Re: The case for FreeBSD

On Tue, 8 Feb 2005, Mark Rowlands wrote:

>>For several years now I am using FreeBSD servers but only recently I tried
>>to install a well-configured desktop system. A well-defined metaport to
>>get a typical office/home user desktop (e.g. including OpenOffice, maybe
>>asking for alternatives during the installation) would be nice, and
>>integration of new installed ports into a limited number of desktop
>>environments (e.g. that they appear in the desktop menus and folders).
>>Maybe for KDE, Gnome and something a little bit more lightwight (to me
>>it seems xfce is the most popular one)
>>
>cd /usr/ports/misc/instant-workstation

Well, it's one of several thousands ports.. Not easy to find especially if
you see FreeBSD the first time.

I would suggest to add a desktop option at the end of the installation
("Do you want to configure this machine as a desktop?") and then offer the
package above and OpenOffice (including a language option)

A lot of FreeBSD newbies will appretiate it, I think.

If they are Linux users they are used to get a predefined desktop. Usually
they take the one they get for granted (SuSE users KDE, Red Hat Gnome) so
if you start with one desktop (e.g. the KDE based above) it would be
better then nothing and you make most of them happy.

Of course if you have a presentable Gnome or XFCE desktop set it's even
better to offer it too.

For the admin installing a server it is only one more click, it will not
hurt too much;-)

Regards
Peter