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OpenBSD for Linux Users

openbsdhandbook.com

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Re: OpenBSD for Linux Users

#31

Post by lcall »

mrweasel wrote: post #11
LoganDark wrote: post #4

It looks like this page isn't quite finished yet, but it looks promising! I may want to try OpenBSD one of these days. I have at least one friend who loves it and constantly tells me about how cool it is compared to Linux.

> how cool it is compared to Linux. It a matter of preferences. Linux is hard to beat, but so is macOS. OpenBSD is cool in its own little ways. For me it's the consistency and ever present documentation. FreeBSD fans will say: "FreeBSD has a the handbook, and it consistent", but it is not the same, it's not like OpenBSD. In terms of consistent feel (command line, documentation and system configuration) FreeBSD feels…

Only OpenBSD has a track record anything like going since ~1996 with only 2 remotely exploitable security bugs in the default installation. And ongoing, it has far fewer (no?) privilege escalation bugs, etc., which gives some comfort as one installs packages beyond the default installation.

So one can weigh security, clean organization & good documentation, vs. some convenience if needed features are missing (bluetooth is available sometimes via USB, I think I read in a mailing list, but no NFS, and some other things).

Re: OpenBSD for Linux Users

#32

Post by toyg »

cylinder714 wrote: post #21
toyg wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It'd probably help also if they could find a killer-app role. Currently it's a decent OS only for low-level devices like routers and firewalls, which are a fairly small part of the computing ecosystem (and even there, it has lost a lot of ground to OSes that exploit multithreading better, hence giving faster throughput). As an application-development platform there are roadblocks at every turn and no real use-case. T…

>a decent OS only for low-level devices Why do people insist on smearing OpenBSD like this? My 2011 ThinkPads run Firefox and LibreOffice just fine. It's not as polished as Fedora, sure, but I never have to reinstall after upgrading trashes grub, which happened to me earlier this year.

It's not a smear, it's a realistic assessment of its market position. And I say that as someone who likes it.

Re: OpenBSD for Linux Users

#33

Post by toyg »

lcall wrote: post #31
mrweasel wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> how cool it is compared to Linux. It a matter of preferences. Linux is hard to beat, but so is macOS. OpenBSD is cool in its own little ways. For me it's the consistency and ever present documentation. FreeBSD fans will say: "FreeBSD has a the handbook, and it consistent", but it is not the same, it's not like OpenBSD. In terms of consistent feel (command line, documentation and system configuration) FreeBSD feels…

Only OpenBSD has a track record anything like going since ~1996 with only 2 remotely exploitable security bugs in the default installation. And ongoing, it has far fewer (no?) privilege escalation bugs, etc., which gives some comfort as one installs packages beyond the default installation. So one can weigh security, clean organization & good documentation, vs. some convenience if needed features are missing (bluetoo…

> Only OpenBSD has a track record anything like going since ~1996 with only 2 remotely exploitable security bugs in the default installation.

That stat is a bit meaningless, simply because most other OSes ship a default install that tries to do much more than OpenBSD does by default. They've downplayed it a lot over the years.

> vs. some convenience if needed features are missing

That "some", for everyday application developers, is surprisingly big. Last time I tried, anything related to Rust was a nope. Tons of tools just fail to compile (because "GNU is bad" or something). It reminded me of late-90s Linux, except there the community would jump at the chance to fix issues - whereas OpenBSD folks tend to just shrug (or even berate you).

Re: OpenBSD for Linux Users

#34

Post by t-3 »

Kwpolska wrote: post #29
LoganDark wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't use Bluetooth. I even use my DualSense controller wired. A true UNIX is hard to beat. I grew up with macOS and was devastated when my Mac broke & couldn't afford a new one. Been despising Windows for the past ~1.5 years. OpenBSD is nothing like macOS, but it is still UNIX.

Did you consider Linux? While it isn't Unix certified, it's still Unix-like, and is quite usable as a desktop (YMMV of course).

Most Linux distros next to OpenBSD don't measure up well in any area except bleeding-edge hardware and software support. For routers and other network appliances, very often only the base system is needed, no packages or anything extra to install. OpenBSD's userland tools are excellent - configuration files and control interfaces are almost all in a standard format, documentation is excellent, and everything has obviously been designed with care. Stability isn't even a question. Bluetooth, Nvidia, support for most proprietary or highly specialized software are missing, but otherwise it makes a fine desktop/laptop OS.

Re: OpenBSD for Linux Users

#35

Post by forgotpwd16 »

extendedrm wrote: post #15

This website uses a misleading domain name and has nothing to do with OpenBSD officially. There is no "OpenBSD handbook" (although the FAQ is basically that). It's run by a Danish guy who goes by the username "iio7". He also runs unixsheikh.com, which seems to have quite a negative reputation on HN. A lot of the content on this site was directly copied from official OpenBSD pages with very minor rewordings.

>It's run by a Danish guy who goes by the username "iio7".

Where you found this? The page lacks any author or contact info.

Re: OpenBSD for Linux Users

#36

Post by sshd »

lcall wrote: post #31
mrweasel wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> how cool it is compared to Linux. It a matter of preferences. Linux is hard to beat, but so is macOS. OpenBSD is cool in its own little ways. For me it's the consistency and ever present documentation. FreeBSD fans will say: "FreeBSD has a the handbook, and it consistent", but it is not the same, it's not like OpenBSD. In terms of consistent feel (command line, documentation and system configuration) FreeBSD feels…

Only OpenBSD has a track record anything like going since ~1996 with only 2 remotely exploitable security bugs in the default installation. And ongoing, it has far fewer (no?) privilege escalation bugs, etc., which gives some comfort as one installs packages beyond the default installation. So one can weigh security, clean organization & good documentation, vs. some convenience if needed features are missing (bluetoo…

Gobbles says hi

Gobble Gobble :PppPPPpppPP

Re: OpenBSD for Linux Users

#37

Post by nix23 »

Koshkin wrote: post #5
smitty1e wrote: post #3

For those that truly cannot abide systemd, OpenBSD seems a great alternative.

But for those who want Linux, there’s always Slackware - the most BSD-like distribution out there.

> the most BSD-like distribution out there.

I would say it's Crux Linux, the spiritual father of Arch.

Re: OpenBSD for Linux Users

#39

Post by nix23 »

ianai wrote: post #6
unixhero wrote: post #2

If only I had a use case. I boot it up on exotic and obsolete architectures, as they still do builds for eg. PPC64 (Apple Mac G5). The white framebuffer is kind of beautiful.

It’d probably help if it had a company like Red Hat offering enterprise support and contributing back to it. Knowledge certification helps a ton too. It’s all fun and games until the SME leaves and a company finds out how hard it is to hire another person with skills in that OS.

If a admin comes to me and tells me he understands Linux but is not capable of learning any BSD...kick in the butt and goodbye.

Don't search for Linux-Admins but real ones..the one's who are also capable to maintain Windows, and if they have no clue they start to learn.

Re: OpenBSD for Linux Users

#40

Post by nix23 »

cylinder714 wrote: post #21
toyg wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It'd probably help also if they could find a killer-app role. Currently it's a decent OS only for low-level devices like routers and firewalls, which are a fairly small part of the computing ecosystem (and even there, it has lost a lot of ground to OSes that exploit multithreading better, hence giving faster throughput). As an application-development platform there are roadblocks at every turn and no real use-case. T…

>a decent OS only for low-level devices Why do people insist on smearing OpenBSD like this? My 2011 ThinkPads run Firefox and LibreOffice just fine. It's not as polished as Fedora, sure, but I never have to reinstall after upgrading trashes grub, which happened to me earlier this year.

>Why do people insist on smearing OpenBSD like this?

Because they never used it on a Desktop for a extended time, however i use FreeBSD and can play any Game Linux can...thanks to Proton.

Fedora polished? Ever seen those SELinux problems after updates?

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