# FreeBSD as my work desktop



## kr651129 (Jun 27, 2012)

My IT guy said I can install FreeBSD on my work PC.  He gave me a 250 SATA drive to put in my machine so if I need to revert back to XP I can.  Is there anything I need to watch out for when installing FreeBSD as a work desktop?  I need to be able to print, so I'm assuming print/cups and mail/tunderbird for email.


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## caesius (Jun 27, 2012)

Does your job rely on any specific software that is indispensable?


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## kr651129 (Jun 27, 2012)

Nope, it's all web software.  So chrome/opera/firefox will get all of my daily functions done, the only other functions I need are access to the fileserver, printers, and email and if push comes to shove I can email via OWA.


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## caesius (Jun 27, 2012)

Then I see no reason why you would have any issues.

However, depending on your experience PCBSD might be worth a look.


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## kr651129 (Jun 27, 2012)

I've never used any of the other BSD's but I'll check it out.


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## caesius (Jun 28, 2012)

PCBSD is plain 'ol FreeBSD under the hood. But it comes packaged with applications and configuration tools that a desktop user will find helpful. I highly recommend you try it. Remember, it's still FreeBSD under all the shiny paint


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## jrm@ (Jun 28, 2012)

kr651129 said:
			
		

> I need to be able to print, so I'm assuming print/cups.



You can install CUPS, but FreeBSD already includes a print spooler.
lpd Printing With FreeBSD
http://www.freebsd.org/doc/en/books/corp-net-guide/printserving-lpr-freebsd.html


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## vermaden (Jun 28, 2012)

kr651129 said:
			
		

> My IT guy said I can install FreeBSD on my work PC.  He gave me a 250 SATA drive to put in my machine so if I need to revert back to XP I can.  Is there anything I need to watch out for when installing FreeBSD as a work desktop?  I need to be able to print, so I'm assuming print/cups and mail/tunderbird for email.


As for printing, if CUPS will not 'make it' then you may create a VirtualBox machine with Windows XP and install drivers there to use the network printer, if it's not a network printer, then you may pass-through the USB printer to the Windows XP host and install drivers there and print that way.

I use FreeBSD as a work desktop/workstation for years now, tried Macbook/Mac OSX tandem for a year but that was not that great experience after all, so I went back to FreeBSD and never looked back.


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## Zare (Jun 28, 2012)

I can't imagine having anything other than FreeBSD on my work computer.


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## throAU (Jun 28, 2012)

kr651129 said:
			
		

> My IT guy said I can install FreeBSD on my work PC.  He gave me a 250 SATA drive to put in my machine so if I need to revert back to XP I can.  Is there anything I need to watch out for when installing FreeBSD as a work desktop?  I need to be able to print, so I'm assuming print/cups and mail/tunderbird for email.



GPU support can be an issue, what video do you have?


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## kr651129 (Jun 28, 2012)

Here's my hardware:

Intel Celeron 2.53GHz (Single Core 32bit)
2GB of RAM
250GB SATA HDD
Broadcom (yuck) NetXtreme 57xx Gigabit Controller
ATI RAGE 128 PRO PCU TMDS

As far as printing goes, it is a network printer, all network services are on a windows server


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## wblock@ (Jun 28, 2012)

kr651129 said:
			
		

> Here's my hardware:
> 
> Intel Celeron 2.53GHz (Single Core 32bit)
> 2GB of RAM
> ...



Sounds like a server.  The video and network should work.

If the network printers accept direct PCL or PostScript print jobs via lpr(1) or HP-style port 9100, printing is easy.


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## kr651129 (Jun 28, 2012)

wblock -- the only thing that worries me is the printing, the printer uses user name and password for authorization and it's already set up in XP's settings, I've never had to set something like this up on a FreeBSD desktop

edit:

Printer Details
Kyocera KM-3050 (KPDL)


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## wblock@ (Jun 28, 2012)

See smbutil(1).  (Untested.)


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## TheDreamer (Jul 2, 2012)

I've been working on FreeBSD as my work desktop (replacing a Sun Workstation). The hardest part was getting the X working. Something I haven't been able to do on my system at home.

Getting CUPS to talk to our office laser printer was really easy, had always deferred printing to using my Windows desktop (thinking I want to virtualize it away now).

Not sure, but a quick google search seems to say that the KM-3050 understands postscript, so that should be a snap to get going.  The office laserjet at work is postscript. The AIO is another story, don't really care if I don't figure out printing to it, but it might be nice if I could scan.

At home I got a Brother MFC7065DN, a Windows GDI printer. Surprisingly I was able to get that working (Using Foomatic/hl1250). Good thing my last Windows box at home died.  Haven't worked out scanning at home yet either.

CUPS can also be made to talk to a printer share on Windows. Haven't done in on FreeBSD, but I did it once on Linux at my parent's place.

The Dreamer


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