# Can FreeBSD replace my Windows Desktop?



## DigitalPriest (Jun 3, 2014)

Greetings all, and thanks in advance for your time.

     I have become extremely disappointed with Windows over the years, particularly in security and performance aspects.  As such, I'm strongly considering the switch to FreeBSD.  To that end, I have many questions regarding the architecture itself, as well as the ability to become a replacement desktop environment.  I recognize that it is not a smooth transition - moving to UNIX takes a lot of work and education.  There are some topics that remain unresolved for me:

1.  How does UFS/ZFS maintain 'security'.  As we all know, you can hook up an NTFS drive to just about any computer and harvest any information off of it with no issues (unless some Encryption service is employed).  One of the advantages of UNIX systems supposedly is that regardless of the computer it is hooked up to, group permissions are retained, and, thus, file security.  What is preventing a Windows or other OS client from developing a program that 'reads' UFS/ZFS and therefor compromises all security?

2.  To me, I am not satisfied with sacrificing freedom for security.  Windows has many flaws, but it also has a wealth of applications, not to mention the benefit of being the most widely supported OS in the English speaking portions of the world.  I am familiar with FreshPorts.org, but it is a bit difficult for the novice to find 'replacement' programs.  I am wondering to what extent I can replace my 'most used' applications in a FreeBSD Environment.  I am also trying to avoid simply emulating everything via Wine/VirtualBox, as that defeats the purpose of FreeBSD for me.  This includes:  (Note that I am not necessarily seeking a named replacement so much as confirmation that 'Yes: A quality alternative exists in FreeBSD')

Chrome       -> Chromium (I am under the impression that most extensions for Chrome in Windows do not work in Chromium - Verify?)
Adobe Flash -> ?  (Not sure if this has to be emulated.  I'd prefer not to use it, but working in IT, sometimes it is a necessary evil)
VLC             -> VLC  (I believe this is a seamless transition)
Foobar2000 -> ?       (Not sure if there is a quality equivalent for Music Playing and FLAC->MP3 Conversion)
EAC             -> ?      ( Have not seen anything of that quality, .abcde?)
Tag Manager -> ?     (Have not been able to locate any comparable application for editing FLAC and MP3 Tags)
File Manager-> ?      (I have become extremely accustomed to Windows File Manager, via Folder Trees and organization)
MSOffice      -> Libre (Pretty seamless, I've been told)
RDP              -> ?      (Not sure what equivalent exists for remote connecting to Windows and Linux GUI environments)
GIMP            -> GIMP
IRC               -> ?      (Numerous IRC clients exist, not too concerned)
Arduino IDE   -> ?      (Not sure if this has been ported or has to be emulated, even then, can you forward USB ports to an Emulator?)

Basically, I'm trying to ensure that I'm not going a step back in computing just for the sake of using UNIX.

3.  Programming Languages.  If, for example, Chromium wants to load a Java applet, I'm under the assumption that Java first has to be installed.  At this point, however, does Chromium natively know where to look for Java, or is there some kind of a bridging port that acts as a pointer to the Java directory?

4.  GUI.  I know there is a legendary battle between KDE and GNOME, with users pleased and displeased with design decisions among both.  I haven't even decided myself.  However, I'm more interested in the GUI that will allow me to design my own efficient desktop space.  I'm 'ok' with pre-designed desktops, but one allure of FreeBSD is the ability to customize and optimize.  Recommendations?  Alternatives?  I hear tell that X is simply a torturous labyrinth of install if you haven't done it before, so I'm a bit intimidated by it.

Thank you again for taking the time to read my post, I appreciate your input for a Newbie.


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## drhowarddrfine (Jun 3, 2014)

> Windows has many flaws, but it also has a wealth of applications, not to mention the benefit of being the most widely supported OS in the English speaking portions of the world.


This is not true. On the desktop it is but, anywhere else, Windows is almost unknown. The internet runs almost completely on *nix/BSD.



> What is preventing a Windows or other OS client from developing a program that 'reads' UFS/ZFS and therefor compromises all security?


You can't prevent anything from reading a file. If they want to decode it, you can't prevent that either.



> it is a bit difficult for the novice to find 'replacement' programs.


There is a site for that but I'd have to look it up. Most people know what those alternatives are. Just have to ask.

Chrome - I'm not aware of any but I'm a web developer and mostly use those related to that but, the few I do use outside of that all work in FreeBSD.
Flash uses the Linux emulator
VLC works great
Gimp I use exclusively for my work.

Easytag and Audacity both work well for editing tags and there are others.
There are some great file managers but I don't use any. 
My wife uses LibreOffice. I use GoogleDocs.

I had trouble getting the Arduino IDE working but I was in a hurry and I think the problem was that I didn't have my USB port set correctly back then (a few months ago).
I don't know about the rest of your programs.

I don't use Java and rarely need it for any sites I visit. It needs to be installed if you want to have it but it works as well as anything and it did last time I used it.

I wouldn't touch KDE or Gnome myself but there are countless threads here about all the different desktops.


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## Beastie (Jun 3, 2014)

DigitalPriest said:
			
		

> Greetings all


Hello and welcome to the forums!



			
				DigitalPriest said:
			
		

> I have become extremely disappointed with Windows over the years


... and you're not the only one.



			
				DigitalPriest said:
			
		

> 1.  How does UFS/ZFS maintain 'security'.  As we all know, you can hook up an NTFS drive to just about any computer and harvest any information off of it with no issues (unless some Encryption service is employed).  One of the advantages of UNIX systems supposedly is that regardless of the computer it is hooked up to, group permissions are retained, and, thus, file security.  What is preventing a Windows or other OS client from developing a program that 'reads' UFS/ZFS and therefor compromises all security?


Nothing, that program/driver already exists:
http://ufs2tools.sourceforge.net/
http://ffsdrv.sourceforge.net/
http://ffs.szm.com/en/index.html
I'm not sure about the quality of these, but that's what they're supposed to do.
And if you only have a FreeBSD live system, you can log in as root and read any file, anywhere, regarless of its permissions and ownership.

If you have physical access to a machine, then you can gain access to all of its data, unless it's encrypted (FreeBSD has the geli(8) disk encryption system). Of course even that won't prevent the data from being modified (or damaged actually).



			
				DigitalPriest said:
			
		

> File Manager-> ?      (I have become extremely accustomed to Windows File Manager, via Folder Trees and organization)


Then try x11-fm/xfe. That is if you want a lightweight solution. All major desktop environments have their own navigational file managers: GNOME has GNOME Files, KDE has Dolphin, Xfce has Thunar, etc.


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## tzoi516 (Jun 3, 2014)

multimedia/audacious is a good iTunes/FooBAR replacement.


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## byuu (Jun 3, 2014)

audacious is a Winamp replacement. Very different from a music library application. Which is perfect for me, because I much prefer organizing my music using a file manager. I don't need ID3 tags, that's what folder and file names are for.

File permissions do not offer any security at all. I can take your hard drive out, put it into another computer, and access all of your data. Encryption is how you secure your data. OpenZFS does not support ZFS v30 encryption, but FreeBSD supports geli, which can provide block-level encryption for both UFS and ZFS.

Flash isn't worth the trouble. You need 32-bit libraries and Linux compatibility enabled, which are both easy to leave out otherwise. Go to youtube.com/html5 and there's what most people use Flash for taken care of.

If you like classic Windows (XP and earlier), Xfce is your best bet on a desktop environment. Everything else is trying to turn desktops into tablets, because it's the hot new trend.

You're going to be in for a _lot_ of work to use FreeBSD on the desktop. Learning how to create a font configuration file to get anti-aliased fonts in Firefox, editing consolekit files to enable restart/shutdown buttons, finding out about MOZ_DISABLE_IMAGE_OPTIMIZE=1 to stop 8MP+ web images from deadlocking Xorg, creating your Xorg login file to start up your desktop environment, replacing your login shell to get virtual terminals inside Xorg to not randomly crash, manually partitioning your disks for customized encryption, figuring out how to mount attached storage devices, etc.

But once you do all of that, you'll realize you have a vastly deeper understanding of how your computer works. You'll realize that all those things you tweaked are things you now have control over to customize as you please. And you'll be happy to know you have everything you need, and absolutely nothing you don't.

Most Linux distros do most of that initial setup for you, and give you a huge amount of installed default applications. But you'll find yourself more at their mercy when they decide to change things on you with every new release. And unless you learn all that administrative stuff anyway, your computer will be more of a black box.


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## drhowarddrfine (Jun 4, 2014)

byuu said:
			
		

> You're going to be in for a _lot_ of work to use FreeBSD on the desktop.


To be clear, it may be a lot of work to get a really nice set up but getting a decent desktop working on FreeBSD isn't hard at all and I don't think I've ever done half the things you listed.


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## jb_fvwm2 (Jun 4, 2014)

A lot of good answers here.  I dual-booted for a year or so, only leaving Windows when the installed memory amount, upon an upgrade, made it unbootable.


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## wblock@ (Jun 4, 2014)

DigitalPriest said:
			
		

> 1.  How does UFS/ZFS maintain 'security'.  As we all know, you can hook up an NTFS drive to just about any computer and harvest any information off of it with no issues (unless some Encryption service is employed).  One of the advantages of UNIX systems supposedly is that regardless of the computer it is hooked up to, group permissions are retained, and, thus, file security.  What is preventing a Windows or other OS client from developing a program that 'reads' UFS/ZFS and therefor compromises all security?



This seems to be a misunderstanding.  If a person has physical access to a drive, the data on it is theirs.  They might have to come up with something that could read a UFS or ZFS filesystem on Windows, but those exist.

Many people now are using geli(8), an encryption layer.  This is a pluggable GEOM module, an interesting and, as far as I know, unique system on FreeBSD.  Using geli(8), you can create an encrypted disk device, then put any filesystem you like on top of it.  The filesystem does not know or care, it thinks it's on a normal disk.  With that, you have an encrypted disk that can't be read on another system, FreeBSD, Windows, Linux, whatever.



> Arduino IDE   -> ?      (Not sure if this has been ported or has to be emulated, even then, can you forward USB ports to an Emulator?)



Heh, that one caught my eye:
devel/arduino exists.  My first port, with the help of Steven Kreuzer.  Yes, it works.  It's not an emulator, the IDE is in Java and runs natively on FreeBSD.  The USB port works fine, although, same as every other platform, you have to set it to the right Arduino board to get the speeds and settings right.  My problem was that I built some of my own Arduinos from unprogrammed plain ATmega 328 chips, programmed with my own ISP programmer (built from some other AVR, using my original Arduino clone as an ISP programmer), and wasn't quite sure what the parameters were for all the new Arduino boards.  For production Arduino boards, it's easy.  Craig Leres maintains that port now.



> 3.  Programming Languages.  If, for example, Chromium wants to load a Java applet, I'm under the assumption that Java first has to be installed.  At this point, however, does Chromium natively know where to look for Java, or is there some kind of a bridging port that acts as a pointer to the Java directory?



Not likely to be a problem, ports should take care of this.  I admit to not using Chrome, but Java support is decent and the ports use standard ways of letting applications automatically use the right compiler or interpreter.



> 4.  GUI.  I know there is a legendary battle between KDE and GNOME, with users pleased and displeased with design decisions among both.  I haven't even decided myself.  However, I'm more interested in the GUI that will allow me to design my own efficient desktop space.  I'm 'ok' with pre-designed desktops, but one allure of FreeBSD is the ability to customize and optimize.  Recommendations?  Alternatives?  I hear tell that X is simply a torturous labyrinth of install if you haven't done it before, so I'm a bit intimidated by it.



I don't find X difficult to install, although building from source takes a while.  Remember that you can install PC-BSD and end up with essentially a FreeBSD system with preconfigured X and KDE or Gnome or xfce or LXDE.  I prefer xfce, but whatever.  If none of those suits you, the ports have a long list of desktop managers.


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## vermaden (Jun 4, 2014)

@DigitalPriest

*AD. 1.*
Use GELI for full disk encryption.
Also You can read ZFS pools on Windows with *zfs-win*.



> Adobe Flash -> ?


You use Adobe Flash in Linux Compatibility mode.



> VLC             -> VLC  (I believe this is a seamless transition)


Should be.



> Foobar2000 -> ?


Deadbeef or run Foobar2000 by using WINE.



> File Manager-> ?


Nautilus/Thunar/PCmanFM/Dolphin/Konqueror/Worker/...



> RDP              -> ?


rdesktop



> Arduino IDE   -> ?


http://playground.arduino.cc/Learning/FreeBSD

Basically, I'm trying to ensure that I'm not going a step back in computing just for the sake of using UNIX.

*AD. 3.*
Use Java-Icedtea plugin.

*AD. 4.*
LXDE/LXQT/XFCE/Your window manager of choice + your apps of choice (like for example openbox/tint2/lxpanel/conky/...)


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## Oko (Jun 5, 2014)

DigitalPriest said:
			
		

> 1.  How does UFS/ZFS maintain 'security'.  As we all know, you can hook up an NTFS drive to just about any computer and harvest any information off of it with no issues (unless some Encryption service is employed).  One of the advantages of UNIX systems supposedly is that regardless of the computer it is hooked up to, group permissions are retained, and, thus, file security.  What is preventing a Windows or other OS client from developing a program that 'reads' UFS/ZFS and therefor compromises all security?



UFS/ZFS have nothing to do with security. File permissions are joke and you will need a serious crypto discipline to protect your data in the case HDD is taken. FUSE driver for ZFS does exist in Linux world and Microsoft is one of the largest software companies on the world. I am guessing if Microsoft had an agreement with Oracle they could port ZFS to Windows in very short time.



			
				DigitalPriest said:
			
		

> I am also trying to avoid simply emulating everything via Wine/VirtualBox,



Wine is a joke and if you need applications only available on Windows like Microsoft Office you would be ill advised to change your OS.



			
				DigitalPriest said:
			
		

> Chrome       -> Chromium (I am under the impression that most extensions for Chrome in Windows do not work in Chromium - Verify?)


Not true!



			
				DigitalPriest said:
			
		

> Adobe Flash -> ?  (Not sure if this has to be emulated.  I'd prefer not to use it, but working in IT, sometimes it is a necessary evil)


Doesn't exist in BSD world.



			
				DigitalPriest said:
			
		

> VLC             -> VLC  (I believe this is a seamless transition)
> Foobar2000 -> ?       (Not sure if there is a quality equivalent for Music Playing and FLAC->MP3 Conversion)
> EAC             -> ?      ( Have not seen anything of that quality, .abcde?)
> Tag Manager -> ?     (Have not been able to locate any comparable application for editing FLAC and MP3 Tags)
> File Manager-> ?      (I have become extremely accustomed to Windows File Manager, via Folder Trees and organization)


The same or better applications are available on FreeBSD



			
				DigitalPriest said:
			
		

> MSOffice      -> Libre (Pretty seamless, I've been told)



Somebody told you a lie. Even MSOffice for MAC doesn't come close MSOffice for Windows. I could care less for MSOffice but I have 4 computers out of 80 in my lab running Windows because of stupid Office. 




			
				DigitalPriest said:
			
		

> 3.  Programming Languages.  If, for example, Chromium wants to load a Java applet, I'm under the assumption that Java first has to be installed.  At this point, however, does Chromium natively know where to look for Java, or is there some kind of a bridging port that acts as a pointer to the Java directory?


Java is proprietary language and doesn't exist for BSDs. Check Oracle web site if you don't believe. OpenJDK works kind OK on BSDs but it is really Red Hat (Linux product). For real production use you want the platform supported by Oracle Java. We use Red Hat in my organization.




			
				DigitalPriest said:
			
		

> I know there is a legendary battle between KDE and GNOME, with users pleased and displeased with design decisions among both.  I haven't even decided myself.  However, I'm more interested in the GUI that will allow me to design my own efficient desktop space.



So you are actually developer  P I strongly suggest sticking with Qt toolkit when it comes to designing your own GUI  :beer


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## wblock@ (Jun 5, 2014)

Oko said:
			
		

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That's not quite accurate.  The Linux Flash plugin runs in Firefox.  It mostly works.



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There are differing levels of use.  LibreOffice and Gnumeric do a lot.  Some people need full MS Office compatibility, but many do not.



> DigitalPriest said:
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OpenJDK works well enough to run a lot of things, including Java browser plugins (if anyone feels running those is safe any more).

All of this can--and should--be tested before making the switch.


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## SirDice (Jun 5, 2014)

Oko said:
			
		

> Java is proprietary language and doesn't exist for BSDs.


Really? Than this must be a figment of my imagination: http://www.freebsd.org/java/


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## Oko (Jun 5, 2014)

SirDice said:
			
		

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Really! You just gave me the link to Red Hat clone of Java. Teach me how to run Oracle Java on FreeBSD and I will take you for the dinner. The difference might be trivial for home user but in my case I would be able to switch 10 servers from Red Hat to FreeBSD.


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## SirDice (Jun 5, 2014)

Oko said:
			
		

> Teach me how to run Oracle Java on FreeBSD and I will take you for the dinner.


java/linux-oracle-jre18. Granted, it's not _native_ but it works. 

There also used to be Diablo, which was the _official_ Sun Java implemented on FreeBSD. But since the take over of Sun by Oracle it disappeared. There was also a JDK 1.6 but again, since the take-over it disappeared. You can blame Oracle for that.


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## Oko (Jun 5, 2014)

SirDice said:
			
		

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Why would I be angry at Oracle? They paid 8 billion dollars for Sun. They can do whatever they want with Sun products (so far they just killed everything). That was my original point that you contested. Java is proprietary Oracle product and Oracle might chose to support or not to support platforms/OSs at will. They chose not to support FreeBSD and that is OK but we should not be pretending that Java is open source. If the Java was open source I would be able to compile it on this very OpenBSD desktop from which I am repsonding to your message. Speaking of which I used to run Sun Java on OpenBSD  :beer There is a reason why Red Hat made such a huge investment into OpenJDK and there is a reason why me and my co-workers I so desperate to move away our proprietary code base away from Java  §e 

They same goes for Flash and Adobe. We might try some trickery to run Flash on FreeBSD but that doesn't change fundamental fact that there is no official Flash release by Adobe, proprietary vendor which is the only entity capable for bringing Flash to FreeBSD.


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## drhowarddrfine (Jun 6, 2014)

One note about Flash. Adobe has ceased development for mobile Flash and its future is in doubt as the web is moving away from that.


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## tzoi516 (Jun 6, 2014)

drhowarddrfine said:
			
		

> One note about Flash. Adobe has ceased development for mobile Flash and its future is in doubt as the web is moving away from that.


Adobe is moving towards HTML 5 compatibility. They released a news piece a few years ago about it. I don't know why it's taking so long to move forward.


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## DigitalPriest (Jun 9, 2014)

I'm flattered by the number of responses - thanks!  Going to take some time to read through them all, again it is greatly appreciated!


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## bsdkeith (Jun 10, 2014)

Personally, I ditched MS a long time ago (1999), there are program replacements for just about anything you can think of, & nearly everyone of them is free!  :e

Edit: Run dual boot for a while & you will find yourself using MS less & less as you get to know your new environment.


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## Cthulhux (Jun 25, 2014)

Personally, I've always come back to Windows as my main desktop OS. There is a simple reason: It's not the lack of software but the lack of workflows. Once you _know_ your system, switching to a completely different platform inevitably makes things worse.

However, you might want to use FLOSS on Windows too. 
A smooth transition requires you to have something vaguely known first. Maybe you should try that for a while before you think about the next steps.

(That said, I have FreeBSD machines and an OpenBSD fallback laptop ready, just in case Windows bores me. I mostly leave the house with the OpenBSD one.)


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## sandro (Sep 12, 2014)

Hello Gentlemen!

Without wanting to stretch this subject that is no longer part of the initial question, but concluding.

Support free software is in a direction to follow a healthy lifestyle. Distancing this noxious combination of the concept of ownership and the invention of money, which promotes an open war.

It's insane that we find a peaceful, balanced and sustainable world will come to a mechanism of competition.

Cooperation is a hundred times more powerful.

Grateful
Hugs


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## nakal (Sep 15, 2014)

Short answer to the title of the thread: No, it cannot.

I never recommend to replace Windows. When someone is using Windows, (s)he wants Windows and all the disadvantages that are the consequence of the choice. Don't complain about a system programmed for consumers not to be professional enough. Professional systems are tunable to the bare metal and that's why they are difficult to use. And they cannot be used by a mere consumer, either.

I tell you what you sound like: "Hey I have this bike here, which feels like it restricts me, but I see your fighter jet with all the cool features and I wonder if I could use it instead.".


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## teo (Sep 25, 2014)

It is very tortuous install FreeBSD desktop, you can not install some applications like Skype or Flash player support nor in Linux.
In 2008 there was the DesktopBSD system based on FreeBSD, it was very comprehensive. Hopefully FreeBSD extends to GUI, the other derivatives are so incomplete.


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## drhowarddrfine (Sep 25, 2014)

teo said:
			
		

> It is very tortuous install freebsd desk, you can not install some applications like skype or flash player support nor in Linux.


I don't know about skype but flash worked until just a couple of months ago when changes were made. Then there is new linux compatibility (c6) which I have not tried yet which allows flash installation again. So your statement is not true.


> In 2008 there was the DesktopBSD system based on FreeBSD, it was very comprehensive.


PC-BSD is alive and well. You should try it.



> Hopefully freebsd extends to GUI, the other derivatives are so incomplete.


FreeBSD is a professional operating system unlike Windows or what Linux is turning into. The options available in any GUI cannot reach all the possibilities a professional would want and also limits what the OS can be installed on. A GUI requires a windowing system and not all devices it's installed on have one, need one, or require one. It would also force an installer to install one, specific windowing system on boot up which may not be the one the installer wants.

FreeBSD has almost any windowing system you would want.


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## Juanitou (Sep 25, 2014)

drhowarddrfine said:
			
		

> teo said:
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Flash works and have done since I started using FreeBSD (two years ago, more or less). I have not tried yet the new Linux ports.


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## kpedersen (Sep 25, 2014)

Skype, flash and all that tosh are proprietary (and evidently pretty unportable) and thus need a "proprietary compatibility layer". VirtualBox is great for this task. Seriously, these stupid little programs require no other thought but to make a small hack just to get round their limitations.

The great thing about VirtualBox is that you can also update the OS running inside it, so as Skype and flash drops support for i.e Windows XP, you can just update the guest OS to Vista and carry on your merry way 

listentoyoutube.com and youtube-dl are also small hacks that are great for extracting content from youtube.


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## teo (Sep 25, 2014)

Juanitou said:
			
		

> drhowarddrfine said:
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Flash Player tested on linux (c6) compatibility and gave error when installing flash player.
See here and was told to wait until they fix the compatibility protocol.

Today the world does not trust the systems that you say, most people want to switch to a free main system and install on the computer, the problem is that a lot of people we like FreeBSD desk, impossible to resist.


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## vermaden (Sep 26, 2014)

DigitalPriest said:
			
		

> 1.  How does UFS/ZFS maintain 'security'.  As we all know, you can hook up an NTFS drive to just about any computer and harvest any information off of it with no issues (unless some Encryption service is employed).  One of the advantages of UNIX systems supposedly is that regardless of the computer it is hooked up to, group permissions are retained, and, thus, file security.  What is preventing a Windows or other OS client from developing a program that 'reads' UFS/ZFS and therefor compromises all security?


Use GELI for encryption.



			
				DigitalPriest said:
			
		

> 2.  To me, I am not satisfied with sacrificing freedom for security.  Windows has many flaws, but it also has a wealth of applications, not to mention the benefit of being the most widely supported OS in the English speaking portions of the world.  I am familiar with FreshPorts.org, but it is a bit difficult for the novice to find 'replacement' programs.  I am wondering to what extent I can replace my 'most used' applications in a FreeBSD Environment.  I am also trying to avoid simply emulating everything via Wine/VirtualBox, as that defeats the purpose of FreeBSD for me.  This includes:  (Note that I am not necessarily seeking a named replacement so much as confirmation that 'Yes: A quality alternative exists in FreeBSD')


This site helps a lot with finding alternatives - http://alternativeto.net/




> Chrome       -> Chromium (I am under the impression that most extensions for Chrome in Windows do not work in Chromium - Verify?)


Leave Chrome/Chromium, try Firefox with needed extensions.



> Adobe Flash -> ?  (Not sure if this has to be emulated.  I'd prefer not to use it, but working in IT, sometimes it is a necessary evil)


That one works without a problem.



> VLC             -> VLC  (I believe this is a seamless transition)


Yes.



> Foobar2000 -> ?       (Not sure if there is a quality equivalent for Music Playing and FLAC->MP3 Conversion)


*Deadbeef* is the UNIX Foobar.



> File Manager-> ?      (I have become extremely accustomed to Windows File Manager, via Folder Trees and organization)


Nautilus and Thunar, both at once for different purposes.



> MSOffice      -> Libre (Pretty seamless, I've been told)


No other choice. You may also try MSOffice using WINE or in Windows under VirtualBox.



> RDP              -> ?      (Not sure what equivalent exists for remote connecting to Windows and Linux GUI environments)


*rdesktop* works cery well.



> Arduino IDE   -> ?      (Not sure if this has been ported or has to be emulated, even then, can you forward USB ports to an Emulator?)


To VirtualBox, yes, but only 1.0/1.1 USB ports, 2.0 are problematic. The USB 2.0 support is in Oracle Something Pack and its not available for FreeBSD.



> 3.  Programming Languages.  If, for example, Chromium wants to load a Java applet, I'm under the assumption that Java first has to be installed.  At this point, however, does Chromium natively know where to look for Java, or is there some kind of a bridging port that acts as a pointer to the Java directory?


Use *icedtea-web* plugin for Java on FreeBSD, works very well.



> 4.  GUI.  I know there is a legendary battle between KDE and GNOME, with users pleased and displeased with design decisions among both.  I haven't even decided myself.  However, I'm more interested in the GUI that will allow me to design my own efficient desktop space.  I'm 'ok' with pre-designed desktops, but one allure of FreeBSD is the ability to customize and optimize.  Recommendations?  Alternatives?  I hear tell that X is simply a torturous labyrinth of install if you haven't done it before, so I'm a bit intimidated by it.


I use something 'small' - openbox/tint2/lxpanel/plunk/conky ... and applications that I need.



> Thank you again for taking the time to read my post, I appreciate your input for a Newbie.


Welcome to the real world ;p


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## teo (Sep 26, 2014)

> Adobe Flash -> ?  (Not sure if this has to be emulated.  I'd prefer not to use it, but working in IT, sometimes it is a necessary evil)





> That one works without a problem.



That one works without a problem? *T*hat's a lie. Flash Player tested on Linux (c6) compatibility and gave error when installing Flash player. See here and was told to wait until they fix the compatibility protocol.


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## Juanitou (Sep 26, 2014)

Please read my post before replying nonsense. If it doesn’t work with the new C6 compatibility layer, use the well-tested F10.


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## wblock@ (Sep 26, 2014)

Flash with linux-c6 is working here on 10-STABLE amd64.


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## uzsolt (Sep 27, 2014)

teo said:
			
		

> That one works without a problem? *T*hat's a lie. Flash Player tested on Linux (c6) compatibility and gave error when installing Flash player.


Please copy the error message. Maybe you've missed something. On my laptop works well.


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## teo (Sep 27, 2014)

Tested the linux_base-f10 compatibility as linux-c6 compatibility and gave error when installing linux-f10-flashplugin11, and flash player.


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## uzsolt (Sep 27, 2014)

uzsolt said:
			
		

> Please copy the error message


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## wblock@ (Sep 27, 2014)

teo said:
			
		

> Tested the linux_base-f10 compatibility as linux-c6 compatibility and gave error when installing linux-*f10*-flashplugin11, and flash player.



That would be the problem, yes.  For the linux-c6 ports, www/linux-c6-flashplugin11 is used.


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## teo (Sep 27, 2014)

uzsolt said:
			
		

> uzsolt said:
> 
> 
> 
> > Please copy the error message



Please follow link, here is the error flash player without arrangement.  They said flash protocol was vulnerable and wait.   

viewtopic.php?f=19&t=47563


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## wblock@ (Sep 27, 2014)

That is outdated, and the vulnerabilities were in the linux-f10 ports and ftp/curl.

See /usr/ports/UPDATING entry 20140922 about the linux-c6 ports.  They work, and Flash, with the www/linux-c6-flashplugin11 port, works too.


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## teo (Sep 27, 2014)

wblock@ said:
			
		

> See /usr/ports/UPDATING entry 20140922 about the linux-c6 ports.  They work, and Flash, with the www/linux-c6-flashplugin11 port, works too.



Linux compatibility is enabled. The FreeBSD version is 10 of 32 bits.When trying to follow the steps in this guide to install flash player, fails on this port.   

http://www.freshports.org/www/linux-c6-flashplugin11


```
# make install clean
===>  linux_base-c6-6.4_1 compat.linux.osrelease: 2.6.16 is not supported, please use 2.6.18, BEWARE this is highly experimental.
*** Error code 1

Stop.
make: stopped in /usr/ports/emulators/linux_base-c6
#
```


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## wblock@ (Sep 27, 2014)

`less -p 20140922 /usr/ports/UPDATING`

Right there, it shows how to set the `sysctl`.  If that does not work, please start a new thread.


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## ondra_knezour (Sep 27, 2014)

So first read some guide on reading guides. Then try compare 


> ===>  linux_base-c6-6.4_1 compat.linux.osrelease: 2.6.16 is not supported, please use 2.6.18, BEWARE this is highly experimental.


 and 





> Additionally, please add the following line to /etc/sysctl.conf:
> 
> compat.linux.osrelease=2.6.18


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## Juanitou (Sep 28, 2014)

And @teo, please stop accusing people of telling lies when you don’t have a clue of what you are talking about.


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## uzsolt (Sep 28, 2014)

teo said:
			
		

> ```
> # make install clean
> ===>  linux_base-c6-6.4_1 compat.linux.osrelease: 2.6.16 is not supported, please use 2.6.18, BEWARE this is highly experimental.
> *** Error code 1
> ...


You've missed `sysctl compat.linux.osrelease=2.6.18` - it's written in /usr/ports/UPDATING (20140922). And you should modify /etc/sysctl.conf to make this change permanent.
For me works well, can I use Flash in Firefox browser.


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## BSDBernd (Sep 28, 2014)

kpedersen said:
			
		

> Skype, flash and all that tosh are proprietary (and evidently pretty unportable) and thus need a "proprietary compatibility layer". VirtualBox is great for this task. Seriously, these stupid little programs require no other thought but to make a small hack just to get round their limitations.
> 
> The great thing about VirtualBox is that you can also update the OS running inside it, so as Skype and flash drops support for i.e Windows XP, you can just update the guest OS to Vista and carry on your merry way
> 
> listentoyoutube.com and youtube-dl are also small hacks that are great for extracting content from youtube.



Good points. If someone asks:



> Can FreeBSD replace my Windows Desktop?



Yes, you just need to be able to efficiently run Windows in Virtualbox.  If it is possible to share and use efficiently resources, then all problems concerning proprietary software are easily solved, and you have even this brilliant OS FreeBSD as a host and have the massive amount of software available that FreeBSD provides. The good thing is here that you only have to do research on this efficiency thing. You don't have to run around and beg everyone to provide a version for this and for that for your open source OS.  I love FreeBSD and don't need proprietary software. Everything I need for work are open source and are available and are more than sufficient. Some of the programs I use are developed at universities, others are great open source projects and are of course available in FreeBSD. But there are people who need other software which is only available under Windows or Mac OSX. Well, just improve Virtualbox. And if someone says: Why not just install both OSes on your computer? Because you loose a lot as many may have experienced. You loose sharing files, having access to certain programs if you only boot one of your OSes.


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## AzaShog (Sep 28, 2014)

*Question:* Can FreeBSD replace my Windows Desktop?
*Answer:* Sure, you can run FreeBSD, inside which you run VirtualBox, inside which you run Windows all over again to replace your Windows.

Nailed it!


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## BSDBernd (Sep 28, 2014)

AzaShog said:
			
		

> *Question:* Can FreeBSD replace my Windows Desktop?
> *Answer:* Sure, you can run FreeBSD, inside which you run VirtualBox, inside which you run Windows all over again to replace your Windows.
> 
> Nailed it!



I admit, it sounds silly if you answer it this way .

Edit: But I think that efficiency question is an interesting one. I really would like to run other OSes under one Host OS and this most efficiently, instead each OS separately. This has many advantages, some I have mentioned above.


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## AzaShog (Sep 28, 2014)

BSDBernd said:
			
		

> I admit, it sounds silly if you answer it this way .



It's not really "this way" or any other. It's literally, word for word, what has been suggested:



			
				BSDBernd said:
			
		

> > Can FreeBSD replace my Windows Desktop?
> 
> 
> 
> Yes, you just need to be able to efficiently run Windows in Virtualbox.


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## wblock@ (Sep 28, 2014)

AzaShog said:
			
		

> *Question:* Can FreeBSD replace my Windows Desktop?
> *Answer:* Sure, you can run FreeBSD, inside which you run VirtualBox, inside which you run Windows all over again to replace your Windows.
> 
> Nailed it!



I do this.  FreeBSD host, Windows VMs for running software that requires Windows.  I think we can agree that there is nothing FreeBSD can do about that particular problem.

Running Windows in a VM has the huge advantage of being easily portable to different host hardware, something that is ridiculously difficult with native installs.  The VMs also run concurrently with the host.  They are at least equal to the responsiveness of a hardware system, while being more convenient.

Not everyone needs that.  Many people can live without Windows applications, as shown by Apple and Chrome as an OS.


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## AzaShog (Sep 28, 2014)

It's not really *replacing* if you just reinstall it virtualized. You could do that to DOS if someone wrote a hypervisor in DOS. That's hardly DOS *replacing* Windows, is it.


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## ChalkBored (Sep 29, 2014)

AzaShog said:
			
		

> It's not really *replacing* if you just reinstall it virtualized.



Unless you spend all your time in the VM, you're replacing it as your desktop.


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## jrm@ (Oct 2, 2014)

Oko said:
			
		

> Teach me how to run Oracle Java on FreeBSD and I will take you for the dinner. The difference might be trivial for home user but in my case I would be able to switch 10 servers from Red Hat to FreeBSD.


The FreeBSD Foundation has a new agreement with Oracle to get native Java on FreeBSD, so run that.  Expect the announcement soon.  You owe me dinner.


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## Oko (Oct 5, 2014)

jrm said:
			
		

> Oko said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I do  :beer  That is a great news!!! If the Oracle actually add support for FreeBSD maybe there is a hope to convince MathWorks  to release native MATLAB version for FreeBSD. That would really enable me to switch all remaining Linux boxes in my lab to FreeBSD. Don't cry for me systemd crap :h


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