GhostBSD Openbox

GhostBSD Openbox is an open source BSD distribution based on the widely used FreeBSD operating system and built around the lightweight and minimalist Openbox window manager. The distribution incorporates FreeBSD’s next-gen package management system, which lets users to easily and quickly install, update or remove software packages from their installations.

Distributed as 32-bit and 64-bit Live CDs

This edition is distributed as two Live CD ISO images, supporting the i386 (32-bit) and amd64 (64-bit) instruction set architectures. They can be burned on blank CD discs or written to USB sticks.

Users will be prompted by a text-mode menu when booting from the Live CD, engineered to be used for starting the live environment in multi user or single user modes, use a shell prompt, reboot the machine, as well as to configure advanced boot options.

Minimal desktop environment powered by Openbox

The desktop session is so minimalist that it does not even include a taskbar or a panel. This might be scare novices, who tend to believe that the operating system is actually broken.

The fact of the matter is that Openbox has been created to be used by programmers and users who preferred an extremely simple, yet very fast desktop environment. Applications can be launched from the main menu, which can be accessed by right clicking anywhere on the desktop.

Default applications

Default applications include the Mozilla Firefox web browser, GPicView image viewer, Sylpheed email client, Transmission torrent downloader, and Pidgin multi-protocol instant messenger.

In addition, it includes the XChat IRC client, Thunar file manager, Terminator terminal emulator, Geany text editor, Xarchiver archive manager, GNOME MPlayer video player, Xfburn CD/DVD burning software, and ePDFViewer for viewing PDF files and other documents.

It also comes with the Apache OpenOffice and the LibreOffice office suites, the LibreCAD computer-aided design tool, as well as the Eclipse and Anjuta integrated development environments for C, C++, JavaScript, Java, Python and Vala programming languages.

Bottom line

All in all, the GhostBSD project proved once again that it can deliver a stable and reliable FreeBSD-based operating system to end-users who want to transform their old and dusty machines into state-of-the-art UNIX computing environments.

What is new in this release:

• OpenSSL has been updated to version 0.9.8y.
• DTrace hooks have been enabled by default in the GENERIC kernel.
• DTrace has been updated to version 1.9.0.
• Sendmail has been updated to version 8.14.7.
• OpenSSH has been updated to version 6.2p2.
• Gnome 2.32 has been replace by Mate 1.6.
• Xfce 4.10 is now part of Desktop choice.
• GhostBSD BSM theme with custom Faenza icon.
• Mate, Xfce and LXDE contain a more uniform set of software.
• Gimp is now install by default.
• Shotwell is now install by default.
• Libre Office has been change for Apache Open Office 4.
• The installer GBI as been updated to 1.3.

What is new in version 3.5 RC3:

• GDM mouse fix.

What is new in version 3.5 RC2:

• FreeBSD 9.2 RC4 to FreeBSD 9.2 REALEASE.
• i386 Openbox Menu has been fix.
• Installer "Customize Partitionnig" option windows title has been change.

What is new in version 3.5 RC1:

• FreeBSD RC3 to RC4.
• Installer progress black window fixed
• Bxpkg Package Manager "fail to start due to some GTK+ issue" is fixed
• Mate BSM theme is Fixed
• New GDM login theme

What is new in version 3.5 Beta 3:

• FreeBSD RC2 to RC3.
• Removed Caja in Xfce and Lxde.
• Replaced Atril by ePDFViewer
• Mate and Openbox images

What is new in version 3.0:

• Support Openbox window manager.
• Installer Improvements with more installing option.
• Improvements of the auto configuration wireless networking script.
• Auto configuration of Xorg.
• Nvidia drivers ready.
• 3D acceleration is supported on some Intel graphics cards.
• Numerous bug-fixes to GhostBSD related utilities.
• Downside Openbox and Lxde AMD64 ISO only fit on DVD, Due to an overload of Drivers added.
• And much more!