Would you like GhostBSD to become more opinionated, or remain general-purpose?

vimanuelt

Would you like GhostBSD to become more opinionated (like elementaryOS or Nitrux), or remain general-purpose?

grahamperrin

Would you like GhostBSD to become more opinionated

No.

vimanuelt

I should define the differences.

Opinionated GhostBSD
An opinionated system gives users a clear and consistent experience. It is easier for beginners. It works well out of the box. It focuses on a single desktop. It avoids complicated setup. This approach is good for Linux users who want to try BSD. It also helps developers polish one version instead of many.

Benefits

Easy for new users
Stable and consistent design
Faster updates and fixes

Limitations

Less freedom for advanced users
Limited support for other use cases
Some users may find it restrictive

General Purpose GhostBSD
A general purpose system gives users more control. It supports many setups. It allows deep customisation. It follows the BSD tradition of choice and simplicity. This path fits users who want to experiment. It is better for developers and professionals.

Benefits

Maximum flexibility
Appeals to technical users
Supports wider range of tasks

Limitations

Harder for beginners
Slower setup
Less consistent user experience

grahamperrin

vimanuelt An opinionated system … is easier for beginners. …

General purpose GhostBSD is already easy for beginners. With added emphasis:

Simple

GhostBSD offers a user-friendly, desktop-oriented operating system based on FreeBSD. It features the MATE desktop environment, and a selection of essential software preinstalled, simplifying your computing experience from the start.

Elegant

… comfortable …

Robin

Is there a balance between the two? If an Xfce "flavor" had not been available, I would have ended up probably using NomadBSD and installing it in spite of the fact that it isn't meant to be installed to a HDD.

vimanuelt

We are now in balance as both the GhostBSD team and the community are contributing together.

So, in some cases, yes.
Opinionated:
The GhostBSD developers are responsible for supporting MATE-related issues.

General Purpose:
The GhostBSD community is responsible for supporting XFCE-related issues.

In other cases, no.
Opinionated:
GhostBSD developers should continue to expand the range of built-in tools. A wider set of defaults and system utilities makes GhostBSD easier to use and more welcoming.

General Purpose:
Users should not rely only on official tools. If something is missing, create it. That is what I have done by developing my own utilities, like brightness control and CLI-based desktop login manager, to address gaps in the system.

brianthehughes

Yes. ;-)
It should offer both. A general purpose layer should exist. An opinionated (thoroughly resourced and fully fledged application suite) should be available.
I feel that the two are, in fact, mutally inclusive. Attempts to nurture an Opinionated system without a rugged General purpose system in place sounds like a fool's errand.

vimanuelt

grahamperrin
Yes, it is friendly, but there is still room to make it more intuitive; if users feel that is needed. :-)

At the same time, some people may be perfectly happy with how things are and prefer not to see any changes, which is also completely understandable. What is the community's risk appetite for change and their expectations? I do not know, but let us find out. :-)

Robin

"Risk appetite?"

For testers who agree to such risk, sure. Might even be fun for them. For me, though, "as is" (rock-stable, simple, dependable) is what I prefer.

vimanuelt

Robin
New tools seldom arrive perfect. ;-)