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PC-BSD 1.5 - Becoming More Usable! PDF Print E-mail
Friday, 14 March 2008 13:51
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PC-BSD 1.5 - Becoming More Usable!
The Desktops
Software & PBIs
System And PBI Updates
Browser Plugins
Multimedia & Hardware Support
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Bringing FreeBSD To The Desktops

 

As I look at the new PC-BSD 1.5 (Edison), I cannot help but flashing back to the days when Linux desktop was not that mature as it is today. The PC-BSD project commenced 3 years ago with user-friendliness in mind. Since then, efforts have been put into making PC-BSD desktop operating system as usable as possible for casual desktop PC users. The challenge was pioneered by Kris Moore, the lead developer, and a few volunteers in bringing the open-sourced and BSD-licensed Unix-like FreeBSD (famed for being a very secure and stable server operating system) to the desktop of normal or casual PC users. Interestingly, this project was acquired by iXsystem, a leading provider of high-end hardware solution in October 2006. Having tried PC-BSD 1.4.1and having been a fan of the BSD daemon, I decided to review PC-BSD 1.5. So, I downloaded the 32-Bit version of PC-BSD 1.5 which is powered by the FreeBSD 6.3 Release and GPLed KDE 3.5.8, X.Org 7.3, Compiz 0.6.2, etc. It was officially released on 12th of March 2008.

 

 

 


Fast & Simple Installation Process

 

While DesktopBSD developers bundle their release into a live-and-installable DVD, PC-BSD comes in a 2-CD set. The installation CD1 will boot into the Fluxbox environment and the simple and very intuitive graphical installer window will guide the user throughout the process of installation. It's a very straightforward and fast process. It only took between 5 to 7 minutes to install the CD1 and another 6 to 11 minutes to install all of optional system components plus PBIs on the CD2 (on my PCs with core2duo, Pentium IV and Pentium M). By the way, partition is called slice and you have to install PC-BSD to a primary partition.

Actually, the whole installation process looked similar to what I had encountered in PC-BSD 1.4.1. Once you're with the installer window, you will be required to select the language, then you'll be presented with the BSD, Intel and Nvidia license agreements. This was followed by the install/update screen, then I had to create normal user and root user accounts. After selecting the drive and slice, PC-BSD 1.5, together with the system component & PBIs from the CD2, would be installed.


Like PC-BSD 1.4.1, the CD2 of the PC-BSD 1.5 contains the same optional packages (updated) like Firefox 2.0.0.12 PBI, OpenOffice-EN 2.3.1 PBI, Opera 9.26 PBI, K3B 1.0.4 PBI, and system components like koffice-1.6.3_3,2.tbz, kdeedu-3.5.8.tbz, kdegames-3.5.8.tbz, kdetoys-3.5.8.tbz, kdesdk-3.5.8.tbz, kdevelop-3.5.0.tbz, ports.tbz and src.tbz. During the installation, I had the chance to submit anonymously my hardware profiles to the developers. I strongly feel that users should try to help them and thus making PC-BSD not being labelled as a very stable and secure desktop operating system with poor hardware support! Despite not being able to boot Linuxes, the installer had no problem booting Windows XP or Vista so far.

 

 

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