Which FreeBSD version should I use on my desktop?

L

linuxlover

I am currently using 14.0-RELEASE. As a home user, what should I update it to? I am also okay with a new clean installation. Which version would be the most reliable for home user?
 
Oh, and no need for a new clean install, you can easily upgrade your 14.0-RELEASE to 14.2 using freebsd-update(8). Unless you really want to do a clean install of course.
 
SirDice said:
Oh, and no need for a new clean install, you can easily upgrade your 14.0-RELEASE to 14.2 using freebsd-update(8). Unless you really want to do a clean install of course.
Click to expand...
I wanted to ask something since there is the topic of a clean install.
Unlike in linux I notice that if I build ports, install the resulted pkg, and delete it, some pkgs tell me that there is a configuration file left.
Is it the default behavior of all pkgs which create config files, to notify me that I should delete config files if I do not need them anymore ?
Or could it happen that some pkgs do not inform me, and I get unused config files polluting my system more and more ?
 
LillieNB said:
I wanted to ask something since there is the topic of a clean install.
Unlike in linux I notice that if I build ports, install the resulted pkg, and delete it, some pkgs tell me that there is a configuration file left.
Is it the default behavior of all pkgs which create config files, to notify me that I should delete config files if I do not need them anymore ?
Or could it happen that some pkgs do not inform me, and I get unused config files polluting my system more and more ?
Click to expand...
I guess that pkg(8) tries to find files that the deleted port installed and warn user about them, this applies to created users/groups too. Sometimes I need to manually remove them and i think sometimes pkg(8) clears them out too.
 
LillieNB said:
Is it the default behavior of all pkgs which create config files, to notify me that I should delete config files if I do not need them anymore ?
Click to expand...
Yes, that should be the case. Some packages don't create configuration files (Samba is a good example of this) though, so they're not going to inform you if there is a configuration file present. The port/package is simply not aware of the existence of that configuration file.

If a package installs a modifiable default configuration file, it is treated differently. Suppose an application uses /usr/local/etc/something.conf for some configurable settings, the port (and by extension its package) might install a default something.conf, but only if that file doesn't yet exist. If there's an existing something.conf it will not be overwritten (or else updating a port/package would result in resetting the configuration back to its default). A something.conf.sample with the default config is written instead. A deletion of that port/package won't remove something.conf if it's different from its default (in other words, if it's been modified). And it will inform you to delete it yourself.

Additional users and/or groups that have been added by installing a port/package are never removed even when uninstalling that port/package, you always have to do this yourself.
 
It would be very destructive (for configuration files and users/groups) if they were automatically removed by removing packages. A simple example, a web server installed and configured. When you upgrade the related package, it is first removed and then reinstalled (at least this is what happens with ports) and it all happens automatically. If the configuration files were removed, the entire web server configuration would be lost.
So the removal of such files, users and groups is left to the user.
 
while we are at the related topic, 14.2 RELEASE is supported up to September 2025. Don't we have some version supported for longer terms? I am no asking for like 5 to 7 years, but a little more would be appreciated. Recent releases/versions seem to be supported for 1 to 1.5 years only. support for 2 to 3 years would be wonderful.
 
usernamekiran said:
Don't we have some version supported for longer terms?
Click to expand...
Each major branch has at least 5 year support, but only the last minor version of that major branch is supported. The 14 major branch is supported at least until November 2028.

www.freebsd.org

FreeBSD Security Information

FreeBSD is an operating system used to power modern servers, desktops, and embedded platforms.
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Also see: https://forums.freebsd.org/threads/lts-support-and-version-clarifications.79890
 
SirDice said:
Each major branch has at least 5 year support, but only the last minor version of that major branch is supported. The 14 major branch is supported at least until November 2028.
Click to expand...
For example do ports which usually work on let us say 14.0-RELEASE also work on all minor versions like 14.2, 14.3 until 14.Last-RELEASE without patches ?
 
usernamekiran said:
14.2 RELEASE is supported up to September 2025.
Click to expand...
An excellent and wonderful period of time to think, comprehend the situation and update.
If you do not update, then there is enough time to prepare the system for backup and restoration to a freshly installed version.
At first, I also thought that, for example, support for 14.1 or 14.2 for 1-1.5 years is not enough.
But no, just right. Everything changes in the world, something needs to be updated.
These are good and thoughtful terms.
Today, for example, I can regularly backup my system until September 2025, and then install a new version without upgrading. It depends on how "battered" 14.2 turns out to be.
 
LillieNB said:
For example do ports which usually work on let us say 14.0-RELEASE also work on all minor versions like 14.2, 14.3 until 14.Last-RELEASE without patches ?
Click to expand...
Yes, for userspace applications this is pretty much guaranteed, this is what the -STABLE moniker refers to, the ABI is kept stable (i.e. not subject to change) during the entire lifetime of that major version.
 
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