The Open Source Journal

Introducing PC-BSD

Is BSD ready for prime-time? PC-BSD 1.4, a desktop-centered, FreeBSD based operating system has just been released and is looking to attract attention from the growing throngs of Linux users. But how well does it stack up to popular and easy to use Linux distributions like Ubuntu? Why should anyone care about BSD, isn't it dead? Read on for more about the latest release of this up-and-coming desktop BSD, including installation and desktop screenshots.

Background and History

As Linux has become more common, especially in the desktop market with such popular distributions as Ubuntu, SuSe, and Fedora, the Berkeley Software Distributions (or *BSD) have remained fairly mysterious. Perhaps the first major exposure to the public was Apple's announcement to use a BSD-based system for it's Mac OSX operating system in 2001.

But development on the BSD's has continued steadily and vocal figures such as Theo de Raadt, who founded OpenBSD by forking it from NetBSD, keep attention on the BSD's, especially from the Slashdot crowd. PC-BSD is based on FreeBSD, which is perhaps the most popular BSD available.

Unlike Linux, which is only a kernel, the BSD's are complete operating systems, pairing both kernel and system software together. Because of the similarities between Linux and the BSD's, much of the software available for Linux is also available for the BSD's, including desktop environments such as KDE, which PC-BSD uses.

PC-BSD is a relatively new member to the BSD family, released in April of 2006. Based on FreeBSD, it includes access to FreeBSD's large repository of software, the Ports and Package Collection. Unlike FreeBSD, it offers a very simplified graphical installation and software selection, focusing on the desktop and related applications (WWW, Office, etc).

Installing PC-BSD 1.4

The latest version of PC-BSD is 1.4, released late in September of 2007. Code named da Vinci, it features a FreeBSD-6 base version and updated software, including Xorg 7.2, KDE 3.5.7, and even Compiz-Fusion 0.5.2. A real boon for PC-BSD users, especially those wanting to use the special effects available with Compiz-Fusion, is the inclusion of new binary nVidia drivers!

The installation of PC-BSD is remarkably straight forward, perhaps even more so than many Linux distributions. A clean, simple, graphical installer has replaced the text-based installer in FreeBSD, which although much more robust is far more confusing to use, especially if you're new to UNIX.

Slide 1 of 2: Click the image above for slideshow.

Once you're passed the bootup screens, PC-BSD greets you with simple but effective graphical installer. The installer allows you to do most of the stuff you'd expect, including configuration localization settings, setting the root password, creating user accounts, partitioning the hard disk, and selecting from the albeit few software components.

Slide 1 of 12: Click the image above for slideshow mode.

First Impressions

Once you've rebooted your machine, you'll see a splash screen while the system starts up. Load time wasn't particularly good on my Athlon X2 4800+, but since this is running in a VMWare instance, I'll give it a pass. After asking me to configure my display (and correctly detecting my video driver), I was kicked into the familiar KDE desktop.

The default layout is very similar to KDE 3.5's default theme, especially the taskbar, but the window manager is themed with a slick theme named "PC-BSD 2". Drop down menus were clean, the KDE "start" button was replaced with a...burning thing...and the KDE start menu was simple and clean with only slight variation from the KDE default.

Slide 1 of 3: Click the image above for slideshow.

The underlying system seems well hidden from the user, which can be both a blessing and a curse. During my general testing, the system seemed responsive and worked as expected. In true BSD fashion, damn near everything is stored in /usr, even the user home directories, although they're symlinked to /home.

User's coming from Ubuntu may be thrown off by the default KDE installation. Those of us who think Gnome is still crap, regardless of how many mainstream distributions insist that it is 'teh shiat,' will feel at home using the KDE apps we know and love, including the excellent Konsole terminal emulator and Konqueror for file/web browsing.

I can already hear some of you screaming about Konqueror and pointing out the obvious similarities between KDE and Windows (as if everything about Windows was bad). But get this haters: flash in Konqueror and Firefox actually work the first time through! Yes, now even the geeks in the basement of their Mom's house can watch YouTube!

Finally I can get my fix of the 'Hof. Sweeeeet.

Now I'm aware of all the bullshit surrounding licensing issues these days: binary video drivers, binary wireless firmware, proprietary closed-source software, patent-protected codecs...the list goes on. But to finally have an operating system that includes support for this stuff without asking you to eat a turd and install the software yourself is refreshing, to say the least. I know that adding the binary nVidia drivers in Ubuntu has become way easier and adding the non-free software only requires a trip to Synaptics (and possibly the addition of an extra repository), but give me a break - it's nearly 2008, if your operating system can't be bothered to play mp3s or flash out of the box...

Installing additional software

PC-BSD apparently uses a relatively new package format, known as PBI's (.pbi). They've included a link to a package repository, pbiDIR, on the desktop for you to peruse for software. They're still kind of light on the software, but I imagine that will change as PC-BSD increases it's userbase. The basic stuff you'd expect is all there though, FTP clients, Instant Messaging software, Open Office, developer tools, even some games; pretty much everything you need to get started using PC-BSD as a desktop is available. The package manager (hidden in the KDE start menu) lets you quickly and easily remove added PBI packages and system components. It also features an automatic update system with scheduled updates.

Slide 1 of 4: Click the image above for slideshow.

Once you download a PBI file, it will launch the PBI package installer. This package installer is reminiscent of Installer Wizards on Windows, allowing almost anyone to click "Next" X number of times before clicking "Finish."

Conclusion

PC-BSD has definitely brought FreeBSD to the desktop of the masses. Although it lacks the hand polished look and feel of a desktop like Ubuntu, it does offer enterprise-level support from iXsystems[/i], joining the ranks of Linux distributions such as SuSe Enterprise Linux and RedHat Enterprise 5, and the "so simple a caveman could do it" package manager should make PC-BSD easy enough for your girlfriend to use, even if she came in a box from RealDoll.com. It's clearly only a matter of time before the interface becomes more organized, integrated, and easier to use.

All-in-all, you end up with a clean desktop environment and those of you with nVidia cards will enjoy the flashy Compiz-Fusion graphics offered out of the box (something else missing from Ubuntu). Intermediate and advanced FreeBSD users will be delighted that the underlying ports system is still available. New users will end up with a very usable system to start out the BSD adventure, especially those trying to move away Linux and try something new and "more geeky."

The primary weaknesses are the lack of available PBI packages and the unpolished interface (it's getting there, it just needs some more work.) Greatest of all however is the lack of AMD64 (aka x86_64) support. While this masquerades as a strength by guaranteeing some binary packages work (Flash, I'm looking at you!), it will weaken the OS in the eyes of those who don't know better and power users who enjoy the additional performance/features AMD64 support provides. Realistically speaking however, 64-bit support is only truly useful in high end workstations and servers, neither of which PC-BSD is targeting (right now, anyways).

So why should anyone care about the progress in the BSDs? They're dead right? Clearly not. Despite popular belief, the BSDs are the "more free" than GPL covered Linux software. BSD software can be freely redistributed, even in commercial products, and don't require users to make the source code available. Although this may have hindered development and publicity of the BSDs, it's uniquely free license has made it an attractive OS to use in commercial products, including many embedded devices. More importantly however, BSD offers what Linux needs to keep progressing: competition. The security and stability of BSD are the greatest milestones of BSD's success, milestones that Linux developers can look up to and strive for.

For more information about using PC-BSD, definitely consult the excellent [url=http://docs.pcbsd.org/guide/]PC-BSD Quick Guide and incredibly thorough FreeBSD Handbook.