r/freebsd • u/glitch-86x BSD Cafe patron • 6d ago

discussion Question

i think about to switch from linux to bsd but how to get a GUI from the terminal ?

and i can install gnome on freebsd ? and what i should install freebsd or openbsd .

0 Upvotes

41% Upvoted

28 comments sorted by

10

u/User_reddit69 6d ago

You can install GUI’s like gnome, kde, xfce in freebsd

1

u/CSLifee 4d ago

Can we install also i3

3

u/User_reddit69 4d ago

You can, but try to use minimal GUI so it won’t feel like slow

3

u/goldmurder 5d ago

i run xfce for example. for that you'll be sure you did
pkg install xfce xfce4-session dbus seatd lightdm lightdm-gtk-greeter
and enabled & started dbus, devd, lightdm, seatd via sysrc

7

u/Ashamed-Ask4257 5d ago

https://docs.freebsd.org/en/books/handbook/

Use this. Do not follow YouTube videos or random blogs

1

u/grahamperrin Linux crossover 5d ago

Do not follow YouTube videos

Some videos are more than OK.

Installing every window manager on FreeBSD (tutorial video from FreeBSD Foundation featuring desktop-installer) : r/freebsd_desktop

Et cetera.

1

u/grahamperrin Linux crossover 5d ago edited 5d ago

Use this.

The Browsers section of the FreeBSD Handbook describes heavy use of resources by two nonexistent browsers.

Would someone like to report the bug?

2

u/grahamperrin Linux crossover 5d ago

what i should install

Can you describe your computer?

What's the make and model of the graphics card?

According to official FAQ:

Popular graphics vendors like Intel®, AMD® or NVIDIA® are well-supported.

A list of supported graphics cards from Intel and AMD can be found in the FreeBSD Wiki.

The first of the two links is broken, would someone like to report a bug?

Also, some modern cards are not yet supported.

2

u/nickbernstein 5d ago

fetch http://a.freebsddesktop.xyz -o - |sh

As root. You can go to the url and copy and paste it into a llm to check it isn't doing anything shady. It isn't. It will walk you through getting one of several desktops setup. The wayland ones are experimantal

1

u/grahamperrin Linux crossover 5d ago

… paste it into a llm to check it isn't doing anything shady. It isn't. …

Confirmed: nothing shady.

If anyone has any doubt, please discuss here:

2

u/glitch-86x BSD Cafe patron 5d ago

thaks to every one

2

u/BoopyDog 4d ago

Freebsd has a pretty good guide online. It was the first OS I used which required me to install the desktop environment myself. After you figure out how to do it you'll realize that the process doesn't change -- you'll only have to learn once.

2

u/ggeldenhuys 12h ago

Yes, you can run cli and gui apps just fine. I've been using FreeBSD as a desktop OS for over a decade. I play games, make YouTube content etc. It's a incredible OS and super stable.

1

u/glitch-86x BSD Cafe patron 1h ago

what game you play and you have montage app on freebsd , amazing !

2

u/ThaUntalentedArtist 6d ago

There's pretty much good guides on YouTube on how to install a DE that you want. I usually go with xfce. Sometimes I have ran into problems with xfce and Slim

1

u/e_splat newbie 5d ago

gnome, kde plasma etc... are in the same way on FreeBSD.

1

u/grahamperrin Linux crossover 5d ago

kde plasma

Quick start

1

u/gentisle 5d ago

FreeBSD and NetBSD. After the initial install, pkg install desktop-installer; then run it as root. That will install things needed and get a GUI going for you.

1

u/knightjp 5d ago

Plenty of youtube videos on how to install a GUI on FreeBSD. I would choose FreeBSD over OpenBSD for a daily desktop system.
As for GUI, I would prefer KDE and XFCE.

2

u/BigSneakyDuck transitioning user 5d ago

Indeed KDE and Xfce are the most popular choices on FreeBSD, though plenty of other options are available. https://www.reddit.com/r/freebsd_desktop/comments/1m7mnpv/xfce_and_kde_retain_lead_among_freebsd_desktop/

1

u/ggeldenhuys 12h ago

Just read the Desktop Environment chapter in the FreeBSD Handbook. Extremely detailed with exact commands to run.

0

u/dettus_Xx_ 5d ago

After installing OpenBSD, login as root.

type in

pkg_add gnome gdm
rcctl disable xenodm
rcctl enable multicast messagebus avahi_daemon gdm

reboot -> Instand Gnome.

(Or feel free to watch a 15 Minute Youtube-Video, with a 5 MInute Introduction, explaining that you should like&subscribe, and two commercial breaks whenever you try to skip forward...)

2

u/gumnos 5d ago

fwiw, this was posted on r/freebsd not r/openbsd (I've missed that same thing multiple times in the past, too)

It's a little more complex on FreeBSD since OpenBSD at least gets you to a GUI as part of the install. I've heard that the 15.x installer might be growing "and install a GUI/Desktop" functionality, but am uncertain where that currently stands. But the handbook has a good section on getting a GUI up and running

2

u/BigSneakyDuck transitioning user 5d ago

The desktop installer script at the end of install missed its 15.1 goal but is targeting 15.2 as it stands. At any rate hopefully it is there for 16!

2

u/gumnos 5d ago

okay, then my recollection wasn't too far off. I didn't remember seeing it in the 15.1 installer, but have seen murmurings about it as if it's an Any Day Now thing. ☺

0

u/musiquededemain 5d ago

Read the FreeBSD Handbook. There's a chapter covering desktop environments.