git: 64df2ef8ed - main - Status/2026Q1/desktop-script-bsdinstall.adoc: Add report
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Date: Thu, 16 Apr 2026 17:29:53 UTC
The branch main has been updated by salvadore:
URL: https://cgit.FreeBSD.org/doc/commit/?id=64df2ef8ed2c351c88c46df4266489a2e3111e0e
commit 64df2ef8ed2c351c88c46df4266489a2e3111e0e
Author: Alfonso S. Siciliano <asiciliano@FreeBSD.org>
AuthorDate: 2026-04-09 00:12:02 +0000
Commit: Lorenzo Salvadore <salvadore@FreeBSD.org>
CommitDate: 2026-04-16 17:29:30 +0000
Status/2026Q1/desktop-script-bsdinstall.adoc: Add report
Pull Request: https://github.com/freebsd/freebsd-doc/pull/651
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+=== Desktop Script for BSDInstall
+
+Links: +
+link:https://github.com/FreeBSDFoundation/proj-laptop/issues/25[Laptop Support and Usability Project Task] URL: link:https://github.com/FreeBSDFoundation/proj-laptop/issues/25[] +
+link:https://gitlab.com/alfix/kde-installer-dialogs[Project repository] URL: link:https://gitlab.com/alfix/kde-installer-dialogs[]
+
+Contact: Alfonso Sabato Siciliano <asiciliano@FreeBSD.org>
+
+In the past, I developed several shell scripts with graphical interfaces to install and configure a complete desktop environment on my laptop.
+These interfaces allowed users to select their preferred options.
+One script in particular included GPU drivers, desktop environments, and tools for both laptops and desktop systems.
+These projects are still available in public online repositories, but they are now likely obsolete, as they have not been used or maintained for several years.
+
+Recently, the FreeBSD Foundation launched the Laptop Support and Usability Project.
+One of the short-term goals of this project is to provide a simple feature in man:bsdinstall[8], the FreeBSD system installer, to install and configure a graphical environment.
+The installer should ask users whether they want to install a desktop environment and, if so, automatically install and configure everything needed with minimal or no user intervention.
+After reboot, users should be presented with a KDE Plasma graphical login screen.
+
+To implement this feature, I reused one of my previous scripts as a proof of concept.
+It has been updated, simplified, and renamed to _desktop_.
+The script installs and configures GPU drivers, Xorg, KDE Plasma, and SDDM.
+Based on the feedback received, I introduced several improvements over the original version:
+
+* Automatic GPU detection with a suggested video driver, since some users selected the wrong GPU during testing.
+ This is particularly important as the script targets less experienced users.
+* Addition of dialog-based messages to provide information, documentation, and error reporting.
+* Extra features and menus to allow users to choose certain configurations.
+
+In the future, depending on user interest and feedback, support can be extended to additional desktop environments and tools.
+
+One of the main challenges was the wide variety of supported GPUs.
+For this reason, I launched a call for testing, involving the community through a script to be executed on an already installed system.
+The feedback and suggestions received were very positive and valuable.
+Contributions are still welcome, especially for:
+
+* NVIDIA Optimus with recent GPUs.
+* Systems with non-amd64 architectures.
+
+A version of the script was later adapted for integration into bsdinstall and into an installation ISO.
+After successful testing on both CURRENT and STABLE, a review has been submitted to add the _desktop_ script to bsdinstall: link:https://reviews.freebsd.org/D56167[D56167].
+
+Sponsor: The FreeBSD Foundation