Can FreeBSD replace my Windows Desktop?

Skype, flash and all that tosh are proprietary (and evidently pretty unportable) and thus need a "proprietary compatibility layer". VirtualBox is great for this task. Seriously, these stupid little programs require no other thought but to make a small hack just to get round their limitations.

The great thing about VirtualBox is that you can also update the OS running inside it, so as Skype and flash drops support for i.e Windows XP, you can just update the guest OS to Vista and carry on your merry way ;)

listentoyoutube.com and youtube-dl are also small hacks that are great for extracting content from youtube.
 
Juanitou said:
drhowarddrfine said:
teo said:
It is very tortuous install freebsd desk, Then there is new linux compatibility (c6) which I have not tried yet which allows flash installation again. So your statement is not true.
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Flash works and have done since I started using FreeBSD (two years ago, more or less). I have not tried yet the new Linux ports.
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Click to expand...

Flash Player tested on linux (c6) compatibility and gave error when installing flash player.
See here and was told to wait until they fix the compatibility protocol.

Today the world does not trust the systems that you say, most people want to switch to a free main system and install on the computer, the problem is that a lot of people we like FreeBSD desk, impossible to resist. ;)
 
DigitalPriest said:
1. How does UFS/ZFS maintain 'security'. As we all know, you can hook up an NTFS drive to just about any computer and harvest any information off of it with no issues (unless some Encryption service is employed). One of the advantages of UNIX systems supposedly is that regardless of the computer it is hooked up to, group permissions are retained, and, thus, file security. What is preventing a Windows or other OS client from developing a program that 'reads' UFS/ZFS and therefor compromises all security?
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Use GELI for encryption.

DigitalPriest said:
2. To me, I am not satisfied with sacrificing freedom for security. Windows has many flaws, but it also has a wealth of applications, not to mention the benefit of being the most widely supported OS in the English speaking portions of the world. I am familiar with FreshPorts.org, but it is a bit difficult for the novice to find 'replacement' programs. I am wondering to what extent I can replace my 'most used' applications in a FreeBSD Environment. I am also trying to avoid simply emulating everything via Wine/VirtualBox, as that defeats the purpose of FreeBSD for me. This includes: (Note that I am not necessarily seeking a named replacement so much as confirmation that 'Yes: A quality alternative exists in FreeBSD')
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This site helps a lot with finding alternatives - http://alternativeto.net/


Chrome -> Chromium (I am under the impression that most extensions for Chrome in Windows do not work in Chromium - Verify?)
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Leave Chrome/Chromium, try Firefox with needed extensions.

Adobe Flash -> ? (Not sure if this has to be emulated. I'd prefer not to use it, but working in IT, sometimes it is a necessary evil)
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That one works without a problem.

VLC -> VLC (I believe this is a seamless transition)
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Yes.

Foobar2000 -> ? (Not sure if there is a quality equivalent for Music Playing and FLAC->MP3 Conversion)
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Deadbeef is the UNIX Foobar.

File Manager-> ? (I have become extremely accustomed to Windows File Manager, via Folder Trees and organization)
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Nautilus and Thunar, both at once for different purposes.

MSOffice -> Libre (Pretty seamless, I've been told)
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No other choice. You may also try MSOffice using WINE or in Windows under VirtualBox.

RDP -> ? (Not sure what equivalent exists for remote connecting to Windows and Linux GUI environments)
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rdesktop works cery well.

Arduino IDE -> ? (Not sure if this has been ported or has to be emulated, even then, can you forward USB ports to an Emulator?)
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To VirtualBox, yes, but only 1.0/1.1 USB ports, 2.0 are problematic. The USB 2.0 support is in Oracle Something Pack and its not available for FreeBSD.

3. Programming Languages. If, for example, Chromium wants to load a Java applet, I'm under the assumption that Java first has to be installed. At this point, however, does Chromium natively know where to look for Java, or is there some kind of a bridging port that acts as a pointer to the Java directory?
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Use icedtea-web plugin for Java on FreeBSD, works very well.

4. GUI. I know there is a legendary battle between KDE and GNOME, with users pleased and displeased with design decisions among both. I haven't even decided myself. However, I'm more interested in the GUI that will allow me to design my own efficient desktop space. I'm 'ok' with pre-designed desktops, but one allure of FreeBSD is the ability to customize and optimize. Recommendations? Alternatives? I hear tell that X is simply a torturous labyrinth of install if you haven't done it before, so I'm a bit intimidated by it.
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I use something 'small' - openbox/tint2/lxpanel/plunk/conky ... and applications that I need.

Thank you again for taking the time to read my post, I appreciate your input for a Newbie.
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Welcome to the real world ;p
 
Adobe Flash -> ? (Not sure if this has to be emulated. I'd prefer not to use it, but working in IT, sometimes it is a necessary evil)
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That one works without a problem.
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That one works without a problem? That's a lie. Flash Player tested on Linux (c6) compatibility and gave error when installing Flash player. See here and was told to wait until they fix the compatibility protocol. ;)
 
Please read my post before replying nonsense. If it doesn’t work with the new C6 compatibility layer, use the well-tested F10.
 
teo said:
That one works without a problem? That's a lie. Flash Player tested on Linux (c6) compatibility and gave error when installing Flash player.
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Please copy the error message. Maybe you've missed something. On my laptop works well.
 
Tested the linux_base-f10 compatibility as linux-c6 compatibility and gave error when installing linux-f10-flashplugin11, and flash player. ;)
 
wblock@ said:
See /usr/ports/UPDATING entry 20140922 about the linux-c6 ports. They work, and Flash, with the www/linux-c6-flashplugin11 port, works too.
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Linux compatibility is enabled. The FreeBSD version is 10 of 32 bits.When trying to follow the steps in this guide to install flash player, fails on this port. ;)

http://www.freshports.org/www/linux-c6-flashplugin11

Code: 
# make install clean
===>  linux_base-c6-6.4_1 compat.linux.osrelease: 2.6.16 is not supported, please use 2.6.18, BEWARE this is highly experimental.
*** Error code 1

Stop.
make: stopped in /usr/ports/emulators/linux_base-c6
#
 
less -p 20140922 /usr/ports/UPDATING

Right there, it shows how to set the sysctl. If that does not work, please start a new thread.
 
So first read some guide on reading guides. Then try compare
===> linux_base-c6-6.4_1 compat.linux.osrelease: 2.6.16 is not supported, please use 2.6.18, BEWARE this is highly experimental.
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and
Additionally, please add the following line to /etc/sysctl.conf:

compat.linux.osrelease=2.6.18
Click to expand...
 
And @teo, please stop accusing people of telling lies when you don’t have a clue of what you are talking about.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
teo said:
Code: 
# make install clean
===>  linux_base-c6-6.4_1 compat.linux.osrelease: 2.6.16 is not supported, please use 2.6.18, BEWARE this is highly experimental.
*** Error code 1

Stop.
make: stopped in /usr/ports/emulators/linux_base-c6
#
Click to expand...
You've missed sysctl compat.linux.osrelease=2.6.18 - it's written in /usr/ports/UPDATING (20140922). And you should modify /etc/sysctl.conf to make this change permanent.
For me works well, can I use Flash in Firefox browser.
 
kpedersen said:
Skype, flash and all that tosh are proprietary (and evidently pretty unportable) and thus need a "proprietary compatibility layer". VirtualBox is great for this task. Seriously, these stupid little programs require no other thought but to make a small hack just to get round their limitations.

The great thing about VirtualBox is that you can also update the OS running inside it, so as Skype and flash drops support for i.e Windows XP, you can just update the guest OS to Vista and carry on your merry way ;)

listentoyoutube.com and youtube-dl are also small hacks that are great for extracting content from youtube.
Click to expand...

Good points. If someone asks:

Can FreeBSD replace my Windows Desktop?
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Yes, you just need to be able to efficiently run Windows in Virtualbox. If it is possible to share and use efficiently resources, then all problems concerning proprietary software are easily solved, and you have even this brilliant OS FreeBSD as a host and have the massive amount of software available that FreeBSD provides. The good thing is here that you only have to do research on this efficiency thing. You don't have to run around and beg everyone to provide a version for this and for that for your open source OS. I love FreeBSD and don't need proprietary software. Everything I need for work are open source and are available and are more than sufficient. Some of the programs I use are developed at universities, others are great open source projects and are of course available in FreeBSD. But there are people who need other software which is only available under Windows or Mac OSX. Well, just improve Virtualbox. And if someone says: Why not just install both OSes on your computer? Because you loose a lot as many may have experienced. You loose sharing files, having access to certain programs if you only boot one of your OSes.
 
Question: Can FreeBSD replace my Windows Desktop?
Answer: Sure, you can run FreeBSD, inside which you run VirtualBox, inside which you run Windows all over again to replace your Windows.

Nailed it!
 
AzaShog said:
Question: Can FreeBSD replace my Windows Desktop?
Answer: Sure, you can run FreeBSD, inside which you run VirtualBox, inside which you run Windows all over again to replace your Windows.

Nailed it!
Click to expand...

I admit, it sounds silly if you answer it this way :).

Edit: But I think that efficiency question is an interesting one. I really would like to run other OSes under one Host OS and this most efficiently, instead each OS separately. This has many advantages, some I have mentioned above.
 
AzaShog said:
Question: Can FreeBSD replace my Windows Desktop?
Answer: Sure, you can run FreeBSD, inside which you run VirtualBox, inside which you run Windows all over again to replace your Windows.

Nailed it!
Click to expand...

I do this. FreeBSD host, Windows VMs for running software that requires Windows. I think we can agree that there is nothing FreeBSD can do about that particular problem.

Running Windows in a VM has the huge advantage of being easily portable to different host hardware, something that is ridiculously difficult with native installs. The VMs also run concurrently with the host. They are at least equal to the responsiveness of a hardware system, while being more convenient.

Not everyone needs that. Many people can live without Windows applications, as shown by Apple and Chrome as an OS.
 
It's not really replacing if you just reinstall it virtualized. You could do that to DOS if someone wrote a hypervisor in DOS. That's hardly DOS replacing Windows, is it.
 
Oko said:
Teach me how to run Oracle Java on FreeBSD and I will take you for the dinner. The difference might be trivial for home user but in my case I would be able to switch 10 servers from Red Hat to FreeBSD.
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The FreeBSD Foundation has a new agreement with Oracle to get native Java on FreeBSD, so run that. Expect the announcement soon. You owe me dinner. :p
 
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