Using FreeBSD as Desktop OS

AFAIK Unity is a shell for Gnome 3, which itself could be an issue. Also - it's huge, having around 250 MB of binary packages to install on Ubuntu. The latest versions are intended to run on hardware accelerated platforms, although I think there may be a fallback (or was at one point). Officially the project's been halted by Conical, although I think it's still getting updates. Anyway - it seems that it'd be a lot of work for somebody. Go for it!
 
ronaldlees said:
AFAIK Unity is a shell for Gnome 3
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It didn't start out this way. It used to be very separate. What they have now is basically a Unity "theme" for Gnome 3 with a couple of tweaks to make it work differently.

I have heard that Unity itself is pretty unportable to other platforms (i.e dependence on Mir, etc). This was probably by design from Canonical to ensure that Ubuntu had something "different" to offer as they attempted to monetize it. For example, Unity isn't available on many other Linux distros AFAIK.

At this point it might be easier (and perhaps more useful) to port the Win32 GUI shell from ReactOS to FreeBSD ;)
 
So, even Electron doesn't run on FreeBSD? And you still have to have Linux installed, so why even bother using FreeBSD? It's getting more obscure and niche (it's niche being zfs and netflix networking?), it's sad. 12 years ago I loved BSD, but now nothing new even bothers with FreeBSD support (personally said bye bye to FreeBSD when .NET Core didn't run on FreeBSD...). Just let it go to niche server grave and stop trying to make FreeBSD what it isn't - desktop OS.
 
fryshke said:
So, even Electron doesn't run on FreeBSD?
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You can run electron on FreeBSD. Obviously you are clueless on how these things work or you wouldn't have said that.
fryshke said:
And you still have to have Linux installed
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No you don't.
fryshke said:
(it's niche being zfs and netflix networking?)
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And WhatsApp and Juniper Networks and handling more internet traffic than anyone else but reddit trolls like you don't know that. Did you get booted from reddit? Is that why you're here?
fryshke said:
personally said bye bye to FreeBSD when .NET Core didn't run on FreeBSD
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Imagine that. FreeBSD doesn't natively run Windows and Microsoft frameworks.
fryshke said:
Just let it go to niche server grave and stop trying to make FreeBSD what it isn't - desktop OS.
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Most of us are using FreeBSD as a desktop OS as I, and everyone developer in my company, has for 15 years but childish reddit trolls don't know that's possible either.

FreeBSD is a professional operating system for professionals and enthusiasts who use their time to learn and not troll internet forums.
 
fryshke said:
Personally said bye bye to FreeBSD when .NET Core didn't run on FreeBSD...).
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https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc749640.aspx

.NET was first implemented on FreeBSD by Microsoft Research ;)
One might even say it was a first class citizen!

As for .NET Core... I hate to say but no-one uses it. It is just Microsoft's way of saying that they don't intend to maintain .NET for much longer and are gradually trying to cut it down in size until it fizzles out. This is exactly how large companies do product disposal without losing face. :)
 
Would recommend KDE plasma5 , currently running it on FreeBSD 11.1 , loving it :) no big problems yet.
 

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SirDice said:
Make sure to update some time soon. Support for 11.1 ended last Sunday.

Code: 
releng/11.1     11.1-RELEASE     n/a     July 26, 2017     September 30, 2018
https://www.freebsd.org/security/unsupported.html
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Yeah been reading all day about upgrading. not too sure if I want to yet. I noticed the support and security updates..
All post just leads to "upgraded to 11.2 cant load zfs , cant boot kernel , cant boot"

Suggestion what to do? Want to get on 11.2-current but dont feel like using an evening configuring and trying to fix everything. =/

Not feeling like going through all this hazzle to get the desktop working flawless again hehe.
( im a newcomer to bsd, at least for desktop usage )
 
Lars Skogstad said:
All post just leads to "upgraded to 11.2 cant load zfs , cant boot kernel , cant boot"
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That's a bit skewed. If you go to a bakery you'll notice all customers ordering bread related products, if you go to a butcher everyone will be ordering meat products. Same for support forums, everybody posts problems. People that don't have problems generally don't post on support forums ;)
Lars Skogstad said:
Suggestion what to do? Want to get on 11.2-current but dont feel like using an evening configuring and trying to fix everything. =/
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Careful with the naming. There is no 11.2-current. The moniker -CURRENT is reserved for a very specific developer version, the current -CURRENT will soon be released as 12.0-RELEASE and -CURRENT will be the next 13.0.

But what to do is up to you, upgrading now to 11.2 will be the least amount of changes or issue. It should be a walk in the park. The new to release (maybe some time next month) 12.0-RELEASE will be a lot bigger change. It's also a .0 version, which hasn't been tested quite that extensively yet and could still have some serious bugs.
 
fryshke said:
Just let it go to niche server grave and stop trying to make FreeBSD what it isn't - desktop OS.
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Wow... I am so embarrassed...

Here I sit with 6 laptops running FreeBSD as a desktop OS and all this time I thought it was the greatest thing since the abacus as far as a desktop OS. Makes a darn fine .mp3 player, too. One of those machines sits by my recliner and does nothing but play music for me, day in day out, and has been non-stop for 146 days now and counting.

Harley isn't embarrassed though, she's always insanely happy and why I only use the wallpaper I made for her on this machine. Like them all, her T400 is a fully functionally desktop I use every day, could not run more smoothly, be more stable or dependable and everything I could ask, want or need from a desktop OS. And that makes me happy.
harley_is_happy.png

FreeBSD - It just works...for some of us.
 
SirDice said:
That's a bit skewed. If you go to a bakery you'll notice all customers ordering bread related products, if you go to a butcher everyone will be ordering meat products. Same for support forums, everybody posts problems. People that don't have problems generally don't post on support forums ;)

Careful with the naming. There is no 11.2-current. The moniker -CURRENT is reserved for a very specific developer version, the current -CURRENT will soon be released as 12.0-RELEASE and -CURRENT will be the next 13.0.

But what to do is up to you, upgrading now to 11.2 will be the least amount of changes or issue. It should be a walk in the park. The new to release (maybe some time next month) 12.0-RELEASE will be a lot bigger change. It's also a .0 version, which hasn't been tested quite that extensively yet and could still have some serious bugs.
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No need to be sazzy ;)

Okay okay, I will try it now. sorry, 11.2-RELEASE then. ;)
 
gofer_touch said:
Here is another one for you:

https://cooltrainer.org/a-freebsd-desktop-howto/

There is also the script desktop-installer in the package repository and the ports tree. You simply do pkg install desktop-installer in a new install and follow the instructions. You can have a basic FreeBSD desktop up and running literally within about 15 minutes.
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AMAZING!!!

Live and learn, I've been attracted to and looking at FreeBSD for years now.
I finally decided to install it on one of my Linux laptops, but I wanted it with a (gui) desktop.
Using the Handbook and several You-tube videos, as reference, I had it installed and working, almost right, in a week.
Now I came across your post. OF COURSE, I should have come here first.
THANK YOU so much!.
Rr

PS. there are a couple of things I need to adjust on my 11.2 install, so you know I'll be reading these post intensively.
Thanks.
 
So screwed up everything with the 11.2, tried making it from ports aswell(nvidia driver) , tried that one and the 340, nothing. And since I currently only have one pc atm no laptop ill just reinstall another version for now.
 
Lars Skogstad said:
So screwed up everything with the 11.2, tried making it from ports aswell
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Now it is time to start from base. First ensure your upgrade to 11.2-RELEASE smooth. Then try to build from desktop only with default driver (not nvidia).
Find the problem & try to solve. Problem for nvidia may be solved from users here. Package system is fast and good for trial purpose. Once settled may start port system with other ports.
 
Haven got it to work. Config ed xorg. Startx worked. Installer nvidia and nothin. Vern eliminating error and more error. Can it be something wrong with bus?
Ive installer 11.2-stable. Let me guess.. Nvidia dosent work in 11.2 stable?
 
Yes, lately, with 11.2, at least, NVidia has been iffy for me. One machine, I had to manually add the PCI Bus ID, then, when that disk went bad, I decided to do a reinstall on another disk, and it didn't work, while Fedora Linux worked out of the box.

I used the port, but I _think_ that the package now works, now that 11.1 is EOL, but didn't try it. (With the package, you also need Linux, with the port, not necessarily, haven't retried with Linux support yet and won't get to it till Sunday).
I suspect you mean RELEASE, rather than STABLE. In FreeBSD, STABLE is sort of in between RELEASE and CURRENT. Fred Cash wrote a very good explanation during the time of 4, 5, and 6, I think, that's still accurate, that can be seen here. NVidia's package was NOT working on 11.2, you had to use the port, and it wasn't documented anywhere. Did you use the package or the port? If the package, try with the port. It DOES work, at least most of the time (the box I'm using has always been a bit iffy, and as I said, I did have to add the PCI Bus ID, which I didn't have to do on any other machines.
 
scottro said:
Yes, lately, with 11.2, at least, NVidia has been iffy for me. One machine, I had to manually add the PCI Bus ID, then, when that disk went bad, I decided to do a reinstall on another disk, and it didn't work, while Fedora Linux worked out of the box.

I used the port, but I _think_ that the package now works, now that 11.1 is EOL, but didn't try it. (With the package, you also need Linux, with the port, not necessarily, haven't retried with Linux support yet and won't get to it till Sunday).
I suspect you mean RELEASE, rather than STABLE. In FreeBSD, STABLE is sort of in between RELEASE and CURRENT. Fred Cash wrote a very good explanation during the time of 4, 5, and 6, I think, that's still accurate, that can be seen here. NVidia's package was NOT working on 11.2, you had to use the port, and it wasn't documented anywhere. Did you use the package or the port? If the package, try with the port. It DOES work, at least most of the time (the box I'm using has always been a bit iffy, and as I said, I did have to add the PCI Bus ID, which I didn't have to do on any other machines.
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I tried from pkg install nvidia-driver, was hopping it was ficed.

Ive installer FreeBSD 11.2-Stable from The download page
 
So, managed to get it work. Reinstalled everything, everything except printer is now alive.
Did not have to change bus setting, but I had to make it from outside ports.. Had to compile it.
Seems to work good now.
 
Regarding Ubuntu's Unity shell. You can get something very similar on FreeBSD by installing KDE Plasma 5 and then going to "Look and feel" and searching for the "United" theme. This is what I just did last night. Actually so far it seems better than the new Unity which is just a mocked up GNOME Shell. You can have wobbly windows at the same time (impossible with Ubuntu). Here is a shot of my desktop:
snapshot1.png
 
Thanks for the pic of wobbly windows. But - you actually want that?! Go fer it then, I guess. As a guy who has never owned a smart phone (and probably never will) - these smart-phonized gui devices are things I'd prefer to leave sitting on the store shelves. But, the good thing about FreeBSD is that you can have it your way - like burgers with cucumber. So, carry on, carry on ...
 
I am decidedly shallow when it comes to GUIs. :p You’ll notice also my terminal is green-on-black, because it makes me feel that I’m doing something important even when I’m not.
 
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