How about a Linux Mint BSD with Debian kFreeBSD kernel?

[t3g]

Since we have Mint based on Ubuntu and Debian, what are the odds of adapting BSD through the kFreeBSD kernel for Debian? The nice thing about kFreeBSD is that it seems to support the Debian architecture and packages like the standard Debian releases with the benefit of using a BSD kernel. Having a Mint version based on pure FreeBSD can seem like a bigger challenge and it helps that Debian offers a BSD kernel that fits into their stable and testing branches.

Another benefit I heard of BSD is that the licenses are not all over the place like Linux and Linux is more vulnerable to patent trolls in addition to some stability and security benefits of the BSD platform.

Just a suggestion that I'm sure that some of you have thought of before.

[Sonsum]

I don't know much about BSD. I don't know if the developers of LMDE would have the time to maintain LMBSD as well. One advantage that LMDE has is that it is based off of Debian Testing, and a lot of package maintenance is performed upstream.

Is there a BSD version of that? So far, it seems the goal of Linux Mint is to tweak an existing build to a certain way, not to create a distribution

[t3g]

There are CD images for the kFreeBSD 32 and 64 bit based off of Squeeze (stable) at http://ftp.us.debian.org/debian-cdimage/6.0.1a/ and I believe that most Debian repository mirror sites support it along the Linux variants. http://ftp.us.debian.org/debian, http://cdn.debian.net/debian and ones on university sites like http://debian.uchicago.edu/debian (my mirror) and http://ftp.gtlib.gatech.edu/debian support kFreeBSD repositories.

Of course the majority of mirrors listed at http://cdn.debian.net/debian/README.mirrors.html have full support for kFreeBSD.

[Sonsum]

Interesting. Could one just start using the BSD kernel after installing it from LMDE. Or would everything have to be recompiled?

[t3g]

Interesting. Could one just start using the BSD kernel after installing it from LMDE. Or would everything have to be recompiled?

I assume the best route is to start from scratch with a fresh kFreeBSD install on a formatted hard drive and go from there considering that Linux and BSD are two totally different architectures. I would think that the existing Linux Mint packages won't work as well.

I'm actually downloading an ISO image to try out in Virtualbox because my curiosity is sparked as well.

[Sonsum]

Haha. If I wasn't on dial-up right now (vacations without high-speed Internet are upsetting), I'd join you. If it was so easy to convert, all that we would need is a transitory metapackage and just a little maintenance!

(I'm a little worried because if it was truly so easy, it would probably be done by now )

[lmintnewb]

On second thought. Decided to amend this post. Cause thought it over and the idea seems kinda silly. Linux has had a functioning kernel aggressively developed for it as long as there's been a gnu/linux. Been the basis and core component for who knows how many nix distro's to date.

Cant see what the advantage would be and more than likely some technical probs and/or more than a few disadvantages to bothering with a bsd kernel. Not to mention kind of hard to call it linux w/o the linux kernel. Linux is named after that kernel. Though purists I'm sure insist on calling it gnu/linux to be technically pc correct.

[victorsk]

Hi,

This is a good idea but may I suggest using a Gentoo base instead of BSD? BSD is really great and I believe mac's OS X uses shell version of BSD but I don't know if Mint's developers would want to build Mint version on something that isn't Linux that they've been working with. In fact, I believe Clem in one of his introductions mentions that he was providing a lot of help in Gentoo community which gave him ideas on how to shape Mint. So there might be some experience right there that might help jump start Gentoo branch.

As for myself, I am a big fan of Gentoo. Our company uses one Gentoo-based dedicated server and one VPS. Gentoo is a great and stable distribution, is excellent as a server and works on the same principle like LMDE, ie, rolling distro idea as it becomes version-less after install, so there will be little difference for people to get used to as it would work like already existing LMDE

Cheers,
Victor.

[feed3]

Cant see what the advantage would be and more than likely some technical probs and/or more than a few disadvantages to bothering with a bsd kernel. Not to mention kind of hard to call it linux w/o the linux kernel. Linux is named after that kernel. Though purists I'm sure insist on calling it gnu/linux to be technically pc correct.

1.In most of the cases, it is not all about "why we needed to do it" but it is more on "why don't we do it" or in other words, just to see if it is possible and doable.

2.Well, debian doesn't call it Linux Debian BSD isn't it? It is called Debian GNU/kFreeBSD.

Just my 2 cents buddy..

[tdockery97]

Personally I think the Mint developers have enough to keep up with all the editions that we already have. Maybe you can convince Clem to take you onto the development team and it could be your new project.

[jeffreyC]

In a lot of ways the Debian kFreeBSD distro is a toy, from when it was released in 2006 until last month wireless did not work although it works in FreeBSD and Debian Linux.
If the developers were serious about it, would it have taken five years to fix ?