Oct 16, 2026, 5:49 PMDoes anybody have direct experience with any FreeBSD desktop distros (list at https://freebsdfoundation.org/freebsd-project/resourcesold/guide-to-freebsd-desktop-distributions/)?
Asking for a union local that needs to deWindows a couple of laptops. I don't love the directions Linux is going, but these laptops have to serve novice-grade users.
@dsalo Is there a particular thing you don't enjoy about Linux? There are so many flavors of Linux (technically including Android, I suppose) that I don't know if it is "going" in any particular direction. And I continue to be extremely satisifed as an unsophisticated user with Linux Mint (I use Debian Edition), which is really easy to switch to from former Windows users.
Oct 16, 2026, 8:01 PM@forpeterssake Linus Torvalds is opening the Linux slopgates; I anticipate rapid and serious degradation in software quality. The BSDs are refusing slopcode to date.
@dsalo Some considerations worth what you paid for them:
1- I use FreeBSD itself with XFCE on my laptop. (Disclaimer: I'm hardly a novice user.)
2- That FreeBSD Foundation URL was last updated 5 years ago and is showing its age.
3- https://docs.freebsd.org/en/books/handbook/ (and specifically https://docs.freebsd.org/en/books/handbook/desktop/) exists and is generally acknowledged as good but is mostly for IT/sysadmins or some experienced users.
4- I might be able to help you with installing it for those users. (Text channel, not voice.)
@dsalo yes, last week I tried out Netbsd on my laptop. Wifi not working, no driver available. I didn't get any further and reverted to Debian. I wanted it to work but it didn't.
Oct 17, 2026, 4:16 PM@rogerparkinson :( thanks!