How do I run Linux apps?

[dragospirvu75]

Hello everyone. I am new in BSD. Sorry if this question was asked before.
I'm looking for a new OS for my laptop (I am a engineering student and I need certain programs). I want to install GhostBSD.
I installed it in a virtual machine and downloaded the apps that I need (CoppeliaSim, Choregraphe and RoboDK - the Linux versions, they don't have BSD version). The executable files for the first two programs don't open (I also tried to open them from terminal with ./ command). The installer for RoboDK doesn't open either.
How do I open/ run Linux apps? And especially these 3 programs. I heard that is a compatibility layer that is already active on the system, but I can't open the apps.
Thank you!

[wb7odyfred]

There is a shell script on a web page that sets up FreeBSD or GhostBSD to run a Linux browser. Let me find it for you. You can also search on the telegram GhostBSD forum https://t.me/ghostbsd

Read this forum post. You may comment there with your issues and questions that come up.
https://forums.ghostbsd.org/viewtopic.php?f=69&t=2647

you have to set sysctl compat.linux.emul_path=/compat/ubuntu, and start the linux rc-script (service linux onestart). Depending on which chroot you intend to use by default, set either (not both) linux_enable="YES" or ubuntu_enable="YES" in /etc/rc.conf.

edit file /etc/rc.conf change NO to YES in this line, or add this line if not existing already.
linux_enable="YES" change to this below:
linux_enable="NO"
ubuntu_enable="YES"

(Mine already said "YES" so I didn't need to change it.) Click Save to save your changes and close the text file, /etc/rc.conf.

Go to this page:
https://github.com/mrclksr/linux-browser-installer

use /compat/ubunut directory. Set item to point to this. use Ubuntu instead of Linux, Ubuntu 22.04 LTS is prefered.

Once you install a linux browser of your choice, ( I installed Brave Linux Browser and like that fine ). , then you have a Linuxulator platform that you can install other Linux apps, inside the chroot environment and file structure. ( You can NOT see files outside the chroot ). Good luck and report back your success or failure. We can work through problems you encounter.




I am glad you are an Engineering Student interested in something other than Windows. What aritlces, websites, led you to look for a replacement to windows that you arrived here at GhostBSD.org/download. Are there other students interested in using GhostBSD like you are doing? I welcome further posts about the steps you did to make those 3 linux apps work on GhostBSD for you. Please take written paper notes as you go along, and then rewrite when you post here on the forum. YOUR KNOWLEDGE can help others use Linux apps on GhostBSD. I am very happy you asked this question about using Linux apps on GhostBSD. So test and keep notes, report in new post below.

You are welcome to Direct Message me on Telegram-Desktop at @finster_fred.
these 4 commands below will allow you to view your attached disk drives and your partitions on those disks.

Code: Select all

camcontrol devlist
geom disk list
gpart status
gpart show -lp

[dragospirvu75]

Hello wb7odyfred! I will try your solution in week-end, when I'll have time and tell you if it works or if I need further help.
I got my bachelor's degree this summer, now I'm studying master's degree, so I'm a little bit more than a student

It's a long story how I arrived at GhostBSD. In a nutshell, I became really interested in operating systems, I discovered the philosophy of free and open source and I love it, and I tried in virtual machines many systems that I found (Linux distros, ReactOS, Visopsys, Kolibri, Menuet, Icaros). While they are all interesting systems, the biggest problem of them, besides Linux, it's the lack of apps. So I installed Linux both on my computer and my laptop and use them since (one year ago). This week, I discovered BSD (and its forks), but I discovered that it's a command-line OS and it requires a separate installation of GUI, but I'm a regular computer user, I want a simple installation of an OS. I found forks of FreeBSD on their website (GhostBSD, NomadBSD and MidnightBSD). I didn't manage to install GUI on Midnight, I didn't try Nomad because it doesn't have an ISO image and I heard it's an OS made to run it live, not as a permanent OS (don't know if it's true), and GhostBSD was really simple to install and it works. So it's definitely my choice of BSD. And because I hate monopolies (as Microsoft has on computer's os), I will keep Linux on my main computer but I would like to install another OS on laptop, and ghostbsd seems the best alternative (at least for me). But only if I can install Linux apps on it.

I tried my best to compress the full story but it's still quite a long one
I supported the use of Linux to my friends and other students. I told them there are many distros, and many desktop environments, most of their apps have native linux version, there are many alternatives of apps and they can even run Windows apps through Wine. That they can do dual-boot and choose from start what os to use. I told them that I will install it, or dual-boot it, for them. Unfortunately, they want only Windows. So if it's a "lost battle" for Linux (in my circle), it's definitely for other smaller systems with even less apps and users, too.

After I will try your solution, I will give you a feedback, maybe on Telegram. Thank you for your comprehensive answer and your support!