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I have a weird luck with FreeBSD: it seems that every time I think about trying it, I find that it's just a month or so before a major version release. The firs

by scythe 3y ago

I have a weird luck with FreeBSD: it seems that every time I think about trying it, I find that it's just a month or so before a major version release. The first time I considered trying it was just before FreeBSD 10 was released; that laptop died and I later felt like giving it a go only to find myself twiddling my thumbs until 12 came out, and just last month I got permission to install VirtualBox on my work laptop (Windows) only to find that... There's no Shockwave anymore; that killed the first attempt (I couldn't play iSketch with my friends). The second one ended because the Chromebook bricked. Third time is the charm, right?

drewg123 3y ago
Don't let that stop you. Just install one of the release candidates, and track the stable branch corresponding to the release.
- grahamjperrin 3y ago
  > install one of the release candidates, and track the stable branch corresponding to the release. If a release candidate is installed, then it's generally recommended to track the releng branch (not stable).
toast0 3y ago
The old releases don't become pumpkins immediately upon release of a new one. Things were different around 10, but nowadays, the support expectations are pretty clear[1]. FreeBSD 12 support ends at the end of this year, so not a good choice for new users; FreeBSD 13 support is expected to end in January 2026, so if you install today, you don't need a major update for about two years. That's plenty of time to try it and see if you like it. If there's a critical feature in the upcoming release that you'd like, RCs are available in advance of release, but IMHO, I wouldn't suggest that as a matter of course for a new user; sometimes RCs have rough edges and that's not a great intro. But you know, up to you. In the past, waiting for an X.1 release was advised by some, but I don't think that's necessary anymore. [1] see the supported releases table https://www.freebsd.org/security/ https://www.freebsd.org/security/

by scythe 3y ago

drewg123 3y ago

Don't let that stop you. Just install one of the release candidates, and track the stable branch corresponding to the release.

grahamjperrin 3y ago
> install one of the release candidates, and track the stable branch corresponding to the release. If a release candidate is installed, then it's generally recommended to track the releng branch (not stable).

toast0 3y ago

The old releases don't become pumpkins immediately upon release of a new one. Things were different around 10, but nowadays, the support expectations are pretty clear[1]. FreeBSD 12 support ends at the end of this year, so not a good choice for new users; FreeBSD 13 support is expected to end in January 2026, so if you install today, you don't need a major update for about two years. That's plenty of time to try it and see if you like it. If there's a critical feature in the upcoming release that you'd like, RCs are available in advance of release, but IMHO, I wouldn't suggest that as a matter of course for a new user; sometimes RCs have rough edges and that's not a great intro. But you know, up to you. In the past, waiting for an X.1 release was advised by some, but I don't think that's necessary anymore. [1] see the supported releases table https://www.freebsd.org/security/ https://www.freebsd.org/security/