Desktop FreeBSD ideas

[David30]

As an end-user, I find it puzzling that FreeBSD, PC-BSD etc are not widely used, given how reliable and fast FreeBSD is said to be.

Why don't the likes of PC-BSD and other "desktop" FreeBSD projects work together with the FreeBSD team and offer everyone the choice of either a desktop FreeBSD or the usual server FreeBSD? Just them 2 simple choices and you avoid creating a fragmented world like Linux.

The desktop FreeBSD could work fast on old computers, but also offer more "features" for newer computers with more powerful hardware. Maybe during the installation of the desktop FreeBSD, it could detect what hardware resources are available and offer the user the appropriate choices? As an example, the PC-BSD installer does recommend that ZFS is used on computers with 4GB or more RAM.

Again, as I suggested in other forum posts, the FreeBSD team could develop a simple fuss-free desktop environment and maybe the same or different desktop GUI for tablet computer touch-screens.

I hope the ideas above could become a reality one day. Feel free to pass this onto the "right" people in the FreeBSD team. Yes I know the BSD world does not make a big fuss like Linux every time something new is released, but other people can do that when they discover how good BSD is.

[fluca1978]

Why don't the likes of PC-BSD and other "desktop" FreeBSD projects work together with the FreeBSD team and offer everyone the choice of either a desktop FreeBSD or the usual server FreeBSD? Just them 2 simple choices and you avoid creating a fragmented world like Linux.

As of 9.0 installer you can choose to install PCBSD or FreeBSD.
Why not merging OpenBSD, FreeBSD, MidnightBSD, GhostBSD, NetBSD, PCBSD, FreeNas and pfSense into a single huge operating system that can do all? Oh, and include also stuff from Darwin!
It seems to me you are not getting the spirit of each open source project that composes the whole system.

Again, as I suggested in other forum posts, the FreeBSD team could develop a simple fuss-free desktop environment and maybe the same or different desktop GUI for tablet computer touch-screens.

Why not starting from the basis? Why not developing a FreeBSD based CPU on which running the operating system and a GPU for such a desktop? The community is full of good DEs and environments, why waste time and efforts rebuilding the wheel?

[David30]

Why not starting from the basis? Why not developing a FreeBSD based CPU on which running the operating system and a GPU for such a desktop? The community is full of good DEs and environments, why waste time and efforts rebuilding the wheel?

Different desktop environments cause the "fragmentation" that confuses users. Why do users stick with Windows, despite its constant problems? They do so because it's one desktop environment and they don't have to re-learn anything. In the Linux world you have zillions of distributions, many desktop environments and chaos. Why do you think Ubuntu has lost its popularity? Simply because they forced Unity onto people who were familiar with the default GNOME and Unity has many annoying bugs and usability issues.

If there were one desktop environment for PC's developed by FreeBSD then it would avoid the Linux chaos - and users could choose from the other desktop environments, but newcomers stick with the default setup. Newcomers don't change anything on a desktop PC except the background wallpaper and the screensaver.

Maybe tablet devices can get away with different layouts because they are all touch-screen devices which users' don't really have to "learn" to use. Maybe FreeBSD could be installed on tablets in future? I would love to have a tablet with FreeBSD running on it, underneath a nice user-friendly touch-screen.

My views are coming from an "everyday" computer user and I see all the time how people get confused by computers. People should have more choice than just Windows on desktops and either iOS or Andriod on tablets.

Hopefully some readers will understand what I'm saying?

[thnewguy]

The idea that there is just one desktop on Windows is quite incorrect. Right now there are three (soon to be four) desktop editions of Windows (XP, Vista, 7 and 8). All of these look different and put things in different places. Version 8 is even going to come with two desktop environments, classic and Metro.

Within each version there are various editions with different capabilities that won't work on the other editions. Home, Professional, Basic, Starter, Ultimate, Professional..... Believe me, it confuses the heck out of users when they're following tutorials on getting something working and it fails because they have the wrong edition of Windows.

People usually use Windows because it either does everything they want or because they are not aware of alternatives. They definitely do not use it because of any sort of unity between editions.

[fluca1978]

Different desktop environments cause the "fragmentation" that confuses users. Why do users stick with Windows, despite its constant problems? They do so because it's one desktop environment and they don't have to re-learn anything.

I don't think so, and if even it was that the reason, we should be stucked with the win95 desktop instead of having vista, which differs from XP, which is more different from seven....

If there were one desktop environment for PC's developed by FreeBSD then it would avoid the Linux chaos - and users could choose from the other desktop environments, but newcomers stick with the default setup. Newcomers don't change anything on a desktop PC except the background wallpaper and the screensaver.

Why developing such a desktop therefore? Why not shipping PCBSD with a default desktop, let's say KDE, as it was for Ubuntu/Gnome and let the user just habit to such desktop? Oh, wait, this is already happening!

People should have more choice than just Windows on desktops and either iOS or Andriod on tablets.

Sorry but on one hand you are talking about people having freedom to choose, on the other hand to not have such freedom forcing them to a single desktop because freedom can confuse them.

Today we have BSD system shipped with Gnome or KDE preinstalled (respectively GhostBSD and PCBSD) and that can "handle" other desktops, so why should the community start from scratch with another desktop? And why such desktop should be better? Just because it is the official bsd one? Believe me, this will cause much more fragmentation.

[David30]

All versions of Windows from Windows 95 right up to Windows 7 have used the single "taskbar" at the bottom of the screen and the "Start" menu in the bottom-left. The appearance has been updated, but the interaction has been the same i.e. open programs from the "Start" menu, even when the word "Start" was removed and so on. Since most people (most people I know anyway) started using personal computers at home since Windows 95 came out, people have stuck with Windows because it's what they are familiar with and they don't have to "learn" another desktop environment. Any desktop environment with a single "bar" at the bottom of the screen and no overly-complicated options would offer users of desktop PC's the chance to use that desktop environment without fearing change. That being said, I think PC's and laptops are just starting to become less fashionable and now smartphones and touch-screen tablets are taking over.

Tablets and smartphones with touch-screens seem to "get away" with having different layouts, provided that everything on the screen is self-explanatory.

Conclusion: desktop PC's, which won't be disappearing very fast, will continue to run Windows because "learning" another operating system is too daunting for "everyday" users, unless a simple desktop environment is developed with a single "bar" at the bottom, with no overly-complicated options (LXDE I'm pointing the finger at here).

Touch-screen tablets can get away with having different layouts, colours etc. provided everything on the screen is self-explanatory to the user, similar to how cashpoint/ATM machines can be running any operating system without the user even knowing or having to "learn" how to use a cashpoint/ATM.

With this in mind, if PC-BSD and FreeBSD would like to become popular (I don't know if they do?) the developers should consider carefully how people use computers and not require the user to learn a whole load of new things, such as typing cryptic commands into the Terminal (unless directed to by technical support only).

Final thought on this topic: why doesn't PC-BSD come pre-installed on computers for sale in all developed countries? I have not found any computers on sale here in the UK with PC-BSD and I can only find PC-BSD books for sale.

The subject of Microsoft Window's domination has been debated, with nearly 2000 comments on the Ubuntu website, see Ubuntu bug 1 "Microsoft has a majority market share": https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+bug/1

[fluca1978]

the developers should consider carefully how people use computers and not require the user to learn a whole load of new things, such as typing cryptic commands into the Terminal (unless directed to by technical support only).

I believe that OSX is here for such kind of users.

Final thought on this topic: why doesn't PC-BSD come pre-installed on computers for sale in all developed countries? I have not found any computers on sale here in the UK with PC-BSD and I can only find PC-BSD books for sale.

This is a good point, however in my experience a very few pre-installed system had success (see OpenSolaris/Toshiba as an Unix example).


Anyway, it seems to me you are pretty much on the "desktop for dummies" thing, so I propose you to write up a concrete proposal, with all advantages and drawbacks, timeline, technologies, and all other stuff you believe the right world-dominating desktop should have, and send such proposal to the developers directly.

[David30]

Anyway, it seems to me you are pretty much on the "desktop for dummies" thing, so I propose you to write up a concrete proposal, with all advantages and drawbacks, timeline, technologies, and all other stuff you believe the right world-dominating desktop should have, and send such proposal to the developers directly.

I would be more than happy to do that. Question is, how do I contact the developers and which developers would consider this seriously? PC-BSD and its underlying FreeBSD could become as popular as Ubuntu if the basics are right. Consider that "power users" use Windows, which is the same operating system used by the "desktop for dummies" users.

Please point me in the right direction to contact the right developers.

[drulavigne]

This page of the website lists the developers: http://pcbsd.org/index.php?option=co...mid=44&lang=en. Kris and Matt would be the best ones to talk to.

[David30]

Thanks for your help.

I will do what I can to help.