@ericbsd
Hi,
If you remember I tried GHostBSD some time back but gave up due to its lack of bluetooth support but I dont need bluetooth supports anymore.

I have purchased this device >>>> https://www.amazon.in/Portronics-14-POR ... B08LVH8P6H

Before I download and install GhostBSD I have a few questions.

Q1) Its quite easy find the exact EOL for Linux distros like Ubuntu, Mint Fedora, etc but I cant find any such info about the EOL date for GhostBSD.
When will GhostBSD 21.05.11 reach its EOL ? I can understand that it may be difficult mention the exact date but I atleast want to know the YEAR & Month. For example the LTS releases of Ubuntu is supported for 5 years so 20.04 will supported till 2025.

Q2) I know that GhostBSD is based on FreeBSD but is GhostBSD using the FreeBSD repos directly ? Like EndeavourOS uses the Arch repos or is GhostBSD doing what Manjaro does that is pull the packages from Arch then do their own stuff and then releases them to their own repos ?

security_lover wrote: ↑Sat Aug 28, 2021 8:53 am Q1) Its quite easy find the exact EOL for Linux distros like Ubuntu, Mint Fedora, etc but I cant find any such info about the EOL date for GhostBSD.
When will GhostBSD 21.05.11 reach its EOL ? I can understand that it may be difficult mention the exact date but I atleast want to know the YEAR & Month. For example the LTS releases of Ubuntu is supported for 5 years so 20.04 will supported till 2025.

There is no end of life with GhostBSD. There is no LTS. The version of the ISO is the day that the iso was built yy.mm.dd like 21.05.11. GhostBSD follows the CI/CD way of doing software if there is a user reporting a bug and has soon we fix it, we will build the package right away and send it that users can update to it right away. GhostBSD is built from the latest FreeBSD STABLE and we sync and rebuild the OS often from STABLE. So in a sense, GhostBSD is a rolling release.

security_lover wrote: ↑Sat Aug 28, 2021 8:53 am Q2) I know that GhostBSD is based on FreeBSD but is GhostBSD using the FreeBSD repos directly ? Like EndeavourOS uses the Arch repos or is GhostBSD doing what Manjaro does that is pull the packages from Arch then do their own stuff and then releases them to their own repos ?

No, because with the FreeBSD repository we don't have control over packages, if an important package that we need to build GhostBSD is missing due to a failure to build we are to wait for FreeBSD to build it back. We host our own packages that we build ourselves with some automation and we test new packages build with updates and system build before they get to the user. That way if a package did not build we can fix the port or look for a fix with the maintainer of the port. Basically, we build the same packages as FreeBSD plus our own software. FreeBSD and GhostBSD packages are built from the FreeBSD ports tree, the only thing GhostBSD has a fork of the FreeBSD ports tree is that we add our own ports into it.

No, because with the FreeBSD repository we don't have control over packages, if an important package that we need to build GhostBSD is missing due to a failure to build we are to wait for FreeBSD to build it back. We host our own packages that we build ourselves with some automation and we test new packages build with updates and system build before they get to the user. That way if a package did not build we can fix the port or look for a fix with the maintainer of the port. Basically, we build the same packages as FreeBSD plus our own software. FreeBSD and GhostBSD packages are built from the FreeBSD ports tree, the only thing GhostBSD has a fork of the FreeBSD ports tree is that we add our own ports into it.

I badly want to ask a question. Please don't take it in a bad way. If you read this article >>> https://www.ateamsystems.com/tech-blog/ ... -superior/ it says

FreeBSD has the edge when comparing Operating Systems. This is because Linux isn’t actually a whole OS. It’s actually a kernel. This is a common misconception and users frequently refer to Linux as if it is a whole OS. It’s normally packaged in a Linux distribution which includes system software and libraries. Most of these are from the GNU project, which is why the Free Software Foundation refers to Linux as “GNU/Linux.”

If I am not mistaken what the author means in a polite way is that FreeBSD code has better quality control in comparison to Linux coz FreeBSD is a complete OS. Now since GhostBSD is not using the FreeBSD repos directly for the valid reasons that you mentioned can I expect the same level of quality control of code ? What I mean by quality control is timely fixing of bugs which includes security bugs ? I am paranoid about security.

security_lover wrote: ↑Sun Oct 24, 2021 11:34 am If I am not mistaken what the author means in a polite way is that FreeBSD code has better quality control in comparison to Linux coz FreeBSD is a complete OS. Now since GhostBSD is not using the FreeBSD repos directly for the valid reasons that you mentioned can I expect the same level of quality control of code?

I think you missing the point! GhostBSD is 100% FreeBSD on the OS level. We do share the same code, with minor teak indifference because our focus is on the desktop. I am syncing with the FreeBSD OS stable code often. GhostBSD benefits of the FreeBSD quality control of code. When it comes to ports it is the same thing in most cases.

security_lover wrote: ↑Sun Oct 24, 2021 11:34 am What I mean by quality control is timely fixing of bugs which includes security bugs? I am paranoid about security.

On the OS side, I try to keep an eye on vulnerability fixes, but without a team, it is hard to stay on top of everything. One thing is for sure when I resync with stable/13 like 5 days ago, and all the fixes from FreeBSD are there.

For ports, in some cases, security fix is coming faster to GhostBSD than vanilla FreeBSD, which software updates are quarterly. Yes, they have the latest repository built almost every day, but you get broken ports, often os missing packages, and sometimes breaks your desktop.

I try to update packages at least once every two weeks and more often if there are vulnerabilities. My quality control is to make sure that all the packages to make GhostBSD is built on every package update and there are no default packages missing. I have seen often FreeBSD quarterly packages missing, and nightly packages that I would be afraid to use FreeBSD packages repository as I did in the past. I remember the 12.0 12.1 graphic cards issues that FreeBSD had. I never had that problem in the first place because, build from the latest stable and I do not have, 2 versions using the same packages and I make sure the desktop works first.

GhostBSD is mainly me and I can't fix everything, but I benefit from FreeBSD code quality control. I make sure that everything, is built and working. Last week I added tests to make sure that all essential packages are built before sending them to the test repository. If there are packages missing, I look at the logs and I fix what needs to be fixed, and rebuild them. Once it is in the test repository there is an ISO build triggered. I test the ISO to make sure it boots, install, and both after the installation. After all that I test the upgrade and make sure that everything works fine. When all that is done I push the new packages in all the mirrors.

That is the part that is missing in FreeBSD for GhsotBSD. So I prefer to build all myself and make sure that users will never have missing packages that could break their system. I prefer to let FreeBSD deal with security fixes and I make sure that the OS and software packages are building and stable. I have no choice to rely on FreeBSD for security fixes because GhostBSD is a one-man show with a little help here and there. It is also why I have dropped OpenRC I do not have the time to maintain all the services.

I try to update packages at least once every two weeks and more often if there are vulnerabilities.

An excellent thing happened. Today when I installed updates using the Update Station I received a Firefox update. I am running Firefox 97 now. I asked some people who are using vanilla FreeBSD & they say they are running Firefox 96.

You said you update packages at least once every two weeks. So how is this possible ? I mean I am using a package which is more up to date than FreeBSD 13. Is this because you found vulnerabilities in Firefox 96 ?