Trying FreeBSD
In today's episode of "what obscure hobby or thing caught my eye this time?" FreeBSD. I don't remember how I stumbled upon this UNIX-like OS, but I think it was the license that really lured me in. You see, Linux is licensed under a so-called copyleft license. Which mainly means that any modifications to the software must be licensed under the same conditions as the work derived from. Which is a phenomenal concept for keeping "free and public" things free and public. I don't entirely know how I feel about this subject. On one hand, I agree with the GPLv3 license and alike about protecting and preserving one's freedom to modify the source code. On the other, I don't agree with limiting the user with what they can or cannot do with the code they wrote on top of someone's foundation.
Imagine if DeWalt demanded from me a cut from a house I built with my own hands, just because I used their tools. Now, to be fair, this doesn't occur for 2 reasons.
- It's a stupid and unsustainable concept.
- I already provided DeWalt with a fair exchange of cash for their product.
Putting licensing debates aside, FreeBSD is something I might seriously consider switching to. I installed FreeBSD on a spare drive, and the setup was surprisingly smooth, no kernel panics or weird hardware quirks so far. The interface is minimalist but functional, though I’m holding my breath for Bluetooth support and gaming compatibility. Maybe I will change my mind when I find out that my Bluetooth adapter isn't supported yet. Or that I won't be able to play most video-games on FreeBSD. These things shouldn't really be an issue, but since FreeBSD is less mature as a desktop OS. I'm under no illusions about encountering a massive dealbreaker there.
If anything, this is a great thing for me to tinker with after 8 hours of using Windows at work, haha.
Whether FreeBSD becomes my daily driver or just another tech experiment, one thing’s certain: there’s always value in exploring. Who knows? Maybe this journey will spark the next big project, or at least a more profound understanding of how freedom and choice intersect in software.