Is FreeBSD overkill for a laptop?

[HuBaghdadi]

Hey,
Do you think that FreeBSD is an over kill OS for laptops?
My friends keep telling me that FreeBSD will cause me headaches, no good support for Bluetooth, WiFi, audio, video ...
(I'm a developer, I use JDK, Python, Apache, PostgreSQL ...)
Thanks.

[johnidi]

are you planning on switching over from ubuntu? If anything why dont you just try the live cd and find out for your self?

[HuBaghdadi]

I don't think FreeBSD 7 has a live CD.

[perfecttao]

Personally I'd install VirtualBox and run FreeBSD (command line only) in that. FreeBSD is notorious for not being great with various hardware and needing loads of config time....getting bluetooth/wifi etc working well will probably cause you headaches...

[Sorivenul]

I've used FreeBSD on multiple laptops with no problems of sound, resolution, wireless, etc. It does require more configuration than Ubuntu, but that's something that can be said for almost any system other than Ubuntu.

Check here for a FreeBSD HCL.

[HuBaghdadi]

I've used FreeBSD on multiple laptops with no problems of sound, resolution, wireless, etc. It does require more configuration than Ubuntu, but that's something that can be said for almost any system other than Ubuntu.

Check here for a FreeBSD HCL.

It does require more configuration than Ubuntu, but that's something that can be said for almost any system other than Ubuntu.
would you please tell us like what? and how to get help if I'm stuck?

[HuBaghdadi]

I've used FreeBSD on multiple laptops with no problems of sound, resolution, wireless, etc. It does require more configuration than Ubuntu, but that's something that can be said for almost any system other than Ubuntu.

Check here for a FreeBSD HCL.

And you are using Ubuntu and FreeBSD, what are the advantages of Ubuntu over FreeBSD 7 (and vice versa)?

[Sorivenul]

I'm still using FreeBSD. I have Intel chipsets on the laptops I'm using, so nothing too fancy. To get wireless working, for instance I needed to edit rc.conf and loader.conf to reflect my wireless card.

There are instructions easily available on bsdforums.org and the FreeBSD mailing lists. Some specific information about your hardware may help. And those of us who use FreeBSD and are members here are always willing to help.

The FreeBSD ports collection offers more applications, libraries, etc. than any user could ever need. Of course this system requires you compile from source, but it is laid out in any easy-to-use manner (think Gentoo's portage). Of course, if you don't care about the small benefits gained from compiling from source, binaries are also available for almost all software in the ports collection, and a simple "pkg_add -r <package>" will do the trick. This to me is offering the best of both worlds.

A user can also stay up-to-date with the latest FreeBSD sourcecode using csup/cvsup. While this is a bit more advanced, the users who wish to stay current and on the "bleeding edge" of FreeBSD take advantage of this system.

If you're looking to try FreeBSD before you jump in headfirst I suggest DesktopBSD, which comes configured for more hardware compatibility than its parent by default, and comes with KDE desktop environment. It doesn't teach you as much as building from the ground up, but is a good way to familiarize yourself with how FreeBSD can work should you choose to install from the ground up.

I use many systems other than Ubuntu. My Ubuntu is a custom build from a minimal install, and I am also testing the Xubuntu Intrepid release. Advantages will vary from user to user. For my server needs I choose FreeBSD. It is also excellent, IMO, as a development platform and most of my applications are written on BSD systems.

[HuBaghdadi]

I noticed many gurus here prefer DesktopBSD to PC-BSD, maybe it is due the PBI system of PC-BSD.
But PC-BSD doesn't stop you from being a BSD guy, you can be a BSD purist.
Please correct me if I'm wrong, but why many gurus here prefer DesktopBSD?

[mips]

Please correct me if I'm wrong, but why many gurus here prefer DesktopBSD?

I think it is purely because Desktop BSD stays closer/truer to FreeBSD than PCBSD.