Thanks for your thoughts on making the move from Linux to BSD. I'm not making the move because I don't like Linux. Instead, I want to learn BSD. I find that the best way to familiarize myself with a distro is to adopt it as my main distro (for web browsing, email, word processing, etc.). But the challenge of BSD have so far proven too much for me. It would take too long to configure FreeBSD to my liking. I couldn't figure out what to enter in GRUB to multi-boot Linux and BSD. I tried PC-BSD, GhostBSD, and DragonflyBSD in VirtualBox. I've found PC-BSD agonizingly slow to install and operate, and KDE didn't even boot up when I logged in. GhostBSD has too many things that don't work, such as the keyboard on my laptop and my Internet connection on my desktop. DragonflyBSD didn't boot up in Virtualbox. I recommend Linux Mint as a first Linux distro. It's user-friendly, well-established, widely used, includes codecs/drivers that Ubuntu doesn't, and has a Windows-like user interface. For those with older computers, I recommend Puppy Linux or antiX Linux as a first distro. I'm looking for the analogous choice in the BSD world. So what do you recommend as my first desktop BSD distro? What desktop BSD distro is so easy to use that even Paris Hilton can handle it? Please keep in mind that I have a slow Internet connection, and these BSD distros are ENORMOUS. It took some 12-14 hours to download PC-BSD. -- Jason Hsu <jhsu802701@jasonhsu.com>
First I would recommend posting to the correct mailing list. Second I would recommend as much googling as your fingers can stand. Third BSD != Linux and this has been discussed in depth in previous articles. Fourth and foremost I would place a pretty good bet that Paris Hilton could setup and run a FreeBSD desktop. Followup-to: questions@ Remove-to: stable@ On Tue, 29 Mar 2011 15:16, jhsu802701@ wrote:> Thanks for your thoughts on making the move from Linux to BSD. I'm not > making the move because I don't like Linux. Instead, I want to learn > BSD. I find that the best way to familiarize myself with a distro is to > adopt it as my main distro (for web browsing, email, word processing, > etc.). But the challenge of BSD have so far proven too much for me. > It would take too long to configure FreeBSD to my liking. I couldn't > figure out what to enter in GRUB to multi-boot Linux and BSD. I tried > PC-BSD, GhostBSD, and DragonflyBSD in VirtualBox. I've found PC-BSD > agonizingly slow to install and operate, and KDE didn't even boot up > when I logged in. GhostBSD has too many things that don't work, such as > the keyboard on my laptop and my Internet connection on my desktop. > DragonflyBSD didn't boot up in Virtualbox. > > I recommend Linux Mint as a first Linux distro. It's user-friendly, > well-established, widely used, includes codecs/drivers that Ubuntu > doesn't, and has a Windows-like user interface. For those with older > computers, I recommend Puppy Linux or antiX Linux as a first distro. > I'm looking for the analogous choice in the BSD world. > > So what do you recommend as my first desktop BSD distro? What desktop > BSD distro is so easy to use that even Paris Hilton can handle it? > > Please keep in mind that I have a slow Internet connection, and these > BSD distros are ENORMOUS. It took some 12-14 hours to download PC-BSD. > >-- Regards, J. Hellenthal (0x89D8547E) JJH48-ARIN
On 03/30/2011 06:16, Jason Hsu wrote: [..]> So what do you recommend as my first desktop BSD distro?PC-BSD. Seriously. You say you've got it already, so try it on real hardware rather than inside virtualbox. I use PC-BSD 8.1 for both my home and work desktops. Try using PC-BSD's "PBI" package system for plug-n-play installation of common things like Firefox, Thunderbird, VirtualBox, etc from the GUI. (Some of them are already on the PC-BSD DVD image as PBI files.) Is PC-BSD "better" than the best linux desktop distros? Probably not. But it is a good way to get a FreeBSD desktop running. cheers, gja
On Tue, Mar 29, 2011 at 3:16 PM, Jason Hsu <jhsu802701@jasonhsu.com> wrote:> Thanks for your thoughts on making the move from Linux to BSD. I'm not > making the move because I don't like Linux. Instead, I want to learn BSD. > I find that the best way to familiarize myself with a distro is to adopt it > as my main distro (for web browsing, email, word processing, etc.). But the > challenge of BSD have so far proven too much for me. It would take too long > to configure FreeBSD to my liking. I couldn't figure out what to enter in > GRUB to multi-boot Linux and BSD. I tried PC-BSD, GhostBSD, and > DragonflyBSD in VirtualBox. I've found PC-BSD agonizingly slow to install > and operate, and KDE didn't even boot up when I logged in. GhostBSD has too > many things that don't work, such as the keyboard on my laptop and my > Internet connection on my desktop. DragonflyBSD didn't boot up in > Virtualbox. > > I recommend Linux Mint as a first Linux distro. It's user-friendly, > well-established, widely used, includes codecs/drivers that Ubuntu doesn't, > and has a Windows-like user interface. For those with older computers, I > recommend Puppy Linux or antiX Linux as a first distro. I'm looking for the > analogous choice in the BSD world. > > So what do you recommend as my first desktop BSD distro? What desktop BSD > distro is so easy to use that even Paris Hilton can handle it? > > Please keep in mind that I have a slow Internet connection, and these BSD > distros are ENORMOUS. It took some 12-14 hours to download PC-BSD. > > -- > Jason Hsu <jhsu802701@jasonhsu.com> >Please consider http://www.freebsdmall.com/cgi-bin/fm where you may find ready-made DVD or CD , printed Handbook , and others to offset your slow internet link . I do not know your country but it is very likely that you may find ready made FreeBSD or PC-BSD DVD or CD on sale in your country . For a new starter , PC-BSD is good . After studying structure of PC-BSD , it may be a good and pleasing learning work by installing FreeBSD from PC-BSD DVD or directly from FreeBSD released DVD or CDs by following the FreeBSD Handbook . Thank you very much . Mehmet Erol Sanliturk
On Tue, Mar 29, 2011 at 04:55:34PM -0400, J. Hellenthal wrote: <snip>> > I would place a pretty good bet that Paris Hilton could setup > and run a FreeBSD desktop. ></snip> What are you smoking? I want some. ;P -- Paul Procacci Manager, UNIX Support Services Datapipe Managed Global IT Services 1.201.792.4847 (international) 1.888.749.5821 (toll free) This message may contain confidential or privileged information. If you are not the intended recipient, please advise us immediately and delete this message. See http://www.datapipe.com/about-us-legal-email-disclaimer.htm for further information on confidentiality and the risks of non-secure electronic communication. If you cannot access these links, please notify us by reply message and we will send the contents to you.