BSD and hardware

[Rom Raptor]

Hi! I'm new to the BSD world. I actually haven't had time to try PC-BSD yet but I'm going to soon. I've used Windows, Mac OS and Linux before.

My questions are:
Does PC-BSD come with a Device Manager (some Linux distributions do and it helps alot)?
How's the hardware support? As good as Linux?

[scottro]

I'm going to say that this depends upon the Linux distribution. :)

BSD, especially FreeBSD, is getting better and better at hardware recognition--PCBSD still has a few issues, but they're getting solved as time passes and folks submit bug reports, etc.

There are various issues--for example, firefox with flash will choke on a few sites in FreeBSD when a Linux machine won't. (In general however, it's relatively easy to get flash and firefox working together.)

Unless you have extremely unusual hardware, I would say that PCBSD is pretty likely to run smoothly.

KDE, PCBSD's default desktop, has some hardware configuration tools, but really, most hardware is detected upon installation.

Of course, now that I've written this, I've probably jinxed you. :)

[Rom Raptor]

"I'm going to say that this depends upon the Linux distribution."
aren't drivers built in to the kernel?

"firefox with flash will choke on a few sites in FreeBSD"
this happens on os x also. hm... is it also built on bsd?

[youlle]

yes most drivers are built into the kernel, but some or modules loaded during boot, every distro has its own patch set, and drivers that are compiled into the kernel.

yes MacOS X is built on top of Darwin which is a FreeBSD Derivative

[Rom Raptor]

"yes most drivers are built into the kernel"

does bsd have the same number or fewer?

[scottro]

I never counted. :)

Depending upon Linux distribution, some drivers may or may not be built into the kernel or available as modules. Even some of the mainstream distros sometimes have trouble with what might be a very vanilla system--for instance, SimplyMepis, designed as a desktop system didn't, in one release, recognize my Cmedia card which has never given me trouble.

I never did a count on FreeBSD vs. Linux modules. :) Both are getting better and better at handling hardware, but there can always be something it won't find.

Why don't you post your hardware specs, and perhaps someone can say, yes this works, no this doesn't work, etc.

Actually, I've never had trouble with MacOSX and flash. :)

I feel as if you're asking a question that might only be answered by someone who actually counts modules. :) (I just did ls /boot/kernel, where the modules are stored, piping it to wc -l and got 426)

[Rom Raptor]

"I never did a count on FreeBSD vs. Linux modules."
i understand that. i thought maybe there was some cooperation between bsd and linux driverwise.

the computer on which i'm thinking about running pc-bsd is a laptop (fujitsu siemens amilo k7600) where most parts are integrated. what i'm most worried about is the modem.