New user! (ME!), Just decided to switch over from Ubuntu...

[guptaxpn]

Just decided to give a non-standard OS a try, Ubuntu is starting to be a really buggy crap OS that's more concerned with timetables and bleeding edge features than stability, their LTS releases have been jokes in terms of stability, and I'm sick of it, I've been using it for about the past three years or so...

anywho

I'm switching for a while, I'm pretty experienced in linux-land, but could use a little help in here in BSD land...

few clarifying questions:

1) Does PC-BSD=Freebsd? Are all of the packages shared and such? I know it's based on Freebsd and that it's running it "under the hood" so to say...but are they binary compatible and such?

2) Ports/Packages = closest thing to apt-get right?

3) .pbi's are a uniquely PC-BSD thing, but you can theoretically run them on Freebsd assuming you install enough PC-BSD stuff on top of a pure Freebsd install...correct?

thanks a bunch guys, hope I can eventually contribute back to this project...how many users does PC-BSD have?

[TerryP]

1) Does PC-BSD=Freebsd? Are all of the packages shared and such? I know it's based on Freebsd and that it's running it "under the hood" so to say...but are they binary compatible and such?

One way, e.g. FreeBSD port/pkg on PC-BSD yes: PBI on FreeBSD not without manual hacking.

2) Ports/Packages = closest thing to apt-get right?

I don't use apt-get, I assume it is binary only as it appears in Debian and related distro. Ports are almost entirely fetch source, build source, install binary. Packages are precompiled binary packages and can be thought of like .deb and (non src) .rpm files. They are pre-compiled + archived and compressed binary packages with dependency metadata. Both ports and packages handles dependencies.

3) .pbi's are a uniquely PC-BSD thing, but you can theoretically run them on Freebsd assuming you install enough PC-BSD stuff on top of a pure Freebsd install...correct?

Yes, figuring out just what is needed would take poking around the SVN, playing with the system, and or contacting the dev's.


In the future.... things might be different.

[guptaxpn]

so like, what package managers do you suggest for pc-bsd?

I'm not actually all that interested in .pbi's

and I think that IF I can find a solution whereas packages/ports can be automagically updated as they are pushed into repo's...

I'd prefer to install software that way, as it seems much more full of software...and I prefer using the largest repos (main reason I was an ubuntu user)

[TerryP]

the pkg_* commands directly (it really is simple), portmaster (text only), portupgrade (text only), or the one from the desktop bsd utilities port (gui).

I would suggest Neo Ports Manager (gui), if it was finished yet.... lol.

[graedus]

I've chosen ports-mgmt/portupgrade for my ports and package needs. The sysutils/desktopbsd-tools 's software management util is nice as a graphic port catalogue, can't really recommend it for batch install.

I'm certain, as Terry has said, that in the future, things might be different.

[sqlpython]

Just decided to give a non-standard OS a try

Ow! that hurt... :lol:
I feel like a pretty regular guy. Standard that is... :^)
Welcome, I am a Linux user like you. I have found PCBSD to be the best out of the Box configured BSD. I think you will like it. I am anxiously waiting for the next version PCBSD 7. Should be great!

[Protagonist]

Just decided to give a non-standard OS a try, Ubuntu is starting to be a really buggy crap OS that's more concerned with timetables and bleeding edge features than stability, their LTS releases have been jokes in terms of stability, and I'm sick of it, I've been using it for about the past three years or so...

Having used more OSs over the last almost 40 years than I care to even think about I can say I pretty much use just two day to day these days. I bought a Mac about five years ago to get away from Windows so I use it for my video and audio editing. I came across PC-BSD several years ago and I use for pretty much everything else. I have used Linux quite a bit in the past and was not too happy with the fragmentation.

Anyway, I think you will find the OS and the forums very refreshing after Linux. There are some extremely helpful people in here.

[kmf]

Hi guptaxpn

thanks a bunch guys, hope I can eventually contribute back to this project...how many users does PC-BSD have?

Well including you, 12. :lol:
This is a joke, I tink there is more 8000 people registered on the forum.

Not to sure how many are active.

http://www.bsdstats.org/ Lists : 11,115 Systems this month.
Remember the amount of users doesn't determine the coolness.

Karl

[guptaxpn]

Hi guptaxpn

Quote:

thanks a bunch guys, hope I can eventually contribute back to this project...how many users does PC-BSD have?

Well including you, 12. :lol:
This is a joke, I tink there is more 8000 people registered on the forum.

Not to sure how many are active.

http://www.bsdstats.org/ Lists : 11,115 Systems this month.
Remember the amount of users doesn't determine the coolness.

Karl

Just curious Karl, are those stats collected from installation? or from manual intervention like the linux counter project which requires people to register on the site?

because I feel those numbers on the BSD site HAVE to be inflated, I've installed pc-bsd twice now, because I borked up an installation and I like just resetting the OS when I do such things...lol

until I become 1337 enough in an OS to actually fix my own mistakes lol

How many of you frequently re-install?

[kmf]

Well I'm not sure,
As you can see BSDStats.sh submit Hardware stats aswell,
so I guess they might have a unique Hardware Catalog per Mac Address or something,

I still believe however that the numbers are accurate, because, (not to say that this the only amount of *BSD outthere) if you look at the PBI Dir, the Downloads of applications are similar amount right ?

I might totally be wrong.

I reinstall on my test hardware ... I see what you are saying.