1st time install of bsd: how to best set up net and X?

debguy

debguy

As a first time installer I had no problems getting 11.x onto flash and installing on a Dell Lattitude D510 (noting I'm a long time linux user). But having read the Handbook I'm left with a machine that is not "set up", no advice how to easily do so, and wondering if PC-BSD (alias TrueOS) is exactly freeBSD (per release / compatible) but configured?

(Note closing laptop lid froze the Dell. Also: there were frequent pauses after doing simple commands - up to a second or two pause after a few or several commands entered (is that a performance issue?))

My QUESTION / problem was it left me with only a shell prompt with nearly nothing "working". Internet was working without firewall after very little done (I may have had to start or restart a caching name server, can't remember) but I had to use ports just to get a text based web browser. I also guess there are packages or ports to help me but there are 26,000+ and the Handbook doesn't say "hey - start this program to do network config, start that to install and configure Xorg or X11R6".

Does freeBSD even HAVE network configuration, an ipv6 firewall with a user interface (text or graphics)?

It's not like Knopix or ubuntu, "on the internet browsing with a minimal firewall after install".

So usually I'd be referred to PC-BSD or TrueOS, I hear.

Is PC-PSD exactly like freeBSD (setup aside)? Or is it different distribution that is incompatible in some respects with freeBSD?

I ask because I really like the way freeBSD builds packages and ports, I run MacOS too. But I don't want to do all the setup. I've done linux setup and I know it takes a long time (and that time goes to waste if hackers change compatibility on mainstreamed apps that were config'ed)

thanks much
 
PC-BSD is FreeBSD, with some small changes aimed at user-friendliness.
There are some issues however which might make you want to use real FreeBSD. Mainly the PC-BSD update manager and AppCafe which choke up once a while (use the boot manager if an update got botched to get to the previous working version).

FreeBSD is *not* user-friendly in terms of fancy installers etc. You are supposed to use the console for administrative things.
So you might want to try PC-BSD first.
However, if you like clean and tidy systems finely tunable by hand, which work long-term-reliably, you will want to use FreeBSD and do the setup chore once. It really pays off!
 
I will install BSD again, later, but not today.

So as I understand it, I can run PC-BSD to get comfortable, then I can get rid of AppCafe or other automatic things to where I'm running straight up BSD. (I think by what your saying it'd take only, say an hour or less of hacking, to be where PC-BSD is effectively disabled, and freeBSD is prevailing?

(I was going to set up old laptop for ipv6 web browsing "quickly" (my linux is locked in ipv4 my new modem doesn't give INET class IPs to), but the Mac mini I ordered already arrived early. Also I have to run linux (with libc5 support!) until I get a fast mini PC that can install and run a linux inside bsd (I hear it works, it likely will, but allot of work and my old PC would make it slow).)

((I'm definitely finding I need MacOS (just plain nice to use it), Windows 10 (xbox, government custom apps, etc), freeBSD (having a modern system that ENJOYS compiling from scratch and has great networking - per say not Cisco hardware though), and Linux too because so many, i.e. Android, have chosen to support it, many things are just not "do-able" without that either))

good thing I got a mini because I'm going to need allot of them !
 
debguy if you want a "vanilla" FreeBSD but pre-configured for desktop usage, you need GhostBSD.

PC-BSD does not "exist" anymore, it became TrueOS, what brings many in-house customization far beyond than a simple pre-built desktop like GhostBSD. For instance, it does not use the FreeBSD rc system but OpenRC instead.

EDIT: I think the only real change GhostBSD currently does is building they own packages with options more towards for desktop usage instead of using the FreeBSD repository, but it is just a detail.
 
As I said, PC-BSD is FreeBSD packaged like a "distro". Installation and configuration is easier and faster than almost any Linux.
The graphic configuration tools are sweet and fun to use. They did good work.
I use PC-BSD 10.3 on my notebook because I wanted to have it up and running in less than 1 hr.
Just ignore AppCafe and use pkg as used to on FreeBSD.
 
I actually bought Windows 10 for this old laptop tried that first: took 3/4 of the day doing disk thrashing and re-boots and internet downloads but in end had no sound or DirectX support. But internet worked and in general it was good otherwise.

GhostBSD installer was elegant, quick, amazing. And it just happened to work on an old Dell laptop, including sound.

Thanks for the tip! I will learn about how the installer set up FreeBSD and eventually begin using FreeBSD.
 
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