News [HackADay] MOVING FROM WINDOWS TO FREEBSD AS THE LINUX CHAOS ALTERNATIVE

[KGIII]

Although the recommendations from the peanut gallery seem to coalesce around Linux or Apple’s MacOS (formerly OS X), there are a few dissenting voices extolling the virtues of FreeBSD over both. There are definitely compelling reasons to pick FreeBSD over Linux, in addition to it being effectively MacOS’s cousin.

Source: https://hackaday.com/2025/11/11/moving-from-windows-to-freebsd-as-the-linux-chaos-alternative/

 

[KGIII]

While I haven't used BSD in a while, I've used BSD in the past. It's absolutely a viable operating system in a variety of different forms. BSD is a (white-room) recreation of the old AT&T UNIX. That means they sat down, without looking at any UNIX code, and recreated the various tools. BSD is closer to UNIX than Linux is.

Also, there are a number of distros in the BSD family. They're really different from each other.

I'm not so sure that I agree with the 'chaos' bit, but that's okay. I suppose the BSD folks would see us as a bit chaotic compared to themselves. It's definitely a different OS, but BSD provides you with a ton of room to geek out.

I'm not suggesting that you move to BSD. I'm sort of suggesting that you should spin up an instance of something like GhostBSD just to experience something different. Hmm... I think I might move my Mint system to GhostBSD for a few months.

 

[MzQ1NjExN2]

I was actually looking at GhostBSD over the weekend. I'm seeing some potentially concerning things going on in the Linux community and was looking for alternatives if needed. I would definitely switch to GhostBSD (they have a XFCE version) if needed.

 

[The Duck]

I was actually looking at GhostBSD over the weekend. I'm seeing some potentially concerning things going on in the Linux community and was looking for alternatives if needed. I would definitely switch to GhostBSD (they have a XFCE version) if needed.

GhostBSD does have an Xfce version.

It's a community version and it's okay.

Download GhostBSD | GhostBSD

GhostBSD Official Image Built and backed by the GhostBSD team, these MATE images are our pride. Mention "GhostBSD" on Telegram or the Forums, and we'll assume MATE unless you specify otherwise.

www.ghostbsd.org

 

[KGIII]

I was actually looking at GhostBSD over the weekend. I'm seeing some potentially concerning things going on in the Linux community and was looking for alternatives if needed. I would definitely switch to GhostBSD (they have a XFCE version) if needed.

I haven't even spun up a GhostBSD VM in ages. I really should at least do that. I still have a degree of fondness for UNIX.

I doubt I'll switch, but it'll be fun to revisit it. Also, you can run Linux applications on BSD.

GhostBSD does have an Xfce version.

I think you may have misread their post. They mentioned that.

If Linux didn't exist, I'd probably be a BSD user.

Actually, I should be more specific. BSD is dead and gone, but it influenced others that use BSD in their name. They're mostly all very different operating systems. But I'll likely still just call it BSD, when referring to the family of OSes, out of habit.

 

[wendy-lebaron]

i'm too lame to go beyond nomadbsd. the last time i had it. it kept giving errors in my attempt to install any app. or update anything it already had. only use it how it is, is not good. if i really want to step out of linux.

i have also tried the freebsd version 14 iso. a few days after it was released. i couldn't get it to install anything on my computer. that's why i appreciate that nomadbsd just works.

there are quite a few programs. that i rely on linux. not as much on windows. that aren't supported on freebsd. there's a programming system. i will have to leave totally behind. instead program directly with c/clang/c++. or choose lisp, python, rust or something like that.

"chaos" alternative is too strong. trying to sell an unix-like operating system. maybe when redox os is ready for "popular" consumption. or gnu hurd. we might be bombarded by "new" operating systems as well as distributions.

 

[wizardfromoz]

I think you may have misread their post.

Just to be clear, you are referring to @MzQ1NjExN2 there?

Duck had it right.

Wiz

 

[f33dm3bits]

I'm not suggesting that you move to BSD. I'm sort of suggesting that you should spin up an instance of something like GhostBSD just to experience something different. Hmm... I think I might move my Mint system to GhostBSD for a few months.

I have looked at BSD but Linux gaming is in a good place now and looking at different videos people have done on gaming on BSD it looks like BSD is where Linux was mid 2000's so 2005-2010. So looking at just that I won't be trying out a BSD and I really would prefer not to learn another os for a daily driver.

 

[KGIII]

Just to be clear, you are referring to @MzQ1NjExN2 there?

@MzQ1NjExN2 said they had xfce available. @The Duck just repeated that, as though it hadn't been said already.

Thus my confusion.

I have looked at BSD but Linux gaming is in a good place now and looking at different videos people have done on gaming on BSD it looks like BSD is where Linux was mid 2000's so 2005-2010. So looking at just that I won't be trying out a BSD and I really would prefer not to learn another os for a daily driver.

I would definitely stick with Linux if you're into gaming. Though, you can use Linux apps on BSD. I'm sure that'd just be kludgy.