From owner-freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG Thu Aug 6 19:48:15 2009 Return-Path: Delivered-To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Received: from mx1.freebsd.org (mx1.freebsd.org [IPv6:2001:4f8:fff6::34]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 2FD8010656C3 for ; Thu, 6 Aug 2009 19:48:15 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from sonicy@otenet.gr) Received: from kane.otenet.gr (kane.otenet.gr [83.235.67.31]) by mx1.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id A4D3B8FC19 for ; Thu, 6 Aug 2009 19:48:14 +0000 (UTC) Received: from atomic.dyndns.org (athedsl-4467991.home.otenet.gr [94.71.109.7]) by kane.otenet.gr (8.13.8/8.13.8/Debian-3) with ESMTP id n76JmAuQ017714; Thu, 6 Aug 2009 22:48:11 +0300 Message-ID: <4A7B337A.5030009@otenet.gr> Date: Thu, 06 Aug 2009 22:48:10 +0300 From: Manolis Kiagias User-Agent: Thunderbird 2.0.0.22 (X11/20090724) MIME-Version: 1.0 To: Al Plant References: <4A76FB32.9050601@videotron.ca> <20090803215319.8fad2441.freebsd@edvax.de> <4A798DF2.3020305@videotron.ca> <200908051651.53302.j.mckeown@ru.ac.za> <20090805203337.c6f74172.freebsd@edvax.de> <4A7A89B3.6010206@mapper.nl> <4A7A8CDB.20004@infracaninophile.co.uk> <4A7B16F2.7080304@bah.homeip.net> <4A7B2FA3.5020603@hdk5.net> In-Reply-To: <4A7B2FA3.5020603@hdk5.net> X-Enigmail-Version: 0.95.7 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Cc: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org, Mark Stapper , Bernt Hansson Subject: Re: FreeBSD for the common man(or woman) X-BeenThere: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5 Precedence: list List-Id: User questions List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Thu, 06 Aug 2009 19:48:15 -0000 Al Plant wrote: > Bernt Hansson wrote: >> Matthew Seaman skrev: >>> Mark Stapper wrote: >>> >>> >>>> In light of this, I would really enjoy seeing a "Ubuntu" like movement >>>> in the FreeBSD corner. >>>> What I mean is that it would be nice for my mother to install and use >>>> FreeBSD. >>> >>> It's called PC-BSD. >> >> Have a look at Manolis Kiagias work at >> http://freebsd-custom.wikidot.com/downloads-page >> >> Haven't tried it my self, but it seems I'm going to. >> > Aloha, > > Manolis download worked for me. I used it to install a 7.2 FreeBSD on > a Sandisk Flash stick. And I can bring it up from the USB port on my > netbook. Works fine except for printing on network. Have to work on > setting up the printcap properly. > Thanks for the mention ;) I should however note that although this work takes out most of the compiling steps (and I plan to expand the range of pre-built packages soon), it is still not "a common man's OS", as all the configuration steps are manual. I am also developing some shell scripts that will automate a considerable part of post-setup configuration, but these will need to be tweaked accordingly. It will never become a CD you can give to your dad to install, but will certainly reduce the time an intermediate / seasoned FreeBSDer will need to install a new desktop. There are more than a few things that prevent FreeBSD from becoming friendly to a non-expert, non-willing-to-study-docs user. PC-BSD deals with many of them (preinstalled NVidia, flash support, PBI system) and it gets better all the time. Although if the point is getting a simple user to move away from Windows, most any desktop oriented linux distro will probably do the job. Such a user won't need to have all the choices and absolute control that FreeBSD provides to all of us.