GhostBSD

Overview

GhostBSD is a free, open-source Unix-like operating system based on FreeBSD. It aims to provide a user-friendly desktop experience, using the MATE desktop environment by default (a community-supported Xfce version is also available), and supports the amd64 architecture. It aims to combine the stability, security, and performance of FreeBSD with a graphical installer and pre-installed software, making it suitable for both beginners and advanced users. GhostBSD inherits FreeBSD's ZFS file system, UFS support, OpenRC (earlier versions) or the FreeBSD rc.d init system, and comes pre-installed with software such as LibreOffice, Firefox, and VLC. It uses a rolling release model and supports both live USB and hard drive installation, making it suitable for desktops, lightweight servers, and development environments.

Versions:

• GhostBSD Desktop: The default MATE desktop with pre-installed everyday software.
• GhostBSD Xfce: A community-supported, lightweight Xfce version.
• GhostBSD Minimal: A minimal installation suitable for customization.

History and Development

• Origin:
  • March 2010: Created by Eric Turgeon and the GhostBSD team, based on FreeBSD 8.0, with the original goal of providing an easy-to-use BSD desktop system, using GNOME 2.28 by default.
  • The name "GhostBSD" combines "BSD" and "Ghost," symbolizing its lightweight and flexible nature.
• Development History:
  • 2011: GhostBSD 2.0 introduced improved GDM and Compiz support.
  • 2013: GhostBSD 3.5 switched to MATE 1.6 and Xfce 4.10, replacing GNOME and adding LibreOffice.
  • 2018: GhostBSD 18.10 was briefly based on TrueOS (a FreeBSD fork) and introduced MATE 1.20.
  • 2020: After TrueOS's discontinuation, GhostBSD 21.04.27 reverts to FreeBSD 13.0-STABLE.
  • 2024: GhostBSD 24.07.3 (latest release, September 12, 2024) is based on FreeBSD 14.0-STABLE, featuring MATE 1.28.1, Linux kernel 6.1, and support for ZFS and UEFI.
  • Post X states, "GhostBSD 24.07.3's MATE desktop runs smoothly, and ZFS is very stable."
• Community and Support:
  • Maintained by Eric Turgeon and the community, hosted at ghostbsd.org, GitHub, and forums (forums.ghostbsd.org). - Supports English, with some Chinese documentation, and is active on Reddit and IRC.
  • Reddit users call GhostBSD "a friendly version of FreeBSD perfect for Linux users."
• Open Source License:
  • 2-Clause BSD License (core), with some software (such as LibreOffice) using the GPL.

Key Features

GhostBSD focuses on user-friendliness, stability, and the FreeBSD ecosystem, making it suitable for desktops and lightweight servers. Here are its key features:

1. User-Friendly Desktop Environment
   • Default MATE 1.28.1, lightweight and elegant, consuming approximately 400-600 MB of RAM.
   • Community-supported Xfce 4.18, even lighter, consuming approximately 300 MB of RAM.
2. FreeBSD-Based Stability
   • Inherits the ZFS file system (supporting snapshots and data integrity) and UFS (traditional file system) from FreeBSD 14.0.
3. Graphical Installation and Live USB
   • Provides gbi (GhostBSD Installer) with support for UEFI, ZFS, and encrypted partitions.
   • Live USB supports a test environment and is loaded into memory for acceleration.
4. Pre-installed Software
   • Pre-installed LibreOffice, Firefox, VLC, and GIMP, with support for Flatpak and Snap (manual installation required).
5. Development Support
   • Supports Python, Node.js, and Go, installed via FreeBSD Ports or pkg.
6. Security and Performance
   • Network services are disabled by default to reduce the attack surface.
   • Minimum requirements: 2 GHz dual-core, 4 GB RAM, 15 GB disk space.

Advantages and Limitations

Advantages

• User-Friendliness:
  • The graphical installer and MATE desktop reduce the BSD learning curve, surpassing FreeBSD.
  • X's post claims that "GhostBSD is the best introduction to BSD."
• FreeBSD Stability:
  • Inherits FreeBSD's ZFS and security features.
• Lightweight and Efficient:
  • MATE/Xfce has a low footprint, making it suitable for low-spec devices.
• Pre-installed Software:
  • LibreOffice, Firefox, and more are ready to use out of the box.
• Rolling Updates:
  • Follows FreeBSD 14.0 to keep your software fresh.

Limitations

• amd64 only:
  • No support for ARM (such as the Raspberry Pi) or 32-bit.
• Software Ecosystem:
  • The FreeBSD Ports ecosystem is smaller than the Linux ecosystem, and some software requires compiling from source code.
• Community Size:
  • The community is smaller than Ubuntu, and documentation is limited.
• Learning Curve:
  • BSD commands and configurations (such as rc.d) differ from Linux and require learning.

Summary

GhostBSD is a free, open-source Unix-like operating system based on FreeBSD 14.0. It ships with MATE 1.28.1 by default. Its latest version, 24.07.3 (September 2024), offers a user-friendly desktop experience, supports ZFS, UFS, and rolling updates. It simplifies BSD usage with the gbi installer and pre-installed software (such as LibreOffice and Firefox), making it suitable for desktops, lightweight servers, and development. GhostBSD offers outstanding BSD stability and user-friendliness, but is limited to AMD64 and has a small software ecosystem.