Desktop Integration in FreeBSD

This page aims to assist porters and desktop integrators on methods of unifying and improving the desktop experience in FreeBSD.


See Tutorials/Desktop in Resources.

Desktop-installer is a post-install script to assist in setting up a FreeBSD desktop system using any of the mainstream desktop systems. It automatically installs essential software and configures subsystems such as HAL, CUPS, etc. for typical use.

  • Develop unified port scheme to flag or include XDG meta-data, such as desktop icons, menu icons, mime-types
    • bsd.port.mk already has a DESKTOP_ENTRIES macro. For creating .desktop files for ports that don't ship with them. No translation though if we want that.
  • Begin marking port “types” in each port, such as “Application,Library,Data”

Items and projects needing to be addressed on FreeBSD to improve the desktop experience

  • Animated / interactive boot-splash screen
  • Switch to flip webcam video vertically
  • Improved audio daemon to better work with Pulse / ALSA and such?

  • desktopintegration.txt
  • Last modified: 2026/10/12 10:55
  • (external edit)