Linux After Dark – Episode 131
Summary
The Linux After Dark hosts tackle a "FreeBSD Challenge," installing the OS on various laptops to test its viability as a desktop environment. They find the experience reminiscent of Linux from 15 years ago, citing significant hurdles with Wi-Fi drivers, lack of Secure Boot support, and a steep learning curve for basic tasks like installing desktop environments and configuring networking. While they acknowledge FreeBSD's stability and excellent ZFS integration for headless servers, they conclude it is currently unsuitable for daily desktop use compared to modern Linux distributions.
Topics discussed
Intro and Patreon support
The FreeBSD desktop challenge premise
Initial impressions and installer difficulty
Getting internet connectivity during install
Wi-Fi firmware issues and installer hangs
USB adapter struggles and desktop installation
Network Manager and desktop environment setup
Manual configuration of display drivers and DMs
Getting Xfce and audio working
Critique of documentation and assumed knowledge
Headless server experience and boot issues
Display manager and Wi-Fi WPA3 issues
BSD strengths in servers and routers
Comparison with Linux desktop investment
Discussion of the wifi-box project
Setting up bhyve and jails
Verdict on desktop vs server use cases
ZFS support and code stability assessment
Final thoughts and outro
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