# Running FreeBSD in VirtualBox



## nomko (Jun 18, 2012)

Hi,

Currently I'm kind of busy with distro hopping. I want to try FreeBSD in VirtualBOx under Linux Mint. But When *I* install it, *I* get nothing. FreeBSD reboots and then after the reboot *I* get only a sort of text-based interface. What goe*s* wrong here? Can I run FreeBSD in VirtualBox?


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## dave (Jun 18, 2012)

FreeBSD is text-based by design.  If you want a GUI, try PCBSD.


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## nomko (Jun 19, 2012)

dave said:
			
		

> FreeBSD is text-based by design.  If you want a GUI, try PCBSD.




What you say means that there's no Desktop Environment available for FreeBSD?


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## SirDice (Jun 19, 2012)

No, he's saying there's nothing installed by default. To get any kind of desktop environment you need to get your hands dirty.

Chapter 5 Installing Applications: Packages and Ports
Chapter 6 The X Window System

If you want something that'll give you a nice GUI out of the box install PC-BSD.


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## henkka (Jun 22, 2012)

I couldn't get a desktop environment working with FreeBSD installed as a VirtualBox guest. The installation hanged in some place. I tried to install both from sources and using *pkg_add*. I didn't face such problems with a normal installation.


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## henkka (Jul 1, 2012)

henkka said:
			
		

> I couldn't get a desktop environment working with FreeBSD installed as a VirtualBox guest.


While installation of Gnome (FreeBSD as a VirtualBox guest) didn't work *o*n my laptop and with my skills, Xfce seems to work ok. In order to have VirtualBox GuestAdditions work, one has to have sources installed as well.

http://www.freebsd.org/doc/en_US.ISO8859-1/books/handbook/virtualization-guest.html
http://wiki.freebsd.org/VirtualBox/
http://forums.freebsd.org/showthread.php?t=29172


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## drhowarddrfine (Jul 2, 2012)

nomko said:
			
		

> Hi,
> 
> Currently I'm kind of busy with distro hopping. I want to try FreeBSD...


"Distro" is a Linux-ism that has no equivalent in BSD. Don't use that term.


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## neilms (Jul 2, 2012)

I had freebsd FreeBSD up and running in Virtualbox on Ubuntu Linux in under 30 minutes. That*'*s when *I* remembered how stable the system was and decided to install it natively on all my PCss again.


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