FreeBSD on Laptops

FreeBSD is often thought of as a server operating system, but it works just fine on the desktop, and if you want to use it on your laptop you can enjoy all the usual benefits: systematic layout, easy administration and upgrading, the ports/packages system for adding software, and so on. (Its other benefits, such as stability, network performance, and performance under a heavy load, may not be obvious on a laptop, of course.) However, installing it on laptops often involves problems which are not encountered on desktop machines and are not commonly discussed (laptops, even more than desktops, are fine-tuned for Microsoft® Windows®). This article aims to discuss some of these issues. Several people have also documented their experiences with FreeBSD on specific laptop models on webpages which are not part of the FreeBSD documentation. You might very well find some information if you type the name of your laptop model and the word “FreeBSD” into a search engine of your choice. Additionally there is a FreeBSD-specific online database which aims to give information on hardware issues with laptops, The FreeBSD Laptop Compatibility List.