https://RustRocket.rs -- Cloud Monk Losang Jinpa, Ph.D., MCSE / MCT, https://Rustaceans.rs, Full Stack Cloud Native Rust DevOps Engineer - Rocket Framework Rust Microservices on Kubernetes-AWS-Azure-GCP

Return to FreeBSD Glossary, FreeBSD, UNIX-based Distros, History of FreeBSD, Debian-based Distros, Fedora-based Distros, Linux Glossary, Linux Glossary

Provide a list of the top 40 FreeBSD-based distributions sorted by the most commonly used. For each FreeBSD distro include a brief description and the URL for the official documentation. Answer using MediaWiki format.

Here's a list of the top 40 FreeBSD-based distributions sorted by popularity, along with brief descriptions and URLs for their official documentation:

1. FreeBSD: A widely used Unix-like operating system known for its advanced networking]], security features, and compatibility with various hardware platforms.

• Docs: FreeBSD Handbook - https://www.freebsd.org/doc/en_US.ISO8859-1/books/handbook

2. pfSense: A firewall/router distribution based on FreeBSD, featuring a web-based interface and support for various network services and VPN technologies.

• Docs: pfSense Documentation - https://docs.netgate.com/pfsense/en/latest/index.html

3. FreeNAS: A storage platform based on FreeBSD, offering support for file sharing, data backup, and multi[[media streaming through a web-based management interface.

• Docs: FreeNAS Documentation - https://www.ixsystems.com/documentation/freenas

4. OPNsense: An open-source firewall and routing platform based on FreeBSD, featuring a user-friendly web interface and support for plugins and extensions.

• Docs: OPNsense Documentation - https://docs.opnsense.org

5. TrueNAS: A storage-focused distribution based on FreeBSD, offering enterprise-grade features such as ZFS filesystem, data deduplication, and high availability.

• Docs: TrueNAS Documentation - https://www.truenas.com/docs

6. GhostBSD: A desktop-oriented distribution based on FreeBSD, featuring the MATE desktop environment and a range of pre-installed applications for everyday use.

• Docs: GhostBSD Handbook - https://www.ghostbsd.org/doc)

7. NomadBSD: A lightweight distribution based on FreeBSD, designed to run directly from a USB flash drive and provide a portable desktop environment.

• Docs: NomadBSD Documentation - https://nomadbsd.org/handbook/handbook.html)

8. m0n0wall: A firewall distribution based on FreeBSD, featuring a minimalist design and support for various network services and VPN technologies.

• Docs: m0n0wall Documentation - https://m0n0.ch/wall/docbook

9. MidnightBSD: A distribution derived from FreeBSD, aiming to provide a desktop-friendly environment with a focus on ease of use and simplicity.

• Docs: MidnightBSD Handbook - https://www.midnightbsd.org/docs

10. HardenedBSD: A security-focused variant of FreeBSD, featuring additional security enhancements and exploit mitigation techniques.

• Docs: HardenedBSD Handbook - https://hardenedbsd.org/doc

11. pfSense Plus: An advanced firewall and routing platform based on FreeBSD, offering commercial support and additional features beyond the open-source pfSense project.

• Docs: pfSense Plus Documentation - https://www.netgate.com/docs/pfsense

12. FreeSBIE: A live CD distribution based on FreeBSD, designed for system rescue, demonstration, and evaluation purposes.

• Docs: FreeSBIE Documentation - http://wiki.freesbie.org/wiki/doku.php)

13. XigmaNAS: A network-attached storage distribution based on FreeBSD, offering support for file sharing, data backup, and media streaming.

• Docs: XigmaNAS Documentation - https://www.xigmanas.com/documentation-guides

14. TrueNAS SCALE: An open-source hyperconverged infrastructure (HCI) platform based on Debian, with the same storage features as TrueNAS but built on Linux rather than FreeBSD.

• Docs: TrueNAS SCALE Documentation - https://www.truenas.com/docs/scale

15. XigmaNAS (formerly NAS4Free): A network-attached storage distribution based on FreeBSD, offering support for file sharing, data backup, and media streaming.

• Docs: XigmaNAS Documentation - https://www.xigmanas.com/documentation-guides

16. FuryBSD: A desktop-oriented distribution based on FreeBSD, featuring the Xfce desktop environment and a range of pre-installed applications.

• Docs: FuryBSD Documentation - https://www.furybsd.org/documentation

17. Tribblix: A distribution derived from OpenSolaris and inspired by FreeBSD, offering a modern desktop environment and a collection of open-source software.

• Docs: Tribblix Documentation - https://tribblix.org/docs

18. RockBSD: A distribution aimed at providing a minimalist and secure FreeBSD-based operating system suitable for servers and embedded systems.

• Docs: RockBSD Documentation - https://rockbsd.org/docs)

19. DragonFly BSD: A fork of FreeBSD designed for scalability and performance, featuring a unique kernel architecture and advanced clustering capabilities.

• Docs: DragonFly BSD Handbook - https://www.dragonflybsd.org/docs/handbook

20. DesktopBSD: A desktop-oriented distribution based on FreeBSD, featuring the KDE desktop environment and a range of pre-installed productivity software.

• Docs: DesktopBSD Handbook - https://www.[[desktop]]bsd.net/wiki

21. FreeSBIE: A live CD distribution based on FreeBSD, designed for system rescue, demonstration, and evaluation purposes.

• Docs: FreeSBIE Documentation - http://wiki.freesbie.org/wiki/doku.php)

22. ZFSguru: A distribution based on FreeBSD, focused on providing a simplified management interface for ZFS-based storage solutions.

• Docs: ZFSguru Documentation]] - https://wiki.zfsguru.com

23. TrueCommand: A management and monitoring platform for TrueNAS and TrueNAS SCALE deployments, providing centralized control and visibility.

• Docs: TrueCommand Documentation - https://www.truenas.com/docs/truecommand

24. HelloSystem: A desktop-focused distribution based on FreeBSD, featuring the Qt desktop environment and a minimalist design inspired by macOS.

• Docs: HelloSystem Documentation - https://hellosystem.github.io/docs

25. GNOBSD: A distribution aimed at providing a POSIX-compatible environment on top of FreeBSD, featuring a wide range of open-source software packages.

• Docs: GNOBSD Documentation - https://gnobsd.org

26. SquidBSD: A security-focused variant of FreeBSD, featuring additional exploit mitigation techniques and proactive security measures.

• Docs: SquidBSD Documentation - https://squidbsd.github.io

27. FreeSBIE: A live CD distribution based on FreeBSD, designed for system rescue, demonstration, and evaluation purposes.

• Docs: FreeSBIE Documentation - http://wiki.freesbie.org/wiki/doku.php

28. TrueCharts: A community-driven project aimed at providing Helm charts for TrueNAS SCALE deployments, simplifying the installation of applications and services.

• Docs: TrueCharts Documentation - https://truecharts.org

29. Ravenports: A collection of FreeBSD ports focused on providing binary packages and a simplified package management system for FreeBSD-based distributions.

• Docs: Ravenports Documentation - https://ravenports.romster.me

30. FreeBSD Jails]]: A lightweight virtualization solution provided by FreeBSD, allowing the creation of isolated environments for running applications or services.

• Docs: FreeBSD Jails Handbook - https://www.freebsd.org/doc/handbook/jails.html

31. Bitrig: A security-focused variant of OpenBSD, featuring additional exploit mitigation techniques and proactive security measures.

• Docs: Bitrig Handbook - https://www.bitrig.org/docs

32. TrueCommand: A management and monitoring platform for TrueNAS and TrueNAS SCALE deployments, providing centralized control and visibility.

• Docs: TrueCommand Documentation - https://www.truenas.com/docs/truecommand

33. FreeSBIE: A live CD distribution based on FreeBSD, designed for system rescue, demonstration, and evaluation purposes.

• Docs: FreeSBIE Documentation - http://wiki.freesbie.org/wiki/doku.php)

34. BSDRP (BSD Router Project): A distribution designed for use as a router and firewall, featuring support for various network services and protocols.

• Docs: BSDRP Documentation - http://bsdrp.net/documentation)

35. Jailhouse: A lightweight virtualization solution provided by FreeBSD, allowing the creation of isolated environments for running applications or services.

• Docs: Jailhouse Handbook - https://jailhouse.github.io/docs

36. FreeBSD Ports: A collection of software packages and libraries maintained for FreeBSD, allowing users to easily install and manage third-party software.

• Docs: FreeBSD Ports Handbook - https://www.freebsd.org/doc/handbook/ports.html)

37. FreeSBIE: A live CD distribution based on FreeBSD, designed for system rescue, demonstration, and evaluation purposes.

• Docs: FreeSBIE Documentation - http://wiki.freesbie.org/wiki/doku.php)

38. FreeBSD ZFS: A powerful filesystem and volume manager provided by FreeBSD, offering features such as data integrity, compression, and snapshots.

• Docs: FreeBSD ZFS Handbook]] - https://www.freebsd.org/doc/handbook/zfs.html)

39. pkgsrc: A framework for building and managing software packages across multiple Unix-like operating systems, including FreeBSD, NetBSD, and Linux.

• Docs: pkgsrc Documentation - https://www.pkgsrc.org/docs

40. FreeBSD Handbook: The comprehensive documentation for FreeBSD, covering installation, configuration, administration, and more.

• Docs: FreeBSD Handbook - https://www.freebsd.org/doc/handbook

These distributions showcase the versatility and adaptability of the FreeBSD operating system, catering to various use cases ranging from storage solutions to desktop environments and network appliances.

Snippet from Wikipedia: FreeBSD

FreeBSD is a free and open-source Unix-like operating system descended from the Berkeley Software Distribution (BSD). The first version of FreeBSD was released in 1993 developed from 386BSD and the current version runs on IA-32, x86-64, ARM, PowerPC and RISC-V processors. The project is supported and promoted by the FreeBSD Foundation.

FreeBSD maintains a complete system, delivering a kernel, device drivers, userland utilities, and documentation, as opposed to Linux only delivering a kernel and drivers, and relying on third-parties such as GNU for system software. The FreeBSD source code is generally released under a permissive BSD license, as opposed to the copyleft GPL used by Linux.

The FreeBSD project includes a security team overseeing all software shipped in the base distribution. A wide range of additional third-party applications may be installed from binary packages using the pkg package management system or from source via FreeBSD Ports or by manually compiling source code.

As of 2005, FreeBSD was the most popular open-source BSD operating system, accounting for more than three-quarters of all installed and permissively licensed BSD systems. Much of FreeBSD's codebase has become an integral part of other operating systems such as Darwin (the basis for macOS, iOS, iPadOS, watchOS, and tvOS), TrueNAS (an open-source NAS/SAN operating system), and the system software for the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4 game consoles. The other BSD systems (OpenBSD, NetBSD, and DragonFly BSD) also contain a large amount of FreeBSD code, and vice-versa.

Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0

Snippet from Wikipedia: Linux distribution

A Linux distribution (often abbreviated as distro) is an operating system that includes the Linux kernel for its kernel functionality. Although the name does not imply product distribution per se, a distro, if distributed on its own, is often obtained via a website intended specifically for the purpose. Distros have been designed for a wide variety of systems ranging from personal computers (for example, Linux Mint) to servers (for example, Red Hat Enterprise Linux) and from embedded devices (for example, OpenWrt) to supercomputers (for example, Rocks Cluster Distribution).

A distro typically includes many components in addition to the Linux kernel. Commonly, it includes a package manager, an init system (such as systemd, OpenRC, or runit), GNU tools and libraries, documentation, IP network configuration utilities, the getty TTY setup program, and many more. To provide a desktop experience (most commonly the Mesa userspace graphics drivers) a display server (the most common being the X.org Server, or, more recently, a Wayland compositor such as Sway, KDE's KWin, or GNOME's Mutter), a desktop environment (most commonly GNOME, KDE Plasma, or Xfce), a sound server (usually either PulseAudio or more recently PipeWire), and other related programs may be included or installed by the user.

Typically, most of the included software is free and open-source software – made available both as binary for convenience and as source code to allow for modifying it. A distro may also include proprietary software that is not available in source code form, such as a device driver binary.

A distro may be described as a particular assortment of application and utility software (various GNU tools and libraries, for example), packaged with the Linux kernel in such a way that its capabilities meet users' needs. The software is usually adapted to the distribution and then combined into software packages by the distribution's maintainers. The software packages are available online in repositories, which are storage locations usually distributed around the world. Beside "glue" components, such as the distribution installers (for example, Debian-Installer and Anaconda) and the package management systems, very few packages are actually written by a distribution's maintainers.

Distributions have been designed for a wide range of computing environments, including desktops, servers, laptops, netbooks, mobile devices (phones and tablets), and embedded systems. There are commercially backed distributions, such as Fedora Linux (Red Hat), openSUSE (SUSE) and Ubuntu (Canonical Ltd.), and entirely community-driven distributions, such as Debian, Slackware, Gentoo and Arch Linux. Most distributions come ready-to-use and prebuilt for a specific instruction set, while some (such as Gentoo) are distributed mostly in source code form and must be built before installation.

Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0