Newbie to FreeBSD with questions

[Deleted member 60868]

Hello.

I've been using several distros of Linux in the last couple of years so while I am seeing some similarities between it and FreeBSD (both being Unix-based, I'm aware), I realize I need some help to fully get around it.

I can see that FreeBSD isn't an out-of-the-box desktop experience like most beginner-friendly distros.
I followed the FreeBSD handbook in testing an encrypted installation on a virtual machine and managed to start up the XFCE and LXQT desktop environments on startup.

However, I was having trouble trying to find and install NTFS drivers so I can plug in an NTFS-formatted USB flash drive
and I wasn't able to shut it down properly from the start menu so I had to just shut off the VM itself.

Are there any firewall programs for FreeBSD? I couldn't find iptables.
I did manage to install LibreSSL but I don't know how to install that.

I tried installing Firejail but it doesn't exist in the repository. Is there anything similar for FreeBSD?

Last of all, I tried looking for the app folder for Firefox so I can remove the xpi files for its system add-ons.
Ordinarily, on Linux, it is located in the /usr/lib/ folder but not in FreeBSD. Where can I find it?

Thanks.

 

[ljboiler]

Welcome to FreeBSD!

I was having trouble trying to find and install NTFS drivers

fusefs-ntfs and the ntfs-3g command that is installed as part of that is what you need.

Are there any firewall programs for FreeBSD

FreeBSD Handbook, Firewalls section

I tried looking for the app folder for Firefox

It's standard practice on FreeBSD that things outside of the "base" OS are installed in /usr/local.
/usr/local/lib/firefox is probably where you want to start looking

 

[Sevendogsbsd]

OP: FYI, you may encounter flak by referring to FreeBSD as a "distro'. I understand in the Linux world this is how each Linux distribution is referred to, but that is because Linux is just a kernel. Organizations or individuals put together the kernel and the GNU pieces to make a "distro". FreeBSD is an entire OS put together by a team of folks.

As you have discovered, FreeBSD base install gives you only the OS. It is up to you to install xorg, window manager, etc. Some may find this daunting, but I believe this is is what makes FreeBSD shine: it is simple, stable and powerful.

As ljboiler pointed out, everything the user installs goes under /usr/local. This keeps a separation between the base OS and all end user software. There are also separate sets of tools to manage updates of the base OS and the end user applications.

Welcome and have fun ?