of freebsd's existence, some topics have been closed for falling into toxic, useless and sterile discussions.
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I don't understand why you believe that not having a default gui interface is going to end FreeBSD.

Having a default gui interface doesn't prevent an os from being used as a server. And not having a default gui interface clearly has no effect on a system being used as a desktop.

I don't believe there is an actual issue here that needs to be solved.

You seem really shaken up over this. I don't understand why
 
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