FreeBSD is a massive pain in the butt, the only thing that really saves it is their handbook. The documentation is incredible , so if you're willing to put in the hours it's a great staple operating system.
I do love the pkg system now, it definitely beats trying to build everything out of the ports tree. It's a fun thing to play with, but I don't suggest it to people for a daily driver unless they really want to learn about it.