Is *BSD a feasible desktop alternative?

[7]

I'm really thinking of moving over to BSD. I think I'd perfer the more controlled development and coherency. Whatever.

My question is:

Is *BSD as-good-as desktop system as GNU/Linux OSs?

I need:
Hardware 3D acceleration with Nvidia cards, I've read this doesn't exist / Games (Wolf / Quake3 / Counter-Strike)
Pretty email (Evolution) client
Pretty Web browser (Opera)
Occasionaly other things like graphics (GIMP) and stuff, you know...


And what about the Linux compatability stuff? How good is that?

Thanks

[ 27 March 2002: Message edited by: 7 ]

[scanez]

Originally posted by 7:
<STRONG>I'm really thinking of moving over to BSD. I think I'd perfer the more controlled development and coherency. Whatever.

My question is:

Is *BSD as-good-as desktop system as GNU/Linux OSs?

I need:
Hardware 3D acceleration with Nvidia cards, I've read this doesn't exist / Games (Wolf / Quake3 / Counter-Strike)
Pretty email (Evolution) client
Pretty Web browser (Opera)
Occasionaly other things like graphics (GIMP) and stuff, you know...


And what about the Linux compatability stuff? How good is that?

Thanks

[ 27 March 2002: Message edited by: 7 ]</STRONG>BSD should be great as a desktop. I'm not sure about the nvidia thing, but everything else is good to go. Opera however will need to run with linux compatibility, which is very good last time I checked. I suggest you try FreeBSD. Of course I still much prefer Debian, but FreeBSD is damn nice ;)

[jbstew32]

FreeBSD would be for you...if you want BSD.

:cool: Debian :cool:

[ 27 March 2002: Message edited by: jbstew32 ]

[RTFM]

Your answer: yes

[7]

What, I can get everything? Including the Nvidia hardware acceleration and Counter Strike? Will winex run on FreeBSD?

[demetrius]

The only hardware acceleration for nvidia chips at the moment is UtahGLX (http://utah-glx.sourceforge.net). Never tried it myself, and the little bit of info I could find about Nvidia hardware acceleration with them didn't sound very promising.

There is also a project (http://nvidia.netexplorer.org/) to port Nvidia's Linux driver to BSD. Sounds like a much more promising alternative, but its not ready yet. Hopefully soon, as I believe they now have some co-operation from Nvidia in getting them ported.

As for winex ... I dont believe it will run in FreeBSD. You can install wine from the ports collection, but winex hasn't been ported and from the few results that came up in a search at http://www.google.com/bsd I get the impression that it wont run, even under Linux emulation.

[7]

Thanks for the links demetrius.

I need what little games I have... There's no MS software anywhere in this house, so if I can't get the games I've got to work with BSD, I can't do BSD. Nevermind.

I was really hoping I could get a reply from someone that actually uses one of the BSDs.

[scanez]

Originally posted by 7:
<STRONG>I was really hoping I could get a reply from someone that actually uses one of the BSDs.</STRONG>
Hrm...I used FreeBSD for like 6 months up until this January, no I don't use it NOW but I have used it as a desktop much in the past.

[7]

:) I didn't mean it like that.

I meant I hoped someone could say "Yeah, Nvidia performance isn't as good as under Linux, but it's usable". Or something like that.

[epseps]

I use Linux and NetBSD on the desktop BUT..my only requirements are AbiWord, text editors, Web browsing, and FreeCiv. So with an 8mb Expert 98 graphics card I can do pretty much whatever I need to have done on NetBSD as I can do in Linux and Windows.

Plus no SCSI emulation needed for IDE CD writers are needed.

[demetrius]

Originally posted by 7:
<STRONG>Thanks for the links demetrius.
</STRONG>

You're welcome, I hope they helped.

Originally posted by 7:
<STRONG>I hoped someone could say "Yeah, Nvidia performance isn't as good as under Linux, but it's usable". Or something like that.</STRONG>

Nvidia performance (at least 3D Acceleration) is nowhere even close to what it is under Linux, and it wont be until the Nvidia drivers are ported. Its the main reason my FreeBSD box is mainly a server. I use it as a desktop a bit, but I'm usually on my WinXP box ... I'm a gamer after all and although the games that work in Linux work quite well there are a bunch of Direct X games that I play that'll most likely never run in any *nix based OS.

[Grognard]

As before, I am not attempting to start a flame here. I have given up on linux for a host of reasons, but a main one is lack of standards where things are put. Now I am NOT trying to troll or start problems, please understand that. In the last six months I installed and removed Mandrake 8.0, 8.1, SuSE 7.2, Red Hat 7.0, and am too intimidated being an utter newbie of the Debian installation to try it. Plus the Debian distributions that you can purchase (I have a winmodem so no d/l's) is the older version which appears not to have the latest Xfree version.

Would Free BSD 4.5 be a good, unix consistant o/s so I can FINALLY replace Windows as my main operating system?

How is the installation compared to the various linux versions (its going on its own 30 GB drive)?

As before, I got shoved back into Windows in sheer frustration since I had 0 Unix experiance, but want to keep trying. When I mentioned this to the local Linux guys to try and get help they were too "elite" to help, and told me that if I could not compile my own kernal, hack /usr, etc. I should just stay with Windows. Big turn off there. I have gone down with linux three times now, but still want to try something other than windows. And no I cannot afford a Mac, I have two kids and a house payment which I work two jobs to support.

[Slackmonster]

Originally posted by Grognard:
<STRONG>Would Free BSD 4.5 be a good, unix consistant o/s so I can FINALLY replace Windows as my main operating system?

How is the installation compared to the various linux versions (its going on its own 30 GB drive)?
</STRONG>

I think FreeBSD would be a good solution for you Grognard. I was pretty impressed with it myself but did not stay with it due to the whole nvidia support issue. If that is not important to you then I say go for it. I have not known BSD to do a lot of jumping around in their standards. The install isn't too bad either. The first time I ran the install I was a bit intimidated but I ended up installing a complete and stable system in about 30 minutes if I remember correctly. If you do decide to go ahead with it, I would highly recommend that you go to www.bsdvault.net (http://www.bsdvault.net) for some of their help files and questions. They never pulled the 'leet' thing on me and answered all my questions.

I hope this helps you in your decision and good luck.

[z0mbix]

Originally posted by 7:
<STRONG>Thanks for the links demetrius.

I need what little games I have... There's no MS software anywhere in this house, so if I can't get the games I've got to work with BSD, I can't do BSD. Nevermind.

I was really hoping I could get a reply from someone that actually uses one of the BSDs.</STRONG>

Gaming on *BSD isn't very advanced as yet, It's quite a bit behind linux. I run FreeBSD and soon will be trying OpenBSD but I know that there are no nvidia drivers as yet. The FreeBSD ports tree is huge :)

[epseps]

Yeah, I think BSD would be peachy for you Grognard.

I just bailed on Linux (I like Linux alot, it just was not suited for my hardware) due to the fact the whole damn system would freeze because of an ISA soundcard conflict. I had FreeBSD installed before and it ran like a champ...fast with low end hardware (screw nVidia drivers...I want to not have to freak out if I accidentally toast my video card), the Kernel is painfully easy to compile. The Ports collections is great.

I have been told that the learning curve is steeper than Linux...but that was why I got into Linux in the first place (Remember boot and rescue disks?) was to actually learn about *nix and PC hardware at the same time. Doing that is what got me out of truck driving and into a cushy office job sitting in front of an Ultra 5 all day long. (of course now I am on w98 because of a FreeBSD problem..heh heh).

Anyway...NetBSD is a good desktop box for me so I decided to take advantage fo the more numerous ports and bail on Linux. I enjoyed Linux much more when I was on my junk 486dx 66...it was stable...the kernels compiled nicely..after a few configuration problems It ran great. But now I get that same thing from the BSD's...So Linux is outa my house.

[snailgod]

Originally posted by Grognard:
I have given up on linux for a host of reasons, but a main one is lack of standards where things are put.


FreeBSD doesn't have different distros, so there's only one set of standards. That's one reason I use it.


In the last six months I installed and removed Mandrake 8.0, 8.1, SuSE 7.2, Red Hat 7.0, and am too intimidated being an utter newbie of the Debian installation to try it.


Have you ever tried the Debian installer? I installed Debian with only about a month of experience with Linux. I didn't understand some of the stuff it asked, but I managed to get a beautifully working system. If you know just the least bit about Linux, then you should be able to get through it like I did. As for FreeBSD, its installer is about the same as Debian's. If you feel insecure about it, get a guide that will help you through the install. (The book that comes with the FreeBSD Powerpak is amazing.) But my motto is that I understand how partitioning works so I can't really mess up any other operating system on the computer. Why not just see what I can do on my own, and if I fail, I can read the manual and try again?


Plus the Debian distributions that you can purchase (I have a winmodem so no d/l's) is the older version which appears not to have the latest Xfree version.


Yeah, it's pretty freakin old. FreeBSD 4.3 (the latest I own) has both Xfree86-3 and 4. It installs 3 by default, so you'll have to install 4 manually, but at least you won't have to download anything fellow dial-up Texan.


Would Free BSD 4.5 be a good, unix consistant o/s so I can FINALLY replace Windows as my main operating system?


Well it replaced Linux on mine. It took me 4 tries to finally stick with it though. I was too impatient to read the manual and didn't know what to do when it stuck me at the command prompt. If you're in the right mindframe, FreeBSD will leave an ice cream flavor in your mouth. Prepare to spend the first few weeks learning and when in doubt, read the manual. As long as you follow that, you should be set.


How is the installation compared to the various linux versions (its going on its own 30 GB drive)?


Like I said earlier, it's more like Debian's than anything. It has a text-mode menu system. I don't think you'll have trouble with it though. There is plenty of documentation on it, even in the install itself. As long as you understand FreeBSD slices, I think the rest is fairly simple as long as you don't choose the advanced install.