> My question is to what degree are they interchangeable for a desktop [NOT
> a
> server or router] box? Exactly how difficult would it be for say a RMS to
> use
> any one of the four kernels is say a Mandrake or a Red Hat?
>
If you're talking about that elusive "desktop experience" then you can
fairly easily duplicate your KDE or Gnome desktop on FreeBSD. If you're
looking for the same tools as RedHat or Mandrake provide then it's not so
easy.
To clarify, the GNU tools (compilers, shells, utilities), X, window
managers (Gnome, KDE, fluxbox, among others) work fine on FreeBSD. In
fact, many may have been on FreeBSD before Linux. The default shell is
different, as are things like startup scripts and file locations, but
this is trivially changed.
The problem arises in two main areas:
Manufacturers tend not to release FreeBSD drivers.
The Linux distributors built their identifying toolset (installers,
configuration utilities, etc) assuming an underlying Linux system. They
make assumptions about where files are located, the setup of /proc,
threading system and other "linuxisms". These are not so easily duplicated
and may require significant rewrites.
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