PC-BSD

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 as the default, pre-installed graphical user interface. The PC-BSD project is currently developing a graphical software installation program which will install Executable software packages.

=Package management=

PC-BSD s package management system takes a different approach to installing software than many other Unix-like operating systems. Instead of utilizing FreeBSD s ports or packages system, PC-BSD uses files with the .pbi filename extension which, when double clicked, brings up an installation wizard (software) program.

All software packages and libraries are installed in their own self-contained directories in /usr/local , decreasing confusion about where the binary programs reside and reducing the possiblity of breaking a package if system libraries are upgraded or changed. The PC-BSD package manager also takes care of creating links in the KDE menu and on the KDE desktop.

The PC-BSD project claims its style of package management, which is similar to that of major operating systems such as Microsoft Windows, is one which most other Unix-like systems struggle with.

=License=

Since many claim that the GNU GNU General Public License (GPL) conflicts with BSD license ideology, a common point of criticism from the *BSD community about PC-BSD originally was that its code was licensed under the GPL - while most open source BSD descendants license exclusively under the BSD license. The GPL was originally used because the PC-BSD project uses the Qt toolkit for it s interface development and the developers were under the impression that applications using the Qt toolkit must be licensed under the GPL or the QPL. This is however untrue and the PC-BSD project later relicensed it s code under a BSD-like license.

=See also=

*DesktopBSD *FreeBSD

=External links=

*[http://www.pcbsd.org/ Official PC-BSD website] *[http://www.pbidir.com/ The PBI Directory (Software for PC-BSD)] * *[http://agnani.blogspot.com/2005/06/pc-bsd-075-review.html PC-BSD 0.7.5 Review] *Installing and Configuring PC-BSD: [http://michael-and-mary.net/intro/q=node/23 part I] and [http://michael-and-mary.net/intro/q=node/49 part II]

Regional sites: *[http://www.pcbsd.com.br/ PC-BSD Brazil] *[http://www.pcbsd.net/ PC-BSD France] *[http://www.pcbsd.de.vu/ PC-BSD Germany] *[http://pcbsd.mosfet.hu/ PC-BSD Hungary]