Submitted by DesktopBSD 1.6-RC2 has been released. “Primary changes since 1.6-RC1: improved video detection; no more annoying package database messages when an installation/upgrade failed; upgrading from 1.0 should work fine now; cups problems are hopefully gone; KDE 3.5.6; K3B 1.0.”
DesktopBSD is a very easy no-brainer to install fast and software installation likewise. It’s a great way to use BSD. Personally I think the BSD license is great and lets people do what they want with very few demands.
I think most people appreciate the usefulness of an alternative to Linux
Agreed. Though I’ve not tried DesktopBSD, I am a great fan of FreeBSD and find not only does it offer a high standard as an alternative to Linux, it also run’s Linux binaries. Win win.
Show us a torrent link
omg it’s right there. are you sure you are not too lazy to download it..?
Good way to quickly install FreeBSD and stay 100% compatible.
“Good way to quickly install FreeBSD and stay 100% compatible.”
That’s right. Allthough PC-BSD’s PBI packaging system is more lazy than anything I know (hey, it’s good!), DesktopBSD is still a good solution for BSD beginners, and even for PC beginners. It comes with KDE, so, no problems except you expect strangs obsoleted hardware to work…
DesktopBSD runs fine on older boxes. You can very easy get rid of KDE and install something faster. It is very secure by default.
Personally, I prefer a “real” FreeBSD, because I’d first have to uninstall nearly everything that comes with DesktopBSD, than install something completely different and then configure everything so it works. 🙂
I know that ports work on PC-BSD. How about FreeBSD packages (.tbz files) ?
DG
“I know that ports work on PC-BSD. How about FreeBSD packages (.tbz files) ? “
Because PC-BSD and DesktopBSD are FreeBSDs, the two regular installation methods (ports, packages) work on both of them; PC-BSD’s PBI packages are an additional method that works with PC-BSD only, as far as I know. Furthermore, the “old fashioned way” of ./configure && make install should work, too.
On DesktopBSD, you simply do something like
# pkg_add -r xmms
to install xmms and the dependencies it needs.
You can also use the “ports and packages wrapper” called portinstall / portupgrade, simply
# pkg_add -r portupgrade
or
# cd /usr/ports/sysutils/portupgrade
# make install
to have it available. The portinstall utility can be used to install ports (without parameters) or packages (with -P or -PP) and to create tbz packages (with -p). Short example:
# cd /usr/ports
# portinstall -P audio/lame
does the same like
# pkg_add -r lame
while
# cd /usr/ports
# portinstall sysutils/xosview
is equivalent to
# cd /usr/ports/sysutils/xosview
# make
# make install
# make clean
And if you want to compile something by yourself and store the result in a pkg_add installable tbz file, you can do
# cd /usr/ports
# portinstall -p games/ltris
or
# cd /usr/ports/games/ltris
# make
# make install
# make package
# make clean
This will create a ltris-(version).tbz in /usr/ports/packages (default location) which you can transfer to other systems and install it via pkg_add.
For more information, consult “man portinstall”.
Using portupgrade, be sure to keep the package database tidy, use
# pkgdb -aF
before and after each installation / deinstallation process. On PC-BSD, be aware of side effects to installed PBI packages.
before and after each installation / deinstallation process. On PC-BSD, be aware of side effects to installed PBI packages.
If you install only self-contained PBIs then there would be no side effects. Beware that PBI is not just about self-contained binaries this is container for various scripts/data/port(added with pkg_add) and can do whatever you want.
Actually PBI technology code(BSD Licensed) is available from subversion repository and anyone can glue it into their FreeBSD(DesktopBSD) installation. Not available in ports so far- sorry, but anyone who want to make freebsd port are welcome.
DesktopBSD tools are available in ports and can be used on any FreeBSD installation including PC-BSD- though we(PC-BSD) got our own networking tools(including PF graphical firewall configurator) and various utilities now in development release.
“If you install only self-contained PBIs then there would be no side effects.”
This is correct. PBI is the recommended program installation system of PC-BSD (allthough you can use ports and packages as mentioned above). The “pkgdb -aF” maintenance operation is exclusively for the use of portinstall in conjunction with ports and packages.
“Beware that PBI is not just about self-contained binaries this is container for various scripts/data/port(added with pkg_add) and can do whatever you want.”
A PBI package contains all dependencies needed by an application. You cannot get into “dependency hell”, but it consumes some more disk space, but this should not be a problem today. Next to installation, it may do some configuration, too.
“DesktopBSD tools are available in ports and can be used on any FreeBSD installation including PC-BSD- though we(PC-BSD) got our own networking tools(including PF graphical firewall configurator) and various utilities now in development release.”
I’ve seen them in /usr/ports/sysutils/desktopbsd-tools: “The DesktopBSD Tools are a collection of applications designed to make life easier and increase productivity. Even inexperienced users can easily perform administrative tasks efficiently, such as configuring wireless networks, accessing USB storage devices or installing and upgrading software.” Of course, a nice addon for a “real” FreeBSD installation.
Many thanks, Doc, for long answer. I have copy pasted and saved it.
My first FreeBSD trial was back in 2001. when I succesfully installed FreeBSD4.4, but, somehow, Linux
won the battle over the hard-disk space on my growing PC junk-yard. It was the time one cold buy second PC for less than 100 USAD, crappy Windows98 still ruled OS world while Windows2000 was to expensive and WinME was just joke. So I’ve started looking for alternative OS-es.
After numoerous Linux distros I’ve had on my machines (six as of yet) finally PCBSD 1.3 conquered an old Compaq Pentium II 450 MHz which I use mainly as a file server, backup box and, I guess, it will stay that way for while. To be honest PCBSD software management PBI was so chalenging and so easy to use so I never bothered to learn FreeBSD “ports” system. I also tried DesktopBSD and honestly I don’t know why it was removed from my machine.
Couple months ago I had an opportunity to get FreeBSD 5.2.1 retail box for couple dollars and finally start learning BSD but I’m still hesitant to dig deeper in BSD internals.
Honestly, PCBSD and DesktopBSD are perfect BSD derivatives to my taste while TrueBSD (Live-CD)looks very promissing.
Once DesktopBSD 1.6 major release is available I’ll certainly find room on my hard-disks for that slick and elegant desktop OS.
Edited 2007-04-08 21:11
“To be honest PC-BSD software management PBI was so challenging and so easy to use so I never bothered to learn FreeBSD “ports” system.”
Actually, there is a PBI program for it that adds a GUI frontend to Ports. But I have to say using Ports is very straight forward and easy to do. I am DL’ing Desktop BSD now to take a look. It does sound interesting. SO far I have found I prefer BSD to Linux although Kubuntu is looking very promising.