I know this is the noob perspective but they should try (yes, I'm already aware of GhostBSD) to make getting into the desktop a little bit easier, it can be very hard to bootstrap anything and learn if you're new to it
A blocker, although this bug was not the reason for rescheduling:
What's so difficult?
"To enable the driver, add the module to /etc/rc.conf file, by executing the following command: ..."
https://docs.freebsd.org/en/books/handbook/x11/
I get that this isn't brain surgery. But come on
The Linux (Ubuntu, etc) install experience leads to a usable desktop. Heck, the installer disc boots to a usable desktop.
Also no unsophisticated users even know the name of their favorite DE. Or what a DE is.
Requiring a text login and a shell command, even one as simple as "pkg install KDE" is a big ask for a casual user these days. Also, that command line will probably fail. :)
I write these things as a very big fan of FreeBSD! I think not catering to casual users keeps FreeBSD in a better technical place overall, but Linux is obviously much more popular. This carries risks too.
I'm not saying Make Everything Easy. If there's real reasons not to have easy x11 onboarding, if FreeBSD really is intended to be an OS for experts (and I get that it may well be, for a variety of historical reasons), then fine
But in FreeBSD 15 it will be part of the installer. However even an installer is too much to ask of today's mainstream users. I don't want freebsd to become mainstream though especially because what mainstream users want (everything decided on by a vendor) is completely contrary to what FreeBSD stands for and what I want.
I shouldn't overgeneralise.
https://github.com/orgs/FreeBSDFoundation/projects/1/views/3... … and so on.
That does not mean they do not work, mind you - GNOME succeeds in dumbing things down that even 60 years old grandmas could use it (until they misclick and then are presented with 20 windows all put side to side). And KDE gives a lot of flexibility in tweaking it how you may want it (if we ignore Nate's donation widget). But it just is still waaaaaaay too complicated and convoluted to use. I am better off just describing my system in .yml files and then have ruby autogenerate any configuration value than struggle through annoying widgets to find some semi-random semi-new setting (or none such setting existing such as is the case in GNOME). I'd wish we could liberate these DEs from upstream developers and their dictatorship. I mean, we, can, e. g. patch out the code that shouldn't exist (like Nate's Robin Hood widget), but I mean on a global basis as-is. We as users should be in full control of EVERYTHING - every widget. Everything these widgets do, too. And everything they don't do right now but should do. Like in evince, I hate that I can't have tabs. That annoys me. I am aware that libpapers changes this, but boy ... just try to discuss this with GNOMEy devs. That's just a waste of time. I want to decide on everything here - upstream must not be able to cripple my system or influence it in no way I approve of.
It's probably not for a grandma but I don't care. It doesn't have to be. For me the more software is suitable for the mainstream, the less suitable it is to me.
Not sure what you mean by donation widget, I use KDE on FreeBSD as daily driver (and on the latest version) and I've never seen it. I donate monthly to KDE but it doesn't have any way of knowing that.