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.
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desktop-environment freebsd mate open-source unixlike

GhostBSD: User-Friendly BSD-Based OSs

A BSD-based operating system built on top of FreeBSD, GhostBSD comes with the MATE desktop pre-installed and offers an easy-to-use BSD experience for Linux users looking to try BSD.

What is GhostBSD?

GhostBSD is a BSD-based operating system that aims to provide a user-friendly desktop operating system experience built on top of FreeBSD. It comes preinstalled with the lightweight MATE desktop environment which provides a traditional desktop layout for productivity.

GhostBSD makes it easy for Linux users to try out the BSD operating system while still having access to familiar applications and desktop workflows. It includes common graphical applications like Firefox, LibreOffice, multimedia apps, and system utilities. Under the hood, the benefits of using FreeBSD including advanced security features, powerful networking and file systems, and excellent performance.

The GhostBSD project aims to take the powerful server and backend abilities of FreeBSD, bundle it together with preconfigured desktop apps and settings, and deliver an OS that is accessible for new users. The install process includes options for encrypting disks, connecting to networks, and configuring multi-boot options. Ongoing updates deliver the latest while still providing stability and reliability.

In summary, GhostBSD strives to be an welcoming FreeBSD-based desktop operating system for new and advanced users alike. It combines the the stability and performance of its FreeBSD foundations with an easy-to-use preconfigured desktop interface focused on productivity and accessibility for Linux and Windows users looking to explore BSD.

GhostBSD Features

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


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