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About Applications for FreeBSD
==============================
Experience the possibilities with FreeBSD
-----------------------------------------
FreeBSD can handle nearly any task you would expect of a UNIX?
workstation, as well as many you might not expect:
FreeBSD is a true open system with full source code.
----------------------------------------------------
There is no doubt that so-called open systems are *the* requirement for
today's computing applications. But no commercial vendor-supplied
solution is more open than one which includes full source code to the
entire operating system, including the kernel and all of the system
daemons, programs, and utilities. You can modify any part of FreeBSD to
suit your personal, organizational, or corporate needs.
With its generous `licensing
policy <./copyright/freebsd-license.html>`__, you can use FreeBSD as the
basis for any number of free *or commercial* applications.
FreeBSD?runs thousands of applications.
---------------------------------------
Because FreeBSD is based on 4.4BSD, an industry-standard version of
UNIX, it is easy to compile and run programs. FreeBSD also includes an
extensive `packages collection <./where.html>`__\ and `ports
collection <./ports/index.html>`__ that bring precompiled and
easy-to-build software right to your desktop or enterprise server. There
is also a growing number of `commercial
applications <./commercial/software.html>`__ written for FreeBSD.
Here are some examples of the environments in which FreeBSD is used:
- **Internet services.** Many Internet Service Providers (ISPs) find
FreeBSD ideal, running WWW, Usenet news, FTP, Email, and other
services. Ready-to-run software like the `nginx `__
or `Apache `__ web server or the
`ProFTPD `__ or
`vsftpd `__ FTP?server make
it easy to set up a business or community-centered ISP. Of course,
with FreeBSD's unbeatable `networking <./internet.html>`__, your
users will enjoy high speed, reliable services.
- **X Window workstation.** From an inexpensive X terminal to an
advanced X display, FreeBSD works quite well. Free X software
(`X.Org `__\ ™) comes with the system.
`nVidia `__ offers native drivers for their
high-performance graphics hardware, and the industry standard
`Motif `__? and
`OpenGL `__? libraries are supported. The
`Xfce `__ and `LXDE `__ products
provide a desktop environment. The `KDE `__ and
`GNOME `__ desktop environments also enjoy full
support and provide office suite functionality, with further good
functionality available in the
`LibreOffice `__,
`OpenOffice.Org `__ and
`TextMaker `__ products.
- **Networking.** From packet filtering to routing to name service,
FreeBSD can turn any PC into a Internet firewall, email host, print
server, PC/NFS server, and more.
- **Software development.** A suite of development tools comes with
FreeBSD, including the GNU C/C++ compiler and debugger. The
LLVM-based clang suite is also provided and will eventually replace
the GNU suite. Java? and Tcl/Tk development are also possible for
example, and more esoteric programming languages like Icon work just
fine, too. And FreeBSD's shared libraries have always been easy to
make and use. You can also choose from a wide range of popular and
powerful editors, such as XEmacs and Vim.
- **Net surfing.** A real UNIX workstation makes a great Internet
surfboard. FreeBSD versions of
`Chromium `__,
`Firefox `__ and
`Opera `__ are available for serious web
users. Surf the web, publish your own web pages, read Usenet news,
and send and receive email with a FreeBSD system on your desktop.
- **Education and research.** ?FreeBSD makes an excellent research
platform because it includes complete source code. Students and
researchers of operating systems or other computer science fields can
benefit greatly from such an open and well-documented system.
- **And much more.** Accounting, action games, MIS?databases,
scientific visualization, video conferencing, Internet relay chat
(IRC), home automation, multiuser dungeons, bulletin board systems,
image scanning, and more are all real uses for FreeBSD today.
FreeBSD is an operating system that will grow with your needs.
--------------------------------------------------------------
Though FreeBSD is free software, it is also *user supported* software.
Any questions you have can be posted to hundreds of FreeBSD developers
and users simply by e-mailing the freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.org mailing
list.
FreeBSD also has a worldwide group of programmers and writers who fix
bugs, add new features and document the system. Support for new devices
or special features is an almost constant development process, and the
team keeps a special eye out for problems which affect system stability.
FreeBSD users are quite proud of not only how fast but how reliable
their systems are.
What experts have to say . . .
------------------------------
*\`\`FreeBSD handles [our] heavy load quite well and it is nothing short
of amazing. Salutations to the FreeBSD team.''*
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---Mark Hittinger, administrator of WinNet Communications, Inc.
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