while the other BSD's are in the shadow?

FreeBSD has the most optimizations towards a working desktop operating system as well as a server system equally. Driver support is also top tier on FreeBSD compared to others.

I wouldn't say it's overshadowing other *BSDs. Each *BSD is vastly different in design and framework from the others. Only a few *BSDs are classified as redistributions such as PC-BSD is a redistribution of FreeBSD. Each of the other *BSDs also contains some level of specialized developments as well.

NetBSD is mostly aimed at supporting various hardware platforms.
OpenBSD is aimed at secure and stable code developments.
FreeBSD is aimed at multifaceted system support.

Along with various others like DragonFlyBSD, GhostBSD, PC-BSD, and others even including Apple OS-X, all form specialized rebrands or redistributions of one or more *BSDs out there.

I am guessing one factor responsible for the larger user base and greater attention it gets, might be PCBSD. No insult intended, but PCBSD is BSD's version of Ubuntu. Being a beginner's BSD that does not require knowledge to install and use, means PCBSD will be the entry point for many users. Since it is little more than a pre-configured FreeBSD with KDE, many users who then learn about BSD and UNIX and decide to move on, will naturally be inclined to "upgrade" to the parent system they have become familiar with. I have no proof for this hypothesis. It is just an idea I get when considering the relationship between the two.

I'm not sure about this one. Have you actually run OpenBSD at all? I don't really see how FreeBSD is more desktop optimised that OpenBSD. FreeBSD does not even come with X.org installed in the base system, whereas OpenBSD comes with it's own secure build of X.org already installed.

You've also oversimplified "driver support" a little in that the OpenBSD project develops a lot of drivers, many of which are still not available in FreeBSD, NetBSD or DragonFly BSD. So hardware support is quite scattered between the *BSDs.

In OpenBSD 5.5, radeon KMS driver, DRM, 3D acceleration, console framebuffer and VT switching all seems to work correctly - the same can't be said for FreeBSD 10.0

I'm not sure what you mean there, but to be clear DragonFly is a FreeBSD fork, not a redistribution of another BSD.

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Everyone, please don't take my post as a rant. I don't hate freebsd at all. I know it's the most popular of all the BSD distros. I've used freebsd, netbed, openbsd and pcbsd in my computer journey. I never tried the others as they are not as popular as the first three on my list.

I envy linux even more because it's has the most applications and drivers support than any of the BSD's. I hope one day, the BSD's could reach the same milestone as linux so I can make BSD my main and only OS.

What gives you that impression? The first reply was an explanation that included the opinion that the other BSDs are not overshadowed, but are focused on different types of users; the second is an opinion relating to one possible factor for FreeBSD's popularity, which directly addresses your question; and the third questions the accuracy of your claim. Your post was not treated as a rant.

Where is your milestone? I am using OpenBSD as my only system on a laptop for home use. Your statement has little meaning without including what your needs are and how BSD does not meet them. Details are required before anyone can give a meaningful response.

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Right now you can even run a few linux distro's with a bsd kernel.

I think FreeBSD is just better known.

I had heard of PCBSD, OpenBSD, and FreeBSD, but I had never heard of GhostBSD, to pick one, until the Linux Luddites reviewed it in their most recent podcast (they quite liked it, by the way, though they had some quibbles).

I have actually been playing with FreeBSD in VirtualBox. One of these days, I intend to understand BSD's partitioning lingo.

Just a friendly correction - no big deal - but FreeBSD is not a "distro", it is an OS.
I hope not. When *BSD gets to that stage, it will become another Linux and you will be looking for something else.

If you want *BSD to be Linux, why not just use Linux?

There are several reasons why FreeBSD is more popular - in some ways it's more accessible, its ports tree has always been easier to set up and maintain (e.g. than OpenBSD's) and is larger, they did have the original ports system so had a bit of a head start there and there are also updates for binary packages (a la Linux distros). FreeBSD is also more permissive to proprietary software, blobs and there is an Nvidia blob driver for it (and the derivatives based on it) whereas there isn't for the other *BSDs.

Linux emulation, while not perfect, is also better maintained and supported under FreeBSD, which is possibly a factor in easing migration (I don't need or use it, so no experience there).

FreeBSD and OpenBSD have more developers as far as I know, with FreeBSD having the most of all - that also counts for a lot.

FreeBSD also has a large official traditional message board (like LQ or major Linux distros), which most Linux users will find easier to deal with over mailing lists.

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Hi DaUnixFreak,

I see from your profile that you use NetBSD. We're too few to use it

Why FreeBSD is more popular?
I try to give a simple answer about a hard question (clearly impossible): following Randicus Draco Albus' post, taking as target ubuntu's user, no alternatives to FreeBSD/PcBSD. Great documentations, great community, enough userfriendly, what do you want anymore? NetBSD is very bad about all that, I don't know very well OpenBSD, sure excellent as server but as client I've some doubts (always talking about ubuntu's user). Then there're others reasons as "marketing". A stupid thing: look at the FreeBSD's website and then look at OpenBSD's website. For a new user, also a stupid thing like this makes difference.

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FreeBSD not only has a slick-looking website, but also has a forum. Mailing lists are not appealing for many people.

Exact. And website and documentation translated in more languages as well. All little things but important to "capture" new users.

I have no idea where you get this from. I run FreeBSD 10.0 in Virtualbox and I dual boot OpenBSD on this Slackware box. Both FreeBSD and OpenBSD are equally capable of running on the desktop and OpenBSD is an amazingly robust server. Also OpenBSD is ported to an insane number of hardware architectures. If you were an OpenBSD user you wouldn't claim such things.

Agreed. The FreeBSD site and their documentation is first rate. The FreeBSD Handbook is exceptional.

I thought it was NetBSD that was ported out heavily. I have heard it will run on just about anything with a CPU.