NomadBSD

NomadBSD is a FreeBSD-based live operating system designed to run from removable media, such as USB flash drives or DVDs. It provides a portable, ready-to-use desktop environment without requiring an installation on the host computer, allowing users to boot into a complete FreeBSD-based workspace on different machines.

Key features include a graphical user interface, a curated set of desktop applications, and a persistence mechanism that preserves user data and settings across reboots. NomadBSD emphasizes ease of use, automatic hardware detection, and network support, making it suitable for demonstrations, testing, or as a portable daily driver. It can be run as a live session and, if desired, installed to a hard drive using an included installer workflow.

Technical notes: NomadBSD is built on the FreeBSD base and ships as ISO/IMG images for download. The project is open source, with build scripts and source code publicly available, and is distributed under the licenses associated with FreeBSD components. The system supports traditional BIOS and modern UEFI boot modes and is designed to be compatible with standard PC hardware.

Use cases and audience: NomadBSD is commonly used to try FreeBSD without making changes to internal drives, to demonstrate FreeBSD in classrooms or presentations, and as a portable desktop for users who travel between machines. It is maintained by an active community and releases are made publicly available through the project’s website and repositories.