[nycbug-talk] BSD on a desktop

[G.Rosamond]

On Jul 31, 2004, at 12:41 AM, Scott Robbins wrote:

> On Fri, Jul 30, 2004 at 09:05:00PM -0400, G.Rosamond wrote:
>
>> I'm working on a outline of making FreeBSD a useful desktop.  It's
>

<snip>

> I'm assuming from this, you'd like input on the list.   Feel free to 
> use
> anything here if it's useful.
>

Absolutely . . .sorry if the need for input wasn't clear.

> There are various threads on the BSD forums about BSD as a desktop,
> (including lists of people's favorite apps.)
>

Of course. . .I prefer our talk list.

> For myself, to attempt to be objective, Linux is still probably a bit
> better for the desktop, but as I use FreeBSD for almost everything, it
> was worth it to me to do the extra research to get it working as an
> adequate desktop.
>
> Using Linux opera, getting flash and java working was fairly trivial.
> One problem I have run into (and haven't yet solved) was the fact that
> though opera now works with cups (despite notes in their help section
> sayng it doesn't) there does seem to be a problem with linux-opera and
> cups--I guess it's trying to to print to something in the /usr/compat
> linux section--I thought it could be easily solved by symlinking lp or
> lpr, but that didn't do the trick.  (If one does want java working with
> linux-opera, I recommend installing the linux-blackdown jdk--there's no
> need to manually install anything as there is with some of the native
> versions of java, one can simply do make install clean from ports).

> There are minor glitches still--for instance, if you open up a page
> using java, suddenly keyboard input switches--open an xterm type 
> anyting
> (including exit) in the terminal, and keyboard input works again.
> Haven't played with firefox and java, I keep firefox native in case I 
> do
> need to print a web page.  (With linux-opera, one can simply print to a
> file then run the file to lp).
>

The Flash/Java issue is obviously critical. . .and is a bit of a 
hassle.  I already have it in its own section. . .

"First, place your ankles behind the back of your neck.  Second, spin 
around counterclockwise . . ."

> It's easy to set it to work with either xpdf or acroread, so that pdf
> pages open without intervention.
>

Very true.

>
> FreeBSD's version of lbreakout2 is way behind Linux's, but as I just 
> use
> it to kill time while waiting for things, I can deal with that.  The
> only other game I use at all is penguin-command which seems to be about
> the same in both.
>
> The quality of sound in FreeBSD seems to be a bit less.  I've used
> mplayer for DVD's without too much trouble.  My feeling is always that
> it's better to use a 150 dollar DVD player than a $1,000 computer that
> doesn't do the job as well, so I've not really gotten involved in it 
> too
> deeply.  Seems that after I install mplayer, I had to do a bit of
> configuring--which is a bit annoying to me, it's not one of those 
> things
> that I enjoy researching, I want it to just work like it does on my
> wife's Mac.  On the other hand, with Linux, I think I have the same
> problem, and xine can never find the DVD player, so it might even be
> something borked with the hardware.
>
> For word processing, I use OpenOffice--I basically just need
> compatibility with MS .doc and .xls formats and I also need Japanese.
> I've only been able to print Japanese using OpenOffice--last time I
> tried, AbiWord wouldn't even enable me to properly input it.  As this 
> is
> an infrequent need, I keep meaning to put in Abiword again, just to 
> keep
> for simply .doc format when I don't need Japanese or other features of
> OpenOffice.  Again, FreeBSD is a bit behind Linux--OpenOffice now has a
> version 1.2 (and a 2.x snapshot--though I've heard that is back to 
> being
> slow)  1.2 does seem much faster than the 1.1 versions.  Trying to do 
> it
> from ports is a major nuisance, and openoffice.org does have a package
> for 1.1.2, which is a bit faster than 1.1.0 and 1.1.1 (which is, IIRC,
> the latest offered through ports).
>
> My desktop needs are fairly minor, mostly, I use the desktop for some
> web browsing and to have several terminals open.  I use mutt as my
> emailer, though Sylpheed seems to be the equal of most GUI mail clients
> I've run into--again, I don't know how good it is if someone has more
> sophisticated needs, but it enables filtering etc.  If we're comparing
> to Linux, I think it's equal.
>
> I use fluxbox as my window manager--I'm a bit of a wm slut, but keep
> coming back to it.  Mainly, I want to be able to move terminals around
> and open applications with keystrokes, and flux allows me to do this, 
> as
> well as allowing me to open and navigate its root menu with keystrokes
> as well.  Again, compared with Linux, it seems equal.
>
> So, the only advantages to me, at least, in using Linux are a nicer
> version of lbreakout2, slightly better sound quality (though I have one
> box where Linux will simply not work with the onboard AC97 sound card
> and FreeBSD does--as my wife confiscated the speakers to that box for
> her Mac, it's become a moot point.).  Opera will work directly with 
> cups
> in Linux.  (FreeBSD's native opera will also do so, but with native
> opera, it was too much trouble to get java and flash working).
>
> Japanese is as easy, or easier, to get working in FreeBSD (due to the
> ports--for instance, it's quicker to get Japanese working in FreeBSD
> than Debian.  Deb is not hard at all, but there's a few extra steps one
> has to take).  I realize that's a fairly esoteric need, but it is a 
> need
> for me.
>
> My desktop needs are perhaps less than the average person.  However, I
> think that FreeBSD is pretty easy to get working as a more than 
> adequate
> desktop.
>

Agree. . .

> Hope this is of use (and if not, I apologize to the list for the long
> post)
>

No apology necessary. . .thanks for your input Scott. . .

g