Is the homepage clearly explaining what makes GhostBSD unique?

vimanuelt

Is the homepage clearly explaining what makes GhostBSD unique compared to other BSD or Linux distributions?

Robin

I think so. I followed several links from the homepage to learn more and looked over the forums to see if I would run into problems before I tried it for the first time. I also read reviews of GhostBSD on other sites and watched some videos (thanks @RoboNuggie) and stuff before I dared to install it.

vimanuelt

Showcasing what GhostBSD does and who it is for comes to mind.

grahamperrin

vimanuelt too much for the home page.

A separate page could be linked from https://www.ghostbsd.org/about (don't make the About page longer than it already is).

grahamperrin

vimanuelt FreeBSD is typically not UFS by default; not when using the installer.

Please can you correct this?

(The mistake has been copied to someone's blog post.)

vimanuelt

Improving engagement by using links like:

“New to BSD?”
“Switching from Linux?”
“Try the Live ISO”
might make it easy to get started without guessing.

Robin

Switching from Linux?
- Mint
- Ubuntu
- Debian
- RedHat
Switching from Windows?
Switching from MacOS?

There's a lot of possibilities. I don't think it's possible to list all four zillion and twelve Linux distros, but maybe list distros by category:

Debian-based (Ubu, Mint, Lite, Zorin, MX-Linux, etc)
Slackware-based (SalixOS, Susi, etc)
RedHat-based

vimanuelt

Robin
Ultimately, it’s a matter of adapting to the differences in userland implementations and system tooling between environments, such as transitioning from a GNU/Linux userland to a BSD-based one with distinct utilities, paths, and conventions. Areas of friction often include differences in core utilities (e.g., GNU coreutils vs BSD variants), service management (e.g., systemd vs rc.d), and system configuration locations. Additionally, there are instances where the GNU/Linux userland includes features or flags not present in BSD counterparts, for example, sed -i behaves differently, and the date command in GNU supports --date, which is unavailable on BSD systems. Easing the transition typically involves consulting system manuals (man pages), using compatibility layers where available, and gradually building familiarity through hands-on use and targeted documentation. In some cases, GNU utilities can be installed from ports or packages (e.g., gsed, gdate) to bridge specific compatibility gaps. :-)

grahamperrin

Robin Switching from Linux?
Mint
Ubuntu
Debian
RedHat

For the comparison table, I think Ubuntu would be better than Mint.

grahamperrin

vimanuelt … This could be added to the about or elsewhere. …

grahamperrin don't make the About page longer than it already is).

vimanuelt

Alignment is important. Perhaps we need to update in one location and update both the documentation and the website at the same time.

vimanuelt

grahamperrin
Thank you for finding the error. Here is an updated table.

grahamperrin

vimanuelt thanks.

Desktop users are also a target audience for FreeBSD.

vimanuelt

grahamperrin

vimanuelt KDE Plasma and other desktop environments optional for Ubuntu. I'll follow up with something more concrete.

Desktop users are also a target audience for FreeBSD.

vimanuelt

grahamperrin
Yes, but those are flavors.

grahamperrin

vimanuelt for a comparison table that includes Ubuntu and FreeBSD, it's important to include the Plasma option.

(Until very recently, I didn't realise how easy it is to switch from GNOME and GDM to Plasma and SDDM.)

vimanuelt

Should bsdinstall and bsdsetup fail to offer a desktop‐environment option during installation, one might reasonably feel misled. We remain, with consummate patience, on tenterhooks for the FreeBSD developers to bestow us with precisely that choice. :-)

With each passing day, I find myself increasingly persuaded that FreeBSD is simply GNU/Linux donning a different kernel and base system, a rather polite impostor, if you will. Yet, in an exquisite display of conformity, we clothe BSD in the very same Linux-centric desktop environments; it’s rather like commissioning a bespoke Savile Row suit only to insist on wearing supermarket loafers. ;-)

grahamperrin

vimanuelt If bsdinstall and bsdsetup do not provide an option to install a desktop environment during the install process, …

It's not difficult. Run a pkg command.

Installing packages with the installer for FreeBSD – May 2025

Robin

vimanuelt There's that "re-inventing the wheel" thing again, that BSD is accused of. I usually answer by referencing the "it's not just the kernel" argument. To run a true BSD desktop, we really would have to reinvent the wheel, wouldn't we?

vimanuelt

grahamperrin
Let us be clear. GhostBSD exists largely because FreeBSD’s developers design systems for themselves. FreeBSD performs admirably on servers, but on the desktop, it offers little beyond a command line and the faint hope that one enjoys poring over man pages or deciphering documentation that is frequently outdated, fragmented, and obscure. There is no graphical installer, no default desktop environment, and scarcely any interest in ensuring that the system functions correctly upon installation.

GhostBSD adopts a different view: that a desktop operating system ought, at the very least, to include a desktop. It provides the MATE environment, functioning hardware drivers, and an installer that does not require arcane knowledge of rc.conf syntax or the ritual incantations of X11. It does not pretend to be a server platform. It simply aspires to be usable.

Until FreeBSD’s developers begin designing with users beyond themselves in mind, GhostBSD will remain the more civilised choice.

Users are not asking for luxury. They are asking for an installation process that works, and for documentation that reflects reality. GhostBSD, at the very least, makes a credible attempt to provide both; lest you be tempted to thwart its efforts.

I think we are clear about what makes GhostBSD unique from FreeBSD. ;-)

grahamperrin

vimanuelt … I think we are clear …

Not really. Are you familiar with the LSU (improvements) project?

https://forums.ghostbsd.org/d/307/9