Best way to switch from Linux to BSD

[Michal Varga]

As with other people that replied before - my opinions reflect my
opinions that might actually *not* suit your personal needs. But you
asked.


On Tue, 2011-03-29 at 01:32 -0400, Jason Hsu wrote:
> Some questions:
> 1.  Is it possible to install KDE, GNOME, or other DE from the FreeBSD
> CD in a reasonable amount of time?  KDE and GNOME are huge programs,
> and having to download them would take too long.

I feel that this was alwas the case, so yes as far as I know (haven't
been installing any stock off-the-disc FreeBSD recently). But I can
hardly imagine any FreeBSD "power user" (what a silly term that is
anyway) that doesn't want to build his own, *proper* and properli
fine-tuned FreeBSD. If prebuilt packages are what you're looking for,
you are most probably not looking for FreeBSD, but something like a
PC-BSD or a similar toy. 

FreeBSD is, to help you draw a comparison, very close to the Gentoo of
the Linux world. Hope that clears some things up.


> 2.  What's lighter than PCBSD and GhostBSD?  I tried the live DVDs on
> my laptop (1.4 GHz processor, 1.25 GB of RAM) and found both BSD
> distros to be very sluggish.  Ubuntu and Mint were faster and fit on a
> CD, and these two distros have been criticized as bloatware.  Also,
> the keyboard didn't work in GhostBSD.  

Deploy your own fine tuned FreeBSD (not that there is any other way to
properly use FreeBSD in a single/home configuration anyway). After that,
build and install the ports you need, properly configure them (both
compile-time and run-time). There is nothing more lighter, adn faster,
you could ever get from anywhere.

Comparison with the monstrous bloatware the kind of Ubuntu and Mint is
really silly, probably comparison with ArchLinux cold still hold
somehow, but even that's a borderline case. The comparison you're
looking for again is "Gentoo".

Also somewhat more opinionated piece: Get a real desktop computer.
Seriously. You don't want to build your own ports/packages on a 1.4GHz
laptop, or at least, not for too long (pun intended).


> 3.  How do I triple-boot Puppy Linux, antiX/Swift Linux, and
> DragonflyBSD?

I'm not sure that's the best question for a FreeBSD mailing list, or at
least, I'm not able to anwser to that.


> 4.  What are the Linux Mint and Puppy Linux of the BSD universe?  I
> consider these two distros to set the standard in the Linux universe,
> because they're so user-friendly.  These are the distros I've set out
> to compete against in developing Swift Linux.
> 

None, there is no Windows Vista equivalent for a FreeBSD world. Again -
if that's what you're looking for instead of a hand-built and fine-tuned
operating system, you're much better with systems like PC-BSD. FreeBSD
won't do you much good and only hinder you in this case.

FreeBSD is an amazing desktop OS (which I say as an exclusive FreeBSD
desktop user for a decade, so I probably even have a little bit of
experience in that field, in contrast with 'some' other specific people
that replied to you before me), but only If you're looking to put what
FreeBSD offers into good use (that is, for a start - a solid, clean,
polished and very modular and maintaineable OS).

But the feel I get from your questions is that you're really looking for
a magical Windows Vista clone, but with a magical BSD sticker that will
magically raise your horse power just by the sheer magical power of its
own awesomeness. It really doesn't work that way.

I mean, seriously - "Linux Mint"? (Yes, and sadly, I know it well, but
I'm somewhat baffled that you might be actually looking for that *again*
in a BSD world, like if the Linux version wasn't enough for a lifetime).
So honestly, In that case, for the love of god, at least get a proper
Mac. Because that's what you're in fact looking for.


m.


(Disclaimer: I'm in no way trolling and everything I wrote is completely
dead serious.)


-- 
Michal Varga,
Stonehenge (Gmail account)