# What difference between server and desktop graphic?



## teo (Feb 18, 2015)

Hi

What difference between server and desktop graphic on system FreeBSD? What difference between Apache and Firefox browser?


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## woodsb02 (Feb 19, 2015)

I'm not sure I understand your question, but I will attempt to answer anyway.

There is no difference between the X11 graphical system if installed on a server or a desktop (the same software can be used on either). However, a graphical system is not installed by default on FreeBSD, and it is common for it to never be installed on servers (many people only want to console on a server, as there is often no need for a graphical interface). This is in contrast to a desktop computer or laptop, where one of the first things people tend to add after installation is the X11 graphical system and desktop environment.

As for Apache vs Firefox, Firefox is a web browser which allows users to browse the Internet looking at webpages. Apache on the other hand is a web server, meaning it is not used by a person on a day to day basis - it's job is to provide the web page when someone (possibly using Firefox web browser) comes asking for it.


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## teo (Feb 19, 2015)

woodsb02 said:


> I'm not sure I understand your question, but I will attempt to answer anyway.




 It is a system with graphical desktop environment vs a system with server.


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## scottro (Feb 19, 2015)

Shucks, I'll give it a shot.

A basic FreeBSD install doesn't require a graphical environment.  (Neither does a basic Ubuntu install, depending upon your proposed use of it.)

If you want to watch movies, browse many websites, use some kind of Office like software, etc., you will probably want a graphical environment.

The fact that something doesn't have a graphic environment doesn't mean it's a server, nor does it being a server mean that it can't have a graphical environment. 

A server, as its name indicates, serves.  It may serve files, it might be a web server, it might run some kind of database.  It can do this and have a graphical environment though that's probably not typical. 

So, the short answer is that the server can have the graphical environment, though it's not typical.  In FreeBSD, generally one starts with a small install, that could be easily used as a server, then decides what programs to install.


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## kpa (Feb 19, 2015)

Usually servers do not have graphical desktop environments installed because it doesn't make much sense from the administration point of view. When you can change settings very quickly and efficiently using a simple and lightweight SSH session there's little point in using a graphical editor that uses ten times more resources (and adds the same amount to the complexity of your workflow) for the same task. The one very significant exception to this is of course Windows server edition that has always had the standard Windows GUI on the console with no other way of administrating the server (later versions of Windows server do offer a text console option I'm told).


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## Terry_Kennedy (Feb 19, 2015)

teo said:


> What difference between server and desktop graphic on system FreeBSD?


I'll answer this a little bit differently from the other answers. On a server, graphics hardware (if even present at all) is there to support basic system configuration via the BIOS, configuring options on disk controllers, and so on. It _might_ be used as an interface to the operating system (if using an OS that requires graphics, like Windows Server). Otherwise, it is used as a text-mode console for the OS.

The selection of server graphics chip is based on 2 main considerations: 1) Low-cost and 2) Easy to interface to the remote management facility* (if present). That means you normally get VGA graphics, not much (if any) acceleration, and so on. I've seen these cards get horribly low scores (1.x) on the Windows System Assessment tool.

* On the Dell servers I'm familiar with, both the video controller and basic remote access functions are on the mainboard (an Enterprise version of the remote access is either an additional card or a software license, depending on the server model). The remote management function lets the user display an image of the screen on a remote system via a web browser. You can install an add-in graphics card, but this disables the on-board graphics and you lose the remote viewing function. On HP rx26xx servers as well as some other HP models, you don't even get graphics unless you order the system with their version of remote access (called iLO).

A workstation is sort of in between - it has better graphics, but it may be focused on "business" applications such as CAD/CAM rather than gaming.


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## teo (Feb 19, 2015)

Interesting comments. FreeBSD  standard on console, the basic application,  not work on console  without desktop environment?


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## woodsb02 (Feb 19, 2015)

FreeBSD does not have a desktop environment when you first install it. For a lot of people it works just fine without ever installing a graphical environment.

It just depends what you need to do really. It should be able to support you with either console only or a graphical desktop.


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## teo (Feb 19, 2015)

woodsb02 said:


> It should be able to support you with either console only or a graphical desktop.




As support in the console the basic applications without desktop? It can be installed, but working with them on console?


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## woodsb02 (Feb 20, 2015)

There are some very complex and powerful (not basic) applications that run in the console and do not require desktop support.

It really is as simple as this: if you want to run a graphical application such as Firefox, you will need to install a graphical environment, and FreeBSD can do that easily.

If you only want to run console application or daemons (background services) such as a web server, file server or email server, you do not need a graphical environment. FreeBSD performs well in this space also.

Let me turn this thread back on you. What do you want to do with FreeBSD (what applications do you want to run)?


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## teo (Feb 20, 2015)

woodsb02 said:


> It really is as simple as this: if you want to run a graphical application such as Firefox, you will need to install a graphical environment, and FreeBSD can do that easily.
> 
> What do you want to do with FreeBSD (what applications do you want to run)?




As which graphic? For example, the player totem or open office.


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## woodsb02 (Feb 20, 2015)

Totem and Open Office are graphical applications, and to run them you would first have to install a graphical environment on your FreeBSD computer. The process for doing so is explained here:
https://www.freebsd.org/doc/handbook/x11.html

An example of an application which does not require a graphical interface to run and configure is the sshd daemon. You can see it starting in this screenshot (note the lack of a graphical environment):
http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u66/rossonieri_1/hip-today/lbsd7-p1/19d.png


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## woodsb02 (Feb 20, 2015)

If you want a graphical environment, I can recommend PC-BSD. This is essentially FreeBSD with a graphical environment pre-installed, making it easier for you. More details here:
www.pcbsd.org


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## scottro (Feb 20, 2015)

I'd add GhostBSD.  Lower hardware requirements than PCBSD, but a similar idea, simple install with a graphic environment.


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