# Who uses FreeBSD?



## wokko (Apr 9, 2011)

Just wanted to start this thread to see what people use FreeBSD for. 

I'm a home user that has been converted to FreeBSD from a long term Linux user. I would love to own a Mac, but in Australia it costs too much to buy one. So I decided to give a BSD operating system a go; started with DragonflyBSD but didn't really like the *pkgsrc* way of doing things. 

I really like the ports way of doing things and think I will stick with FreeBSD as everything I have put on my PC works without any hiccups. So I hope other users could give a brief statement why they use FreeBSD and what other operating system they came from.

Cheers dave


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## da1 (Apr 9, 2011)

Currently, I have 4 FreeBSD machines (1x amd64 and 3x i386). All of them do the following:
- pf/NAT
- public FTP
- IPSEC/Racoon VPN (between each other)
- PPTP VPN
- dhcp

The amd64 box does these additional stuff:
- samba
- nfs
- X/Kde/skype/openoffice
- apache (jailed)
- dns server (jailed)
- virtualbox (running 1x centos el5 with TSM V6.2.1.0, 1x OpenBSD for learning and 1x FreeBSD for testing new stuff )
- Bacula/Amanda (jailed - for testing/learning)
- receiving backups from the 3rd machine (because I only have 1 disk on that one)
- monitoring diff. stuff: cacti/nagios
- print server (cups)
- mail server (postfix)

Short hardware info:
The amd64 box has 6GB DDR2 RAM, Intel Core2Duo E6550 (2.3GHz), 2x WD RE3 500GB disks (ZFS mirror - holds the OS plus the VM's) and 2x WD Caviar Black 1.5TB disks (ZFS mirror - holds the data for the samba/nfs shares/exports)
Machine1 is an Intel Celeron @ 500MHz, with 1x Maxtor (40GB) and 1x Seagate (120GB) with 256 MB RAM 
Machine2 is a Intel P3 @ 1GHZ with 128MB RAM and 1x 80GB ExcelStor hdd
Machine3 is Intel P2 @ 200MHz, with 128 MB RAM and 1x 6GB Quantum Fireball hdd


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## wokko (Apr 9, 2011)

Thanks da1, sounds like a handful. How do you go about updates/upgrades with all your machines?


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## da1 (Apr 9, 2011)

Well, for the amd64 it's quite simple since, it has some juice in it. I usually compile the world/kernel (because I can, and because I have a custom kernel) and I use the [CMD=""]freebsd-update[/CMD] cmd for the security patches.For the other ones [CMD=""]freebsd-update[/CMD]


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## nekoexmachina (Apr 9, 2011)

Home user. Freenet server & fileserver is using FreeBSD; desktop + laptop also goes there; 3 OpenBSD installations on router, netbook and multimedia center.


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## drhowarddrfine (Apr 9, 2011)

I run a small web development business with a number of FreeBSD servers that host my clients.


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## mk (Apr 9, 2011)

I'm using it for desktop. Doing fine but hate gnome build times. 
@drhowarddrfine Wasn't you a dentist?


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## drhowarddrfine (Apr 9, 2011)

mk said:
			
		

> @drhowarddrfine Wasn't you a dentist?


Nope. Nor am I a doctor. Nor is my name Howard.


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## ckester (Apr 9, 2011)

drhowarddrfine said:
			
		

> Nope. Nor am I a doctor. Nor is my name Howard.



Your screen name is a Three Stooges reference, yes?

Moe, Curly, and Shemp were all Howards.  Larry was a Fine.


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## wokko (Apr 11, 2011)

Thank you to everyone, for your replies.
I have a quick question to you all with more than one computer with FreeBSD installed. I was given an old computer and installed FreeBSD on it and wondering is it only possible to connect both computers through internet connection or is there another way of doing it?


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## Pushrod (Apr 11, 2011)

I use FreeBSD as a firewall at home, and behind it is another FreeBSD machine with around 6TB of TV shows and movies, and my personal data.

I also have a FreeBSD dedicated server that does web, email, torrents, and a bunch of other stuff. It has a 100mbit symmetric link to the internet.

I avoid FreeBSD like the plague as desktop system; I use Windows instead.


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## ian-nai (Apr 11, 2011)

FreeBSD as a ZFS-based file server.  Works as a "Time Machine" server for my desktop and laptop, amongst other things.

I also play solitair on it with pysol.  

@wokko:  Check out the networking section of this site and the FreeBSD handbook.  I think you're looking for the "pf" and "ipfw" commands.  Routing traffic with *BSD is a very standard practice.  Googling "freebsd nat how-to" should probably get you most of the way there.


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## drhowarddrfine (Apr 11, 2011)

ckester said:
			
		

> Your screen name is a Three Stooges reference, yes?
> 
> Moe, Curly, and Shemp were all Howards.  Larry was a Fine.



Yes. From the film "Men In Black". If you feel like watching the ads, watch the first minute. Otherwise, this audio clip.

Please don't think it in any way reflects my personality or interests though I did watch them as a kid.


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## wokko (Apr 11, 2011)

ian-nai: Thanks for the advice, just what I was looking for.


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## dralex (Apr 12, 2011)

*I do, I do, I do.  I use FreeBSD.*

I have two home systems, one an amd 64 with a bit of muscle and an old pentium II that I run FreeBSD, console only. Just am setting them up to network together. 

Anyway, since they are both toys, I use them to learn about operating systems and such. As an applications developer, much of the time I don't have to worry about the systems side of 'stuff'. So these two for me really are learning tools.


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## wokko (Apr 12, 2011)

dralex said:
			
		

> I have two home systems, one an amd 64 with a bit of muscle and an old pentium II that I run freebsd, console only. Just am setting them up to network together.



I'm trying to do the same with my two computers "setting them up to network together.".
Could you tell me how you are going to do that with your computers, as I'm trying to figure out the best way of doing it with mine.

All I want to do is be able to switch between my two computers, as one will be for me to learn about FreeBSD (kernel rebuild and so on) and when I can get it right, I can do it on my other computer which is my main system.


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## agnel_kurian (Apr 12, 2011)

Using FreeBSD in a virtual machine to test available options for my (very small) personal website and blog before moving it to hosting. Also playing with GTK+ and OpenGL.


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## dralex (Apr 12, 2011)

*Well woko, I found this article*

By Dru Lavigne and thought I'd follow it to the best of my abilities and see where that got me. 

http://onlamp.com/pub/a/bsd/2004/05/13/FreeBSD_Basics.html?page=1


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## wokko (Apr 12, 2011)

Dralex, thanks for the link. I learnt a lot of new stuff from reading that.


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