When it comes to UNIX-like operating systems, two come to mind: the better-known Linux and the often-overlooked Berkeley Software Distribution (BSD). BSD has a few “variants”, and FreeBSD is one of the more popular versions out there.

FreeBSD is a very different experience compared to Linux, and I was nowhere near mastering it. Which is why I chose to install it onto a virtual machine first, and after spending a few days with it, I might just be considering a switch, but for another machine.

FreeBSD is fundamentally different from Linux

It’s a complete operating system

Both FreeBSD and Linux are UNIX-like operating systems, but their use cases and philosophies differ significantly. When we talk about Linux, we usually refer to the operating system/distribution, but that is technically wrong.

Strictly speaking, Linux is the kernel, bridging together the software and hardware. A Linux-based operating system combines the Linux kernel, a package manager, and certain GNU utilities. In a desktop environment (or window manager), this forms the OS’s graphical user interface.

In contrast, FreeBSD is a complete, packaged operating system. It includes the kernel, device drivers, and its own BSD utilities. It doesn’t seem to include a desktop environment, though — but it does make sense when you consider it’s often used in headless environments.

Another key area in which FreeBSD and Linux differ is their licensing and commercial use. Linux mandates that you release the source code when you modify the Linux kernel in any way, and that you distribute it.

FreeBSD makes no such reservations. It is possible to grab FreeBSD code, modify it, and keep it closed source forever. It’s no coincidence that PlayStation OS and macOS both trace their origins to BSD, despite BSD’s notoriously undocumented nature.

Installing FreeBSD on a virtual machine

Dead simple using QEMU

While I was interested in trying out FreeBSD, I wasn’t ready to fully commit to it. I opted to skip installing it on real hardware (for now) and went with a virtual machine instead.

After opting to download the installer ISO (not the virtual disc image), I simply mounted it in QEMU’s virt-manager interface, and selecting the default FreeBSD option was enough to get me started.

FreeBSD has a terminal-centric installer like Arch Linux, but doesn’t require as much manual configuration as Arch. The installer is entirely TUI-based but easy to navigate with a keyboard. It’s also a guided installer, much like the Archinstall script.

There were a bunch of options to choose from here, and I went with the defaults. I also opted to add a non-root user, which proved a bit problematic later on. I did manage to finish the installation without any hiccups, and went for a fresh reboot, all of which took barely over a few minutes to complete.

Actually trying out FreeBSD

Some post-installation quirks

I was immediately thrown into the FreeBSD shell after the reboot. This was a completely stripped-down install, missing essentials like a desktop or even proper sudoers access, which was a bit of a problem.

It took a bit of getting used to, but I finally managed to grant root access to my default user, which meant I could install packages without reverting to the root user each time.

The next thing on my to-do list was to get a desktop environment up and running.

I had to install the xorg package set, followed by my desktop environment of choice — which happened to be Xfce. Xfce is a great DE that’s very light on resources and rock-solid in terms of stability. This wasn’t enough to get a working OS, though, and I needed to add a display manager to log in to the session and a few essentials like Firefox.

With everything configured, my virtual machine was finally usable. Still, I found little use for it this way, and I couldn’t help but wonder if I could have used the OS on a much more specialized setup — such as a home lab or NAS.

Not for desktop purists, but a great option for networking hobbyists

I cannot emphasize this enough — FreeBSD might have a simpler installation process, but you are left on your own post-install.

It is a very specialized operating system that, if you ask me, is not particularly well-suited for desktop use. Combine this with the fact that FreeBSD is very picky about hardware, and you might run into a situation where you have no driver support, rendering it useless.

All things considered, though, FreeBSD is rock-solid and has near-immaculate documentation, which makes it perfect for networking and server-related projects. Its enforcement of no telemetry is just icing on the cake.

While I can’t recommend using FreeBSD as a daily desktop OS, its advantages within a stable networking solution do interest me. Many NAS systems use FreeBSD, and it seems to be the best way to gain digital independence or just have fun tinkering with it.