Installing FreeBSD as desktop system: a detailed description

H

hwagemann

Hello,

as written in title of this thread I want to try out the package desktop-installer for setting up FreeBSD as desktop-system.

I've read some threads about this, also was involved in a discussion about it. Some people think, FreeBSD as a universal OS also is good for using on desktop, some people disagree with that, some people of "desktop-party" postulate to make some things a little bit more easy, some others from "desktop-party" and "non-desktop-party" disagree with this and so on. A bundle of different opinions.

I'm a Linux user since 1998, have a lot of experience with it and use it on desktop systems, on Notebooks and on NAS. I'm one of the people of "desktop-party" and I'm one of people who think, that some things could be a little bit more easy to set up for desktop using. I'm able to set up FreeBSD for my needs as desktop user, meanwhile can do a lot of things with it as with Linux. But if there is a package which makes some things a little bit more comfortable, I will not hesitate to use it.

One important point: I'm not a refugee from Linux, my intention trying FreeBSD is to learn about a further free Unix-based operating system, not to replace Linux with it.

Apart from I've learned yesterday, that FreeBSD has a package called sysutils/desktop-installer, I'm a little bit curious how it will works.

I want to delete my current FreeBSD installation with xorg, nvidia, libreoffice, kde4 ... , then I want to set up a basic FreeBSD and then want to try out package desktop-installer.

My question: Is there any interest for a detailed How-To? Then I'll make a documentation of this installation with all steps and I'll hope that this How-To maybe can help other people who want to try out FreeBSD for desktop. If I get no feedback here then I'll do installation but without documentation.

Kind regards,
Holger
 
I was unaware of this package, but this seems like what I was referring to the other thread as to what was needed or should be done for desktop users.

I would be curious to read your thoughts about using it.
 
If you wan to know how this package works, you could start by having a look at the scripts it executes. If you have the ports(8) tree installed (if not, read this), you can fetch the scripts and extract them easily.
% cd /usr/ports/sysutils/desktop-installer
# make fetch
# make extract
% cd work/desktop-installer-0.4.8
% ls
The main script seems to be desktop-installer.
 
Hello,

Your supplemental hints are helpful, thanks. This weekend I'll give desktop-installer a try, and if result will be a working desktop then a documentation will follow soon :)

Kind regards,
Holger
 
Hello,

Here comes a first feedback. I've installed FreeBSD as desktop-system with KDE4 on computer of my wife and on my computer. On both systems I've done a basic installation and then used desktop-installer script with success. Apart from that there were a few situations, which would have over-strained people, who are not so familiar with package management and with handling issues. So I think a how to can be helpful.
I want to describe the procedure of installation referring to computers of my wife and me and to our needs. But it should be easy for others to transfer this to there needs.
The description will include also basis installation with FreeBSD installation image, because this is often very helpful for beginners. All advanced users of FreeBSD who are interested, how desktop-installer works, can skip this stuff.

I hope, I will finish this how to in a few days.

Kind regards,
Holger
 
Hello,

I've not forgotten to write a howto and I'll do next days. But meanwhile I prefer not to use that tool for setting up xfce or kde4. I'll give detailed info about it.

Kind regards,
Holger
 
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