While FreeBSD is popular as a server for its performance and stability, it is also suited for day-to-day use as a desktop. With over 24,000 applications available as FreeBSD packages or ports, it is easy to build a customized desktop that runs a wide variety of desktop applications. This chapter demonstrates how to install some popular desktop applications using packages or the FreeBSD Ports Collection.
Users who prefer to install a pre-built desktop version of FreeBSD rather than configuring one from scratch should refer to the pcbsd.org website.
As FreeBSD features Linux® binary compatibility, many applications developed for Linux® can be installed on a FreeBSD desktop. Many of the ports using Linux® binary compatibility start with “linux-”. This chapter assumes that Linux® binary compatibility has been enabled before any Linux® applications are installed.
This chapter demonstrates how to install the following desktop applications:
Type of Application | Application Name | Package Name | Ports Name |
---|---|---|---|
Browser | Firefox | firefox | www/firefox |
Browser | Opera | opera | www/opera |
Browser | Konqueror | kde4-baseapps | x11/kde4-baseapps |
Browser | Chromium | chromium | www/chromium |
Productivity | Calligra | calligra | editors/calligra |
Productivity | AbiWord | abiword | editors/abiword |
Productivity | The GIMP | gimp | graphics/gimp |
Productivity | Apache OpenOffice | openoffice | editors/openoffice-4 |
Productivity | LibreOffice | libreoffice | editors/libreoffice |
Document Viewer | Acrobat Reader® | no package due to
license restriction | print/acroread9 |
Document Viewer | gv | gv | print/gv |
Document Viewer | Xpdf | xpdf | graphics/xpdf |
Document Viewer | GQview | gqview | graphics/gqview |
Finance | GnuCash | gnucash | finance/gnucash |
Finance | Gnumeric | gnumeric | math/gnumeric |
Finance | KMyMoney | kmymoney-kde4 | finance/kmymoney-kde4 |
Before reading this chapter, you should know how to:
Install additional software using packages or ports as described in Chapter 5, Installing Applications: Packages and Ports.
Install X and a window manager as described in Chapter 6, The X Window System.
Enable Linux® binary compatibility as described in Chapter 11, Linux® Binary Compatibility.
For information on how to configure a multimedia environment, refer to Chapter 8, Multimedia.
All FreeBSD documents are available for download at http://ftp.FreeBSD.org/pub/FreeBSD/doc/
Questions that are not answered by the
documentation may be
sent to <freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.org>.
Send questions about this document to <freebsd-doc@FreeBSD.org>.