GhostBSD vs HardenedBSD

Struggling to choose between GhostBSD and HardenedBSD? Both products offer unique advantages, making it a tough decision.

GhostBSD is a Os & Utilities solution with tags like desktop-environment, freebsd, mate, open-source, unixlike.

It boasts features such as Based on FreeBSD, Uses MATE desktop environment, Supports ZFS filesystem, Supports TrueOS software management tools, Preconfigured with common software packages, Graphical system installer and pros including Easy to use BSD system, Familiar desktop environment for Linux users, ZFS support for advanced filesystem features, Access to FreeBSD ports and packages, Out of box usability with preinstalled software.

On the other hand, HardenedBSD is a Os & Utilities product tagged with security, hardening, fork, freebsd.

Its standout features include Address Space Layout Randomization (ASLR), Control Flow Guard (CFG), Stack-clash protection, Fortified malloc, Read-only relocations (RELRO), Position Independent Executables (PIE), Non-executable stack and heap, Integrity checking of binaries, and it shines with pros like Improved security over vanilla FreeBSD, Mature and stable codebase, Good for servers and firewalls, Free and open source.

To help you make an informed decision, we've compiled a comprehensive comparison of these two products, delving into their features, pros, cons, pricing, and more. Get ready to explore the nuances that set them apart and determine which one is the perfect fit for your requirements.

GhostBSD

GhostBSD

GhostBSD is a user-friendly BSD-based operating system built on top of FreeBSD. It comes with the MATE desktop pre-installed and aims to provide an easy-to-use BSD experience for Linux users looking to try BSD.

Categories:
Os & Utilities Bsd
desktop-environment freebsd mate open-source unixlike

GhostBSD Features

  1. Based on FreeBSD
  2. Uses MATE desktop environment
  3. Supports ZFS filesystem
  4. Supports TrueOS software management tools
  5. Preconfigured with common software packages
  6. Graphical system installer

Pricing

  • Free
  • Open Source

Pros

Easy to use BSD system

Familiar desktop environment for Linux users

ZFS support for advanced filesystem features

Access to FreeBSD ports and packages

Out of box usability with preinstalled software

Cons

Limited hardware support compared to Linux

Smaller collection of available software than Linux

Less mainstream usage and support than Linux

Not as customizable as vanilla FreeBSD

HardenedBSD

HardenedBSD

HardenedBSD is a security-enhanced fork of FreeBSD. It includes additional exploit mitigations like Address Space Layout Randomization and Control Flow Guard, and improves the security of existing mitigations. It's designed for hostile environments like servers and firewalls, and follows FreeBSD's stability and software support.

Categories:
Os & Utilities Operating Systems
security hardening fork freebsd

HardenedBSD Features

  1. Address Space Layout Randomization (ASLR)
  2. Control Flow Guard (CFG)
  3. Stack-clash protection
  4. Fortified malloc
  5. Read-only relocations (RELRO)
  6. Position Independent Executables (PIE)
  7. Non-executable stack and heap
  8. Integrity checking of binaries

Pricing

  • Open Source

Pros

Improved security over vanilla FreeBSD

Mature and stable codebase

Good for servers and firewalls

Free and open source

Cons

Not as widely used as FreeBSD

Some performance impact from additional security features

Requires more configuration than vanilla FreeBSD