How to create a FreeBSD distro?

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for nobs and non-nobs users that don't have so much time to manually set up the system and install it from scratch by choosing the graphical option
pkg install <your favorite desktop here>
How much extra time does that take? And it installs the one you want, not the one someone else says you want that you then have to uninstall when you decide that.
It's also a step FreeBSD devs don't have to maintain.
 
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Bash:
#!/bin/sh
printf '\nkern.vty=vt\n'>> /boot/loader.conf
printf '\nkern.vt.fb.default_mode="1366x768"\n'>> /boot/loader.conf
printf '\nkld_list="/boot/modules/i915kms.ko"\n'>> /etc/rc.conf
printf '\nkern.evdev.rcpt_mask=6\n'>> /etc/sysctl.conf
printf '\nkern.vt.enable_bell=0\n'>> /etc/sysctl.conf
printf 'exec i3\n'>> /usr/home/eric/.xinitrc
pw groupmod video -m eric
freebsd-update fetch install
pkg install graphics/drm-kmod x11/xorg x11-wm/i3 x11/i3lock x11/i3status x11/dmenu x11-drivers/xf86-video-intel x11/terminator
printf "happy distroing"
 
I doubt the PS3 and PS4 developers at Sony were FreeBSD users but that certainly didn't stop (a modified) FreeBSD become one of the most widely deployed consumer platforms in the world ;)



It is impossible. GUI tools can simply never hope to interact correctly with powerful CLI tools. Crippling the CLI tools is not an option.

I remember that the debian and Arch Linux installer, when booting the Live Image from its CD, gives the option to choose manually in CLI mode and in GUI mode, I also remember in the FreeBSD-derived GhostBSD Live Image, it gave the option to install in GUI mode and in CLI mode.


You can even see this conflict happening in Linux. https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=1650342

RedHat (who invented systemd) is not actually using many parts of it for their own distro. They don't even officially provide systemd-networkd, instead opting for the GUI centric NetworkManager (and crippled nmcli tool).

We don't want FreeBSD to be a mess basically. And yes, FreeBSD is a niche OS because most users don't need a decent OS. They are fine with Windows and macOS. Just like Chlamydia is not a niche disease but that doesn't make it good ;).

And besides...

Anyone who is unable to just type pkg install xfce is not an ordinary user... they shouldn't be near a computer.
[/QUOTE]
 
They don't even officially provide systemd-networkd, instead opting for the GUI centric NetworkManager (and crippled nmcli tool).
That is because in my opinion nmcli is superior. What exactly do you find crippled?
nmcli and its companion mmcliu (modemmanager cli) are two great tools. nmcli is the foundation for the GUI NetworkManager.
The fact that these tools do not require systemd is wonderful.
I wish we had such powerful options.
Have you ever configured a cellular modem on FreeBSD. PPP is the only protocol we support.
We are many years behind in this realm.
 
It is impossible. GUI tools can simply never hope to interact correctly with powerful CLI tools. Crippling the CLI tools is not an option.

I remember booting the Live Image of Debian and Arch Linux visualized the option to install the system in CLI or GUI, the same happened in its beginnings with GhostBSD.

RedHat (who invented systemd) is not actually using many parts of it for their own distro. They don't even officially provide systemd-networkd, instead opting for the GUI centric NetworkManager (and crippled nmcli tool).

RetHad not invented the systemd, systemd was invented by Lennart Poettering a few years ago.


We don't want FreeBSD to be a mess basically.

Even Apple's closed source system is not a disaster because they have some of FreeBSD's code.

And yes, FreeBSD is a niche OS because most users don't need a decent OS. They are fine with Windows and macOS. Just like Chlamydia is not a niche disease but that doesn't make it good

Most of you call a small number of users who benefit from Marketing with their servers? Most nobs and non-nobs users want to use FreeBSD for day-to-day desktop, as many users around the world do not have the economic capacity to acquire MacOS, many users want to run away from the Trojan horse (Windows) and many Linux users are not happy with systemd.
 
Creating a FreeBSD distro is very hard. I used to try to replace the FreeBSD's Ports system with Ravenports, pkgng with ravensw and soonly failed because of ldconfig issues. Everything is very closely integrated so you can't choose the needed building blocks and just build a distro like with Linux. Creating a Linux distro is very easy, even for people that don't have much knowledge. A regular user, if he want, is totally possible to build a Linux distro. But if you want to create a FreeBSD distro, you should have the knowledge as Matthew Dillon (DragonflyBSD founder).

p/s: This is when you want to create real distro. If you just want something like FuryBSD, then, it's not that difficult. Something like GhostBSD is more difficult to create, but they used the technology from TrueOS, so they have the TrueOS guys did the heavy lifting job for them.
 
NetworkManager on Linux is awesome. It's one of the thing I missed most when I left Linux to FreeBSD. I don't know why you bash it too much. Only because it's from Linux?
 
RetHad not invented the systemd, systemd was invented by Lennart Poettering a few years ago.

Lennart Poettering has worked for Red Hat since at least 2008

NetworkManager on Linux is awesome. It's one of the thing I missed most when I left Linux to FreeBSD. I don't know why you bash it too much.
Because it is GUI centric and crippled. I thought I made that clear? I even wrote those specific words.

That is because in my opinion nmcli is superior. What exactly do you find crippled?
The config files for it do not have a stable API (i.e you can't just copy them to another version and guarantee it works. This is a fairly large problem for robustness.
It also requires communication via wpa_supplicant via dbus. This is flimsy and again cannot be automated well. nmtui is lacking 99% of features from nmcli. nmcli is lacking many features compared to the raw tools (even the weak ones found in Linux after it lost ifconifg).

Have you ever configured a cellular modem on FreeBSD. PPP is the only protocol we support.
We are many years behind in this realm.

If we had NetworkManager in ports. I am going to assume because FreeBSD only supports PPP you still couldn't configure a cellular modem with it? So what does it offer you exactly?
 
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mmcli offers the ability to switch between cellular carriers easily. It also outputs gps and has facilities for switching USB compositions as well as firmware flashing.
There are different protocols used by different modems from QMI to MBIM and PPP is very dated.
Not to say PPP does not work but fewer and fewer new modems support it.
So in essence we are missing a cellular modem structure and using PPP facilities from the old dialup modem days.
 
Creating a FreeBSD distro is very hard. I used to try to replace the FreeBSD's Ports system with Ravenports, pkgng with ravensw and soonly failed because of ldconfig issues. Everything is very closely integrated so you can't choose the needed building blocks and just build a distro like with Linux. Creating a Linux distro is very easy, even for people that don't have much knowledge. A regular user, if he want, is totally possible to build a Linux distro. But if you want to create a FreeBSD distro, you should have the knowledge as Matthew Dillon (DragonflyBSD founder).

p/s: This is when you want to create real distro. If you just want something like FuryBSD, then, it's not that difficult. Something like GhostBSD is more difficult to create, but they used the technology from TrueOS, so they have the TrueOS guys did the heavy lifting job for them.
At the risk of perpetuating this Linux is great, FreeBSD is crap nonsense, let me just say this:

FreeBSD is an entire OS, not a kernel like Linux. That's why it's integrated. Linux == Kernel, FreeBSD == Operating System.

Now, can this thread end?
 
mmcli offers the ability to switch between cellular carriers easily. It also outputs gps and has facilities for switching USB compositions as well as firmware flashing.
There are different protocols used by different modems from QMI to MBIM and PPP is very dated.
Not to say PPP does not work but fewer and fewer new modems support it.
So in essence we are missing a cellular modem structure and using PPP facilities from the old dialup modem days.
I suggest you hop over to arch mailing list and inform them of the lack of modem tools. While you're at it ask them if they intend to code for the Intel XMM7360. Eg: https://netbsd.gw.com/cgi-bin/man-cgi?wwanc+4+NetBSD-current
 
At the risk of perpetuating this Linux is great, FreeBSD is crap nonsense, let me just say this:

FreeBSD is an entire OS, not a kernel like Linux. That's why it's integrated. Linux == Kernel, FreeBSD == Operating System.

Now, can this thread end?
I don't know why you just presumed me to be a troll under many accounts name since the fact is I only have this one. If it's not so, why you ask me to end this thread since I'm not even own (or started) it and don't have even a single relationship with the OP? I present my information as fact, but don't impose any opinion on it other than another fact derived from this fact: it's very difficult to create FreeBSD distro. You should ask the Mods to close the thread, not quoting me and said nonsense.
 
I don't know why you just presumed me to be a troll under many accounts name since the fact is I only have this one. If it's not so, why you ask me to end this thread since I'm not even own (or started) it and don't have even a single relationship with the OP? I present my information as fact, but don't impose any opinion on it other than another fact derived from this fact: it's very difficult to create FreeBSD distro. You should ask the Mods to close the thread, not quoting me and said nonsense.

I never stated any such thing. I stated to you, quite correctly, that FreeBSD cannot be a distribution as it's a FULL OPERATING SYSTEM.
I never called you a troll.
I give up!
 
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This thread has run its course. Thread closed.

gh_origin You either take FreeBSD as-is, warts and all, or you can leave

 
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