And for a new BSD new user, not sure FreeBSD ports is what I would recommend. Perhaps one of the other BSDs would be more appropriate then. Ports isn't hard but definitely not suggested for new users.

If it's certain Broadcom firmware then there's often no option except ports as I recall.

https://www.freshports.org/net/bwn-firmware-kmod/

(Installing the port is probably the easiest part...)

Right and with FreeBSD it's all ports or all packages. Up to the user whether they want to tackle ports as a new user.

The Broadcom license packaged with the bwfm firmware allows redistribution, but there are restrictions which the Project may have decided are in conflict with how OpenBSD is itself licensed and distributed.

I agree it's up to the user.

It's up to the user if they want the wifi to work or not, or whether installing a few packages from ports is worth it, or whether they buy different hardware.

The mixing ports and packages thing may not be so black and white as some have painted it. Is there official FreeBSD documentation for this, or is it coming from e.g. FreeBSD forum or users or mailing list posters who have grown tired troubleshooting such setups...?

With the default build flags a port should build the equivalent package - as that's how the binary packages are built. It doesn't, when the user has things out of sync or when they start playing with build flags, etc.

If you look at the build dependencies for the port, it only requires sysutils/b43-fwcutter and there is a package for that at least.

Not sure about official docs but packages are always a few weeks behind ports so installing ports and packages may cause a dependency problem because port A requires version Y of dependency X, but pkg has installed version Z of dependency X...not so much a build flag issue but more of a dependency issue. I have always run into problems doing this so I avoid it.

Several FreeBSD developers and admins are forums mods and their advice is to not mix ports and packages, or do so at your own risk. I have a separate port build server and used to use poudriere to build custom ports but am using straight packages now because I found it annoying if I wanted to test out software: fire up server, configure port, build port, install port. Now I can just install pkg, test, remove pkg.

Yes that's how I understand it and have always understood it, but as with the Broadcom firmware, there are some ports where there are actually no packages available. In the case of the Broadcom firmware there are very few dependencies, so also less likely to cause trouble. So you would probably not want to run 100% ports just because of this one port.

Agree - lame is like that: you can build the port, it has no deps, then build pkg and install via pkg. Only issue there is updates have to be done to the port first then repeat the process. I think pkg autoremove leaves it alone, can't remember because I don't use lame on my main PC.

Is there a BSD based livecd/usb I could try??

I haven't tried this, mate. It might be fun to try out.

https://distrowatch.com/table.php?distribution=freesbie

FreeSBIE has been discontinued.

Maybe take a look at GhostBSD, another FreeBSD live/installable system. https://www.ghostbsd.org/

Or, for an OpenBSD live system. http://fuguita.org/?FuguIta

Take a look here for a live NetBSD. http://www.feyrer.de/NetBSD/bx/blosx...?-tags=live-cd

ok awesome thank you I'll try it

Try NomadBSD a live edition that can now be installed to HDD http://nomadbsd.org/download.html. Please note that it is usb only at this time. Oh and it is great - in my opinion.

hey bsdunixdb why do you say its usb only at this time?
because its a .img file?
Im downloading it now and will check it out Thanks!

@linus72 Sorry yes that is what I meant to imply.