GhostBSD 26.2 takes the fright out of FreeBSD with a friendlier installer

A friendlier FreeBSD

GhostBSD has released version 26.2, based on FreeBSD 15.1. The new version has a new installer, support for full-disk encryption (which scrambles all the data on a drive so others cannot read it), a smaller install image, and fixes to its desktop tools. The project aims to make FreeBSD easier for people coming from Linux.

Why GhostBSD exists

A standard FreeBSD install uses a text-only installer. Users must add and set up a graphical desktop on their own. GhostBSD adds a live desktop you can try before installing, a graphical installer, and tools for managing software and updates. These are features many Linux users already know.

Key facts

• Version: GhostBSD 26.2-R15.1p6, based on FreeBSD 15.1.
• FreeBSD 15.1 came out in June and was the newest FreeBSD point release when this article was written.
• The standard edition uses the MATE desktop (version 1.28).
• A community version uses Xfce (version 4.20).
• This release uses the XLibre fork of the X.org X11 server.

Where Gershwin went

Gershwin is still in active development. Project lead Joe Maloney said it has been hard to find time to package it for GhostBSD. He also said fast changes from Simon Peter (known as probono), the creator of AppImage, have made packaging harder. GhostBSD project lead Eric Turgeon is building his own desktop, Mocka. It is very early, with alpha version 0.0.2. The plan is to make Mocka the default desktop once it is ready.

Why it matters

GhostBSD helps people who like Linux try FreeBSD without the usual hard steps. A simpler install can bring more users to BSD systems. Dropping Gershwin shows how much work small projects need to keep up with several desktops.