Date: Fri, 10 Apr 2020 20:23:20 +0000 From: Rick Macklem <rmacklem@uoguelph.ca> To: Mike Remski <mremski@comcast.net>, "freebsd-hackers@freebsd.org" <freebsd-hackers@freebsd.org> Subject: Re: Ars Technica article on FreeBSD new user experience Message-ID: <QB1PR01MB3649CB3E113A4591FAD6BEF7DDDE0@QB1PR01MB3649.CANPRD01.PROD.OUTLOOK.COM> In-Reply-To: <9bc85f04-ed38-4d5a-bec3-551079cdcb2b@comcast.net> References: <CAPyFy2AVfEzey0%2B9-b8ZS1uyn8ODOoNhCHY7fHp2uc9ASiw%2BnA@mail.gmail.com> <QB1PR01MB3649C0BF47DD657D625BCB79DDC10@QB1PR01MB3649.CANPRD01.PROD.OUTLOOK.COM>, <9bc85f04-ed38-4d5a-bec3-551079cdcb2b@comcast.net>
next in thread | previous in thread | raw e-mail | index | archive | help
Mike Remski wrote:=0A= >On Thursday, April 9, 2020 5:39:45 PM EDT, Rick Macklem wrote:=0A= >> Ed Maste <emaste@freebsd.org> wrote:=0A= >>> Jim Salter has an article in Ars Technica discussing his experience=0A= >>> with FreeBSD 12.1 as a desktop:=0A= >>> https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2020/04/not-actually-linux-distro-revie= w-freebsd-12-1-release/=0A= >>>=0A= >>> There are some points in there that might involve misunderstanding,=0A= >>> but there are also a number of real issues raised about the experience = ...=0A= >> Since this is a public mailing list, I'll repost here...=0A= >>=0A= >> One thought here that I'll throw out (I have no idea if others=0A= >> have suggested=0A= >> this before)=85=0A= >> What about creating a separate release for desktops/laptops that install= s=0A= >> X Windows etc from a simple installer "out of the box"?=0A= >> --> To keep it simple, don't try to support all hardware, just=0A= >> stuff that is widely=0A= >> available and already well supported by the drivers in FreeBSD.=0A= >> Obviously amd64 only plus a few widely available display=0A= >> chip sets that work=0A= >> well, etc and so on...=0A= >>=0A= >> If it doesn't support the hardware someone has, then they can go the reg= ular=0A= >> release/install route. (It would be nice to maintain an up to=0A= >> date list of what=0A= >> hardware it supports, but it might be easier to just have it=0A= >> start up live CD=0A= >> style and then see if the hardware it needs is there.=0A= >> --> Sorry, can't do this display chipset to that sound chip or...=0A= >>=0A= >> Just an idea, rick=0A= >> ps: I am not volunteering to help do this. I run FreeBSD on laptop/deskt= op=0A= >> systems, but bare bones. No X Windows...=0A= >=0A= >Something like what old PCBSD did? How about FuryBSD as a starting point?= =0A= >Joe Maloney is layering either XFCE or KDE (2 different ISO/install media)= =0A= >on top of a FreeBSD install, so out of the box, the install gives you=0A= >FreeBSD with either XFCE or KDE.=0A= Yes. I'll admit I didn't know FuryBSD existed until now, but if the web pag= e is=0A= accurate, it would be fine.=0A= =0A= Maybe all that should be done is a reference to it on FreeBSD's web page.= =0A= "If you are new to FreeBSD and want a desktop system, you could try..."=0A= FreeNAS should be mentioned as well, for people who want a NAS server, imho= .=0A= =0A= Although I said a new FreeBSD release, I don't see why it needs to be done = by=0A= the FreeBSD project itself, just that I didn't realize others were currentl= y doing this.=0A= =0A= Maybe someone should ask the author of this article to try FuryBSD?=0A= =0A= >Disclaimer: I've been using FreeBSD with X as a daily driver for a long= =0A= >time and honestly never found it that difficult to set up. Hardest was=0A= >when everything started to need the drm-kmod bits, but once I understood= =0A= >what I needed to do, it's not been an issue.=0A= I feel about the same w.r.t. NFS servers.=0A= However, I've known good technical people who just haven't used FreeBSD=0A= who have found FreeNAS worked just fine whereas setting up a server using= =0A= a FreeBSD release didn't work for them.=0A= =0A= rick=0A= =0A= _______________________________________________=0A= freebsd-hackers@freebsd.org mailing list=0A= https://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-hackers=0A= To unsubscribe, send any mail to "freebsd-hackers-unsubscribe@freebsd.org"= =0A=
Want to link to this message? Use this URL: <https://mail-archive.FreeBSD.org/cgi/mid.cgi?QB1PR01MB3649CB3E113A4591FAD6BEF7DDDE0>