Thanks for mentioning this, I am just beginning my FreeBSD journey and wanted to setup a small pre-boot env with mfsBSD[1], didn't know FreeBSD has a tool already to do something like that.
Wait until you run `pkg upgrade` and it takes several times the 150MiB...
vermaden•Feb 5, 2026
Please read entire article (or at least skim read it) because I also cover that part :)
haunter•Feb 5, 2026
In there an “accessible” BSD on the level of live CD Linux distros, like Debian? Hey you can play around but also install it if you want right here right now with a DE
seanw444•Feb 5, 2026
I'd be interested to know too. I haven't seen one, but that's probably because the majority of the BSD demographic is for servers and such, which are mostly all headless.
paulryanrogers•Feb 5, 2026
Ghost BSD?
JPLeRouzic•Feb 5, 2026
I switched from Devuan (Debian without SystemD) to GhostBSD a few weeks ago. Until now it seems a very pleasant travel, even bringing back nice memories of Unix in the 1990 while using all the modern tools.
Zambyte•Feb 5, 2026
I suspect English is not your first language based on your profile and I'd like to give a tip: "until now" implies that what follows is no longer true, due to a recent event that changed it. "So far" is probably closer to what you wanted, which expresses that it's still true, but based on limited time / experience.
vermaden•Feb 5, 2026
GhostBSD is FreeBSD with GUI installer and MATE by default - it also comes with XFCE flavor.
Highly recommended.
haunter•Feb 5, 2026
Thanks exactly what I was looking for
nazgulsenpai•Feb 5, 2026
I haven't checked out GhostBSD's site in a while, and saw they had a version with a DE called "Gershwin" I've never heard of before. It looks really cool for those Apple folk among us https://github.com/gershwin-desktop/gershwin-desktop
Forgeties79•Feb 5, 2026
Oh wow I love that look! Might have to check this out as well.
yjftsjthsd-h•Feb 5, 2026
> Also keep in mind that You have entire static FreeBSD Rescue System available under /rescue dir.
If you have ZFS with boot environments, how valuable is that?
vermaden•Feb 5, 2026
I always like to have options - with /rescue you have statically linked bectl(8) and zpool(8) and zfs(8) commands - which help to manage ZFS and ZFS Boot Environments.
cperciva•Feb 5, 2026
You can access /rescue without rebooting, for one thing.
ggm•Feb 5, 2026
Do the same for X! Well.. a layered addition maybe. I've always felt it's bringing swags of stuff which never gets used. A non accelerated fb or vesa binding would do for a lot of things.
I liked this piece a lot. Nice write up of how you explored the space.
vermaden•Feb 5, 2026
Thank You :)
> Do the same for X!
I kinda did ... but for RAM usage and not disk space.
5 Comments
[1]: https://github.com/mmatuska/mfsbsd
Highly recommended.
If you have ZFS with boot environments, how valuable is that?
I liked this piece a lot. Nice write up of how you explored the space.
Details here:
- https://vermaden.wordpress.com/2026/01/18/200-mb-ram-freebsd...