New user to PC-BSD (but not so new to FreeBSD)

[964racer]

As an experienced Unix user, I had the opportunity to recently install/test PC-BSD 1.5 and have some very preliminary comments/questions.

- FIRST: Kudos to the team who put this package together! Several years ago, I was an avid user of FreeBSD 4.X on the desktop (and I moved to Gentoo) and it took me several months of sporadic fooling around to get an working desktop with audio/web/usb with FreeBSD. (As I recall, I never really got K3b working on freeBSD with the SCSI system). The fact that PC-BSD solves the problem of desktop setup/integration for the most part, is a real time saver for everyone. Great job ! It recognized my camera right away when I plugged it into the USB port. It looks like K3b is there, although I have not tried it yet. I'm looking forward to installing some of the ports I use when I get home to see how that is working.

- Why is this project not part of the FreeBSD project ? I realize the slant towards server applications that FreeBSD has, but isn't an elegant install and some nice default configuration for a workstation part of the equation ? This project should merge with the FreeBSD team, IMHO - or the FreeBSD team needs to watch this project and learn something from it, and perhaps incorporate it's ideas into the mainstream FreeBSD release.

- I question merits of the PBI format/install method. I was able to install binaries very quickly using the pbi's, so there are definitely advantages there, however, the ports system (in freebsd) and the portage system (on Gentoo) is very easy to use and you have the option for source or binaries. Why doesn't the PC-BSD team spend the time developing a graphical front end for the ports system ?

- I'm a little scared to invest much time in building up my application environment (using ports) on PC-BSD 1.5 What happens when the pending PC-BSD on 7 comes out (PC-BSD 2.0 ?). Will the easy installation method preserve any customization I have done to my system from an application perspective ? I think that is requirement.

- I want a mini-laptop (atom CPU). I have a Macbook and I still want one and I don't want to run DOS on it either. Why do I want one of these machines ? I travel a lot; take a lot of pictures and I want a quick place to download images and look at them.

Enough for now.. the net-net here is that this system has captured my interest. Once again, congratulations to the team who put this release together. I'm looking forward to more hacking on it.

[commonloon]

Speaking for no one but myself ...

- I agree, PC-BSD is great. A simple, easy-to-use desktop on top of a nice OS.

- Keeping the projects separate ensures no conflicts or compromises of goals. PC-BSD is a happy parasite. I think it should stay that way. The PC-BSD philosophy of having a base installation compatible with FreeBSD, and then installing additional applications in their own directory (with a lot of static linking I guess), forgoing the traditional filesystem hierarchy, does not sit well with some people.

- PBI is what makes PC-BSD go round. It fits its user community perfectly. Experienced users who want more can fall back onto the existing FreeBSD methods if they wish. I would not want to see PBI altered to include these other methods in a solution that refocuses its goals. If you like the sort of approach you mention (and I'm not saying it's bad or worse or whatever, just different and not in keeping with PC-BSD's orientation), then maybe DesktopBSD is more up your alley. I believe it has just what you mention.

- Can't comment on your other points.