GhostBSD

What hackers pick instead

• WindowsRecommended for running the software and games people depend on, day-to-day stability and solid underlying engineering, but critics widely object to Windows 11's ads, telemetry, forced accounts and UI regressions.1287recommend
• macOSRecommended for consistent keyboard shortcuts, strong security, tight Apple ecosystem integration and getting work done without fiddling, though critics cite recent bugs, CPU spikes, clunky window management and UI regressions.1041recommend
• LinuxA free, open-source OS praised for total control, stability and wide hardware and software support, especially on servers; desktop use can still take extra effort and debugging.745recommend
• HaikuA free BeOS-inspired desktop OS praised for being extremely fast and responsive with a clean, consistent UI, though many say it's not yet practical as a daily driver.115recommend
• NetBSDRecommended for running on almost any hardware, including old machines, with a clean, well-documented design, though support for modern hardware and drivers is weak.100recommend

Every quote

The 9 most detailed of 11 comments. Each links to the original.

1. You could try something like GhostBSD if you wanted an easier experience

   Recommends · Dec 2025 · in “The FreeBSD Foundation's Laptop Support and Usability Project”

2. GhostBSD is FreeBSD with GUI installer and MATE by default

   Recommends · Feb 2026 · in “150 MB Minimal FreeBSD Installation”

3. have a look at GhostBSD ([3], [4]) (based on FreeBSD)

   Recommends · Aug 2026 · in “NetBSD 11.0 Released”

4. Thanks exactly what I was looking for

   Recommends · Feb 2026 · in “150 MB Minimal FreeBSD Installation”

5. I am very satisfied with GhostBSD.

   Recommends · Feb 2026 · in “150 MB Minimal FreeBSD Installation”

6. it now comes with XLibre X11 and ZSH by default

   Recommends · Jun 2026 · in “Omfreebdy – Omarchy-Inspired FreeBSD”

7. it seems a very pleasant travel

   Recommends · Feb 2026 · in “150 MB Minimal FreeBSD Installation”

8. GhostBSD seems to joyfully delve into the slop and attract the worst to FreeBSD.

   Criticizes · Jul 2026 · in “Vibe Coded X11 Server Written in Rust Adds Xinerama, FreeBSD Support”

9. it seemed very similar to linux so I didn't understand what's the upside

   Criticizes · Nov 2025 · in “A Love Letter to FreeBSD”