FreeBSD desktop?

[Eric Anderson]

ray at redshift.com wrote:
>   Maybe someone on the hackers or x11 list can help me get going the right
> direction here.  I can setup FreeBSD servers like the wind - tweak the kernel,
> you name it.  So this weekend I tried to install FreeBSD 5.4 on my desktop -
> what a mess.  I never could get anything to run, other than startx or xstart or
> something.  I ended up once with a blank desktop (I think I typed X) and another
> time with the same desktop, but with 3 open windows.  Anyway, I finally gave up. 
> 
>   Anyone have any run down on loading FreeBSD as your desktop?  I am trying to
> go with FreeBSD because I use it for my servers, but I feel like I'm lacking a
> broad understanding of how Unix handles windows.  I get the impression there is
> a server that deals with windows called X windows and then there are different
> desktop managers (such as KDE, Gnome, etc) - but I don't understand the
> interplay between them and the Kernel as it relates to how I normally see FreeBSD.
> 
>   I'm wondering if someone can give me an overview?
> 
>   I'm also wondering if I'm barking up the wrong tree.  I know Mac uses Darwin,
> which is based on BSD.  And in the past, I have loaded up Redhat and SUSE and
> ended up with a nice desktop - but with FreeBSD I didn't have much luck, even
> though I installed just about everything on the install CD's.  From what I could
> see, there were a ton of things to configure, but I couldn't find any good
> documentation on setting up my monitor or what the heck was going on overall -
> even in my BSD books, not a lot of help.

Have you looked at the Handbook?  It pretty much covers what you need to 
know to get working.  Also, freebsd-questions@ would be a better email 
list (rather than -hackers, which is for hacking on FreeBSD code, etc).


>   Anyway, I am wondering if maybe running SUSE or Fedora or something might be
> better.  I'm reading one article right now that says this thing called Xandros
> Desktop 3 is great - so far it looks nice in the article and I may give that a try.

Better?  Depends of course.  I (as do many others) use FreeBSD on my 
desktop and laptop, and feel no need to use anything else really.

>   I've been using Windows XP for my desktop for so long and am so used to so
> many applications on it - I think it would be difficult (at this time) to change
> over completely.  Unless Wine really does work well enough to run some
> applications I can't live without (e.g. Eudora or Pagemaker, etc).  

Not sure what you want here, but if you aren't willing to change some 
apps, then you shouldn't switch.  FreeBSD/linux/etc are not Windows, so 
you can't expect them to be Windows.  If you are willing to make a 
change of email readers (try Thunderbird, Mozilla, etc, etc) and a few 
other programs, you'd be fine.


>   Anyway, any help anyone can provide would be great?  I just feel like I'm
> lacking a core understanding of how Windowing and desktop interfaces to the
> Kernel.  And like I say, as much as I would like to make this all happen on
> FreeBSD, it seems like Linux maybe is a better choice?

Again, better is a general term that you haven't really defined, so 
nobody can help you there unless you explain what it is you want, and 
how you see things as 'better'.

Eric






-- 
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Eric Anderson        Sr. Systems Administrator        Centaur Technology
Anything that works is better than anything that doesn't.
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