Desktop FreeBSD

[dashevil at sympatico.ca]

> 
> From: peter lageotakes <plageotakes at yahoo.com>
> Date: 2004/03/08 Mon AM 02:46:20 EST
> To: dashevil at sympatico.ca
> Subject: Re: Desktop FreeBSD
> 
> Hello,
> 
> I do agree to an extent with the points that you are
> addressing.  
> 
> 1)Desktop *nix is a mistake.
> In general I agree with this statement, however;
> giving users a choice instead of forcing them to get
> some commercial OS and going through the pains of
> getting a refund (or building your own system). 
> 2) Terms like "sucks" should be avoided.  Agreed.
> 3) Corporate Desktops / Technical Workstations: This
> would be an excellent market segment for a *nix
> platform, however; the use of proprietary file formats
> still prohibits the adoption or widespread use of
> *nix.  This has to be approached in a different manner
> such as promoting universal file format(s)?

Promoting universal file formats would probably be a waste of time. The people who make money of their programs WANT you to be locked into them. They will not support something that allows their userbase to migrate that easy.

> 
> 4) *BSD as a desktop: Here are some projects that
> might be of interest:
> 
> http://www.ekkobsd.org/
> http://sourceforge.net/projects/easyos/
> 
> Interview with Rick Collette of the EkkoBSD project
> http://bsdvault.net/article.php?sid=776&mode=thread&order=0
> Interesting desktop/server discussion with mention of
> a new installer.  
> 

I've looked at ekkobsd, and well. Right now it's just OpenBSD with a new name and a bunch of services enabled by default.
I don't see them actually contributing anything to the source base, and with that I don't understand why they are using the name 'EkkoBSD'. Too much seperation.

OpenBSD isn't the best choice for a desktop, as it is the slowest of the BSDs. FreeBSD with ULE is DEFINATELY the way to go.

When EkkoBSD comes out with its GUI installer I'll definately want to have another look. I still think that their 'enable everything' methodology is wrong.

> FreeBSD has an excellent package for a workstation in
> the ports collection: instant-workstation-1.0_5
> I have not personnaly used that package, however;
> examining the requirements for the package to get
> installed, it does contain a great deal of tools and
> utilities that would make it an excellent candidate
> for a workstation on any corporate desktop.
> 
> Is popularity a means to attract Users, Developers or
> Commercial Support? Is this the avenue that you are
> pursuing? Just a little curious, just for argument
> sake.
> 

Popularity is a means to attract Users, Developers, and Commerical Support (although this one is definately last in my list). FreeBSD is just such a capable and amazing OS, it bothers me everytime I see someone turn down the chance to learn/use it because it was seen as too difficult to setup/use.

Again, I'm not asking that we change the existing FreeBSD layout, but merely make an additional CD that was specifically geared towards workstations.

Besides, Linux exploited the fact that BSD was in a legal battle back in the day, what reason do we have to not take back what was rightfully ours? :)

> Pete