BSD Newbie (Unix/Linux experienced)
Posted: Wed Mar 09, 2022 9:42 am
Ok, after some years, I decided yesterday that I should try a BSD desktop. I chose (wait for it....) GhostBSD based primarily on booting it up and what it looked like (superficially) in the live environment.
So...I have some questions that since I don't have any real BSD experience (been years since I was a Solaris admin etc), may be quite newbieish. Please forgive me, I do try to search first.
1) Desktop (of various flavors, tried enlightenment, XFCE, Mate, and Sway) seems to lag a bit. Especially noticeable in Firefox on FaceBook or a forum, when typing and watching the lag be real. Is this likely 'just the way it is, based on priorities'? or some tweak that I should apply. Of note, my graphic environment is AMD Radeon RX 560 (not a new card, but should be very much adequate for average desktop experience). Neither Windows 11 nor any Linux flavor has shown this sort of lag/frame skipping during videos (I assume this to be the same thing).
2) How does one find (or encourage) ports of software that are newer? Example: Enlightenment, running 24.2, and 25.3 is available. I know I could just compile it..but I would prefer to have my desktop software maintained.
On the positive side, I hadn't imagined *BSD to have advanced so much in installation and desktop. It was pretty primitive (or seemed) last time I looked (several years ago, 2-4 probably). I am what is known in the Linux circles as a 'distro hopper'. I tend to have about 7 OS flavors on the pc at a time, GhostBSD now being the newest one. I like learning new things and seeing different approaches.
So...I have some questions that since I don't have any real BSD experience (been years since I was a Solaris admin etc), may be quite newbieish. Please forgive me, I do try to search first.
1) Desktop (of various flavors, tried enlightenment, XFCE, Mate, and Sway) seems to lag a bit. Especially noticeable in Firefox on FaceBook or a forum, when typing and watching the lag be real. Is this likely 'just the way it is, based on priorities'? or some tweak that I should apply. Of note, my graphic environment is AMD Radeon RX 560 (not a new card, but should be very much adequate for average desktop experience). Neither Windows 11 nor any Linux flavor has shown this sort of lag/frame skipping during videos (I assume this to be the same thing).
2) How does one find (or encourage) ports of software that are newer? Example: Enlightenment, running 24.2, and 25.3 is available. I know I could just compile it..but I would prefer to have my desktop software maintained.
On the positive side, I hadn't imagined *BSD to have advanced so much in installation and desktop. It was pretty primitive (or seemed) last time I looked (several years ago, 2-4 probably). I am what is known in the Linux circles as a 'distro hopper'. I tend to have about 7 OS flavors on the pc at a time, GhostBSD now being the newest one. I like learning new things and seeing different approaches.