Linked by Amjith Ramanujam on Thu 2nd Oct 2008 20:50 UTC
Recently the PC-BSD team released their latest stable version (PC-BSD 7) code-named Fibonacci Edition. Some of major changes from the previous version include a newer kernel, an experimental ZFS module, and a KDE 4 for desktop environment. Being a Linux junkie, I thought of this as a perfect opportunity to venture into the BSD arena.
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RE: Someone Who Gets at Least Some of it
by Liquidator on Fri 3rd Oct 2008 16:15
in reply to "Someone Who Gets at Least Some of it"
Member since:2007-03-04
and get developers developing for PC-BSD then the future looks pretty damn bright.
No need. All you need is either the source code and the team will add it to their automated build server to have the application available as .pbi, and updated, or if it's a proprietary application, all you need is a FreeBSD version (or Linux version) and the PBI server can pack it every time there's a new version.
RE[2]: Someone Who Gets at Least Some of it
by segedunum on Fri 3rd Oct 2008 22:39
in reply to "RE: Someone Who Gets at Least Some of it"
Member since:2005-07-06
No need. All you need is either the source code and the team will add it to their automated build server to have the application available as .pbi
Not quite what I was driving at. The source is important in being able to distribute and install lots of software easily (open source stuff anyway - that's how its usage has increased), but what is needed is a distribution and installation method when you getting the source and packaging it up is not an option. It distributes the effort and resources required, and increases the software written for your system, and ultimately usage, by allowing users to get hold of software where your software installation method doesn't fit - i.e. proprietary off-the-shelf software etc.
Thus far, PC-BSD is the only system where I have seen someone at least get that and at least take it seriously. Of course, an installation system is a lot more than what they have there currently, and there are some real pitfalls where your packaging system ends and third-party installation starts, but it is definitely a start.
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Member since:
2005-07-06
It's not a Linux distributor either :-).
What? Not Yet Another Setup Tool or Control Centre? You actually used the native tools of the desktop to create something that fitted in? Say what? I take it these tools didn't take several years to develop and eat lots of VC funding either?
I still find it astonishing to this day that all Unix-like systems, and especially Linux ones, don't get how much of a big deal it is for developers to be able to get software to their users, and for their users to be able to install and configure that software easily.
They've also chosen a desktop that actually gives them fairly easy ways of creating lots of desktop applications and applets (plasmoids) and allows easy installation there as well. They can create lots of well integrated GUI tools to their hearts' content. From a multimedia perspective, they also have something that allows them to focus multimedia support for BSD in one place whilst making sure that applications don't need to are or be ported (Phonon).
If they really go to town on the development tools side of things with this and get developers developing for PC-BSD then the future looks pretty damn bright.