Re: [External] Re: Is GNOME on FreeBSD a good idea? Asking for a friend

On 03/10/2025 21:35, Paul Pathiakis wrote:
>
>
> On Friday, October 3, 2025 at 04:13:42 PM EDT, Frank Leonhardt 
> <freebsd-doc@fjl.co.uk> wrote:
>
>
> On 03/10/2025 13:58, Dag-Erling Smørgrav wrote:
>
> > Frank Leonhardt <freebsd-doc@fjl.co.uk> writes:
> >> Someone (not me, honest), really, really wants to run GNOME on FreeBSD
> >> and was complaining to me that it won't run the latest version because
> >> of systemd.
> > I'm sorry to see that your question seems to have brought out an
> > larger-than-usual contingent of kooks.  Please ignore them.
> >
> > We tend to lag a little behind, but GNOME 47 has been available on
> > FreeBSD since June, and I assume GNOME 48 is in progress.  GNOME 49 only
> > just came out, so it's a little early to expect it on FreeBSD.
> >
> > cc: to Olivier who is probably the best person to answer what's
> > currently in progress or right around the corner.
> >
> > DES
>
>
> Thanks for all the answers everyone, and I will pass them on to my
> friend. He's real, his name is Stefan and he lives in Mexico.
>
> Stefan's a Linux aficionado and I suggested he might like to try the
> "real thing". His first comment after installing it was "Wow - how come
> this is so fast?" His next was, "Ugh - I can't seem to get GNOME running."
>
> I'm afraid my experience is limited to sshd and possibly a VGA monitor
> and keyboard on a trolley when things go pear shaped, so I appreciate
> you guys helping me out. He may pop up on this list later. I might also
> try FreeBSD as a desktop as a result, but he's probably got a better
> chance than I have with this "front end" stuff.
>
> Thanks, Frank.
>
>
>
> Frank,
>
> You may want to try GhostBSD for a solid desktop/system. I've put my 
> gf and her 80yo mother on it.
> No issues for over 10 years.  (Goodbye MS viruses and such.)  The 
> desktop is MATE (the fork from GNOME).
>
> Paul
>
Thanks Paul, I dabbled with PC-BSD a while back, and IIRC GhostBSD was 
it successor. I'll pass it on. I had a look at MATE and I might well 
like it myself. If I've got to run a graphical desktop "efficient and 
minimal" works for me, but I doubt MATE will be new and shiny enough for 
him. I suspect you're more like me, and just want something that works. 
As I might have mentioned, I simply install Manjaro (XFCE) and get on 
with it when I need a GUI front-end machine, because it's never "got in 
the way" or annoyed me with silly graphical effects.

Regards, Frank.