PC-BSD
Encyclopedia
PC-BSD is a Unix-like
, desktop-oriented operating system
based on FreeBSD
. It aims to be easy to install by using a graphical installation program, and easy and ready-to-use immediately by providing KDE SC as the pre-installed graphical user interface
. PC-BSD provides official binary nVidia
and Intel drivers for hardware acceleration and an optional 3D desktop interface through Kwin
. PC-BSD also contains a package management system
allowing users to graphically install pre-built
software packages from a single downloaded executable file, which is uncommon on BSD operating systems. In August 2006 it was voted the most beginner friendly operating system by OSWeekly.com.
The first Beta consisted of only a GUI installer to get the user up and running with a FreeBSD 6 system with KDE3 pre-configured. This was a major innovation for the time as anyone wishing to install FreeBSD would have to manually tweak and run through a text installer. Kris Moore's goal was to make FreeBSD easy for everyone to use on the desktop and has since diverged even more in the direction of usability by including additional GUI administration tools and PBI packages (see Package management).
Since October 10, 2006 PC-BSD has been supported by the enterprise-class hardware solution provider iXsystems. iXsystems now employs Mr. Moore as a full time developer and leader of the project. In November 2007, iXsystems entered into a distribution agreement with Fry's Electronics
whereby Fry's Electronics stores nationwide carry boxed copies of PC-BSD version 1.4 (Da Vinci Edition). In January 2008, iXsystems entered into a similar agreement with Micro Center
.
Since version 7, PC-BSD began following the same numbering system as FreeBSD
. PC-BSD exclusively uses KDE SC, which has been customized to support tighter application integration and the PBI package management system. While manual installation of other desktops such as Xfce
and GNOME
is technically possible, none of these are supported and major functionality is lost when not using PC-BSD's special build of KDE SC.GNOME will be offered, including several other desktop environments, starting with PC-BSD 9.0.
PC-BSD supports x86 and x86-64
architectures.
takes a different approach to installing software than many other Unix-like
operating systems. Instead of using the FreeBSD ports
tree directly (although it remains available), PC-BSD uses files with the .pbi filename extension
which, when double-clicked, bring up an installation wizard
program. An autobuild system tracks the FreeBSD ports collection and generates new PBIs daily. The generated PBIs are maintained at the PC-BSD software repository.
All software packages and dependencies are installed in their own self-contained directories in /Programs. This convention is aimed to decrease confusion about where binary programs reside, remove the possibility of a package breaking if system libraries are upgraded or changed, and prevent dependency hell
. The PC-BSD package manager also takes care of creating categorized links in the KDE menu and on the KDE SC desktop.
The PC-BSD package management system aims to be similar to that of major operating systems such as Microsoft Windows
and Apple Mac OS X
, where applications are installed from a single downloaded file with graphical prompts, rather than the traditional package management systems that many Unix-like systems use.
(GPL) because the developers were under the impression that applications using the Qt, which PC-BSD uses for its interface development, must be licensed under the GPL or the QPL. Upon discovering that there was no such restriction in fact, the PC-BSD developers later relicensed the code under a BSD-like license. In March 2009 Qt added an LGPL License.
Recommended system requirements:
Though 512 MB RAM is the absolute minimum, one should use at least 1 GB of RAM if possible. To play modern video games, a fast CPU is recommended, and to create a collection of music and videos, a larger hard disk drive is recommended.
Unix-like
A Unix-like operating system is one that behaves in a manner similar to a Unix system, while not necessarily conforming to or being certified to any version of the Single UNIX Specification....
, desktop-oriented operating system
Operating system
An operating system is a set of programs that manage computer hardware resources and provide common services for application software. The operating system is the most important type of system software in a computer system...
based on FreeBSD
FreeBSD
FreeBSD is a free Unix-like operating system descended from AT&T UNIX via BSD UNIX. Although for legal reasons FreeBSD cannot be called “UNIX”, as the direct descendant of BSD UNIX , FreeBSD’s internals and system APIs are UNIX-compliant...
. It aims to be easy to install by using a graphical installation program, and easy and ready-to-use immediately by providing KDE SC as the pre-installed graphical user interface
Graphical user interface
In computing, a graphical user interface is a type of user interface that allows users to interact with electronic devices with images rather than text commands. GUIs can be used in computers, hand-held devices such as MP3 players, portable media players or gaming devices, household appliances and...
. PC-BSD provides official binary nVidia
NVIDIA
Nvidia is an American global technology company based in Santa Clara, California. Nvidia is best known for its graphics processors . Nvidia and chief rival AMD Graphics Techonologies have dominated the high performance GPU market, pushing other manufacturers to smaller, niche roles...
and Intel drivers for hardware acceleration and an optional 3D desktop interface through Kwin
KWin
KWin is a window manager for the X Window System. It is an integral part of the KDE Software Compilation, although it can be used on its own or with other desktop environments.- History :- Look and feel :...
. PC-BSD also contains a package management system
Package management system
In software, a package management system, also called package manager, is a collection of software tools to automate the process of installing, upgrading, configuring, and removing software packages for a computer's operating system in a consistent manner...
allowing users to graphically install pre-built
Executable
In computing, an executable file causes a computer "to perform indicated tasks according to encoded instructions," as opposed to a data file that must be parsed by a program to be meaningful. These instructions are traditionally machine code instructions for a physical CPU...
software packages from a single downloaded executable file, which is uncommon on BSD operating systems. In August 2006 it was voted the most beginner friendly operating system by OSWeekly.com.
History
PC-BSD was originally founded by FreeBSD professional Kris Moore in early 2005.The first Beta consisted of only a GUI installer to get the user up and running with a FreeBSD 6 system with KDE3 pre-configured. This was a major innovation for the time as anyone wishing to install FreeBSD would have to manually tweak and run through a text installer. Kris Moore's goal was to make FreeBSD easy for everyone to use on the desktop and has since diverged even more in the direction of usability by including additional GUI administration tools and PBI packages (see Package management).
Since October 10, 2006 PC-BSD has been supported by the enterprise-class hardware solution provider iXsystems. iXsystems now employs Mr. Moore as a full time developer and leader of the project. In November 2007, iXsystems entered into a distribution agreement with Fry's Electronics
Fry's Electronics
Fry's Electronics is a big-box store and retailer of software, consumer electronics, computer hardware, with in store computer repair and custom computer building services and household appliances with a chain of superstores headquartered in Silicon Valley...
whereby Fry's Electronics stores nationwide carry boxed copies of PC-BSD version 1.4 (Da Vinci Edition). In January 2008, iXsystems entered into a similar agreement with Micro Center
Micro Center
Micro Center is an American computer department store founded in Columbus, Ohio in 1979 by two former Radio Shack employees. The first Micro Center store was a . storefront located in the Lane Avenue Shopping Center in Upper Arlington, Ohio...
.
Release history
| Version | Release date | FreeBSD codebase |
|---|---|---|
| 1.0 | April 29, 2006 | 6.0 |
| 1.1 | May 29, 2006 | 6.1 |
| 1.2 | July 12, 2006 | 6.1 |
| 1.3 | December 31, 2006 | 6.1 |
| 1.4 | September 24, 2007 | 6.2-STABLE |
| 1.4.1.x | Various | 6.3-PRERELEASE |
| 1.5 | March 12, 2008 | 6.3-STABLE |
| 1.5.1 | April 23, 2008 | 6.3-STABLE |
| 7.0 | September 16, 2008 | 7.0-STABLE |
| 7.0.1 | October 17, 2008 | 7.0-STABLE |
| 7.0.2 | December 10, 2008 | 7.1-PRERELEASE |
| 7.1-BETA1 | March 6, 2009 | 7.1-RELEASE |
| 7.1-RC1 | March 27, 2009 | 7.2-PRERELEASE |
| 7.1 | April 10, 2009 | 7.2-PRERELEASE |
| 7.1.1 | July 6, 2009 | 7.2-STABLE |
| 8.0-BETA | January 1, 2010 | 8.0-RELEASE |
| 8.0-RC1 | January 27, 2010 | 8.0-RELEASE-P2 |
| 8.0-RC2 | February 11, 2010 | 8.0-RELEASE-P2 |
| 8.0 | February 23, 2010 | 8.0-RELEASE-P2 |
| 8.1-BETA1 | June 6, 2010 | 8.1-PRERELEASE |
| 8.1-RC1 | June 21, 2010 | 8.1-RC1 |
| 8.1 | July 21, 2010 | 8.1-RELEASE |
| 9.0-ALPHA1 | November 4, 2010 | 9.0-CURRENT |
| 9.0-ALPHA2 | December 6, 2010 | 9.0-CURRENT |
| 8.2-BETA1 | December 6, 2010 | 8.2-PRERELEASE |
| 8.2-RC1 | January 10, 2011 | 8.2-RC1 |
| 9.0-ALPHA3 | January 17, 2011 | 9.0-CURRENT |
| 8.2-RC2 | January 20, 2011 | 8.2-RC2 |
| 8.2-RC3 | February 3, 2011 | 8.2-RC3 |
| 8.2 | February 24, 2011 | 8.2 |
| 9.0-BETA1 | August 1, 2011 | 9.0-BETA1 |
| 9.0-BETA1.5 | August 19, 2011 | 9.0-BETA1.5 |
| 9.0-BETA2 | September 13, 2011 | 9.0-BETA2 |
| 9.0-BETA3 | October 2, 2011 | 9.0-BETA3 |
| 9.0-RC1 | October 24, 2011 | 9.0-RC1 |
| 9.0-RC2 | November 23, 2011 | 9.0-RC2 |
Since version 7, PC-BSD began following the same numbering system as FreeBSD
FreeBSD
FreeBSD is a free Unix-like operating system descended from AT&T UNIX via BSD UNIX. Although for legal reasons FreeBSD cannot be called “UNIX”, as the direct descendant of BSD UNIX , FreeBSD’s internals and system APIs are UNIX-compliant...
. PC-BSD exclusively uses KDE SC, which has been customized to support tighter application integration and the PBI package management system. While manual installation of other desktops such as Xfce
Xfce
Xfce is a free software desktop environment for Unix and other Unix-like platforms, such as Linux, Solaris, and BSD – though recent compatibility issues have arisen with regard to BSD Unix platforms...
and GNOME
GNOME
GNOME is a desktop environment and graphical user interface that runs on top of a computer operating system. It is composed entirely of free and open source software...
is technically possible, none of these are supported and major functionality is lost when not using PC-BSD's special build of KDE SC.GNOME will be offered, including several other desktop environments, starting with PC-BSD 9.0.
PC-BSD supports x86 and x86-64
X86-64
x86-64 is an extension of the x86 instruction set. It supports vastly larger virtual and physical address spaces than are possible on x86, thereby allowing programmers to conveniently work with much larger data sets. x86-64 also provides 64-bit general purpose registers and numerous other...
architectures.
Package management
PC-BSD's package management systemPackage management system
In software, a package management system, also called package manager, is a collection of software tools to automate the process of installing, upgrading, configuring, and removing software packages for a computer's operating system in a consistent manner...
takes a different approach to installing software than many other Unix-like
Unix-like
A Unix-like operating system is one that behaves in a manner similar to a Unix system, while not necessarily conforming to or being certified to any version of the Single UNIX Specification....
operating systems. Instead of using the FreeBSD ports
FreeBSD Ports
The FreeBSD Ports collection is a package management system for the FreeBSD operating system, providing an easy and consistent way of installing software packages. As of October 2011, there are over 22,700 ports available in the collection...
tree directly (although it remains available), PC-BSD uses files with the .pbi filename extension
Filename extension
A filename extension is a suffix to the name of a computer file applied to indicate the encoding of its contents or usage....
which, when double-clicked, bring up an installation wizard
Wizard (software)
A software wizard or setup assistant is a user interface type that presents a user with a sequence of dialog boxes that lead the user through a series of well-defined steps. Tasks that are complex, infrequently performed, or unfamiliar may be easier to perform using a wizard...
program. An autobuild system tracks the FreeBSD ports collection and generates new PBIs daily. The generated PBIs are maintained at the PC-BSD software repository.
All software packages and dependencies are installed in their own self-contained directories in /Programs. This convention is aimed to decrease confusion about where binary programs reside, remove the possibility of a package breaking if system libraries are upgraded or changed, and prevent dependency hell
Dependency hell
Dependency hell is a colloquial term for the frustration of some software users who have installed software packages which have dependencies on specific versions of other software packages. This was mainly attributable to old Linux package managers...
. The PC-BSD package manager also takes care of creating categorized links in the KDE menu and on the KDE SC desktop.
The PC-BSD package management system aims to be similar to that of major operating systems such as Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
and Apple Mac OS X
Mac OS X
Mac OS X is a series of Unix-based operating systems and graphical user interfaces developed, marketed, and sold by Apple Inc. Since 2002, has been included with all new Macintosh computer systems...
, where applications are installed from a single downloaded file with graphical prompts, rather than the traditional package management systems that many Unix-like systems use.
License
PC-BSD was originally licensed under the GNU General Public LicenseGNU General Public License
The GNU General Public License is the most widely used free software license, originally written by Richard Stallman for the GNU Project....
(GPL) because the developers were under the impression that applications using the Qt, which PC-BSD uses for its interface development, must be licensed under the GPL or the QPL. Upon discovering that there was no such restriction in fact, the PC-BSD developers later relicensed the code under a BSD-like license. In March 2009 Qt added an LGPL License.
PC-BSD 8.x Requirements
Minimum system requirements:- Intel Pentium IIPentium IIThe Pentium II brand refers to Intel's sixth-generation microarchitecture and x86-compatible microprocessors introduced on May 7, 1997. Containing 7.5 million transistors, the Pentium II featured an improved version of the first P6-generation core of the Pentium Pro, which contained 5.5 million...
or higher - 512 MB RAM
- 12 GB of free Hard Drive space (Primary partition or entire disk)
- Network card
- Sound card
Recommended system requirements:
- Intel Pentium 4Pentium 4Pentium 4 was a line of single-core desktop and laptop central processing units , introduced by Intel on November 20, 2000 and shipped through August 8, 2008. They had a 7th-generation x86 microarchitecture, called NetBurst, which was the company's first all-new design since the introduction of the...
or higher - 1 GB of RAM
- 20 GB of free Hard Drive space (Primary partition or entire disk)
- Network card
- Sound card
- 3D accelerated video card (NVIDIA, ATI, or Intel)
Though 512 MB RAM is the absolute minimum, one should use at least 1 GB of RAM if possible. To play modern video games, a fast CPU is recommended, and to create a collection of music and videos, a larger hard disk drive is recommended.