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OpenBSD on the Huawei MateBook X

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Re: OpenBSD on the Huawei MateBook X

#31

Post by nickpsecurity »

AdmiralAsshat wrote: post #7

What would be the draw of OpenBSD on a consumer laptop over, say, FreeBSD, or even Linux?

Secure-by-default, reliability, consistency, and good docs. There's lots of people who would appreciate that even if they weren't technical experts. From there, you have the split of who would be interested in it as-is versus who would use it if someone set up the UI, apps, and so on for them. Mac OS X is probably the ultimate example of layering a great UI for lay people with "just works" mentality over UNIX. I bet something like that on OpenBSD would have significant, even if single percent, market.

Re: OpenBSD on the Huawei MateBook X

#32

Post by Hasknewbie »

RaleyField wrote: post #11
Hasknewbie wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This. So much this. It boggles my mind that basically 100% of PC business laptops are stuck with productivity-averse 16:9 displays. Corporations are willingly paying the 'enterprise' markup for business laptops, manufacturers should have at least the decency to come up with proper screens. But no. For almost all hardware-related design improvements, they will make a move only after Apple has kicked their asses and hu…

I prefer my 21:9 on desktop, I feel like you'd be stuck with one window on 4:3, but with 16:9 you can make one full window and one smaller one and two full windows on 21:9. 16:9 seems more productive to me .

Desktops do not have the same constraints: you can choose the size (in a much more significant way than with laptops), orientation, and number of displays. I'm happy with my desktop 16:9 display, but mostly because it's a Gigantor Five-Thousand model whose span is taller/wider than my eyes can roll, making the actual aspect ratio kind of irrelevant.

On a laptop space is at a premium, and the ever-narrower displays have in practice been made even worse by modern UI, like the larger Windows taskbar, or that damn ribbon thing in productivity/office suites. On a laptop I often feel like I must scroll every three lines. A (IMO) saner 1.6 or 1.5 ratio would still allow for split screen will giving a better vertical real estate.

Re: OpenBSD on the Huawei MateBook X

#33

Post by bobsam »

oneplane wrote: post #18

While it obviously does run, it's still so broken it's hardly usable. You basically have a 'mobile PC' rather than a laptop/notebook. There is no suspend/resume, hibernation is slow, video not really supported and the touchpad doesn't fully work. Basically, it's fine for when you want a 'mobile server', but for desktop or human interaction via the local console this is just as bad as a cheap windows laptop: things ar…

This is obviously a work in progress, not a finished port.

I bet one month from now things will look much better.

Re: OpenBSD on the Huawei MateBook X

#34

Post by tmnvix »

izacus wrote: post #29
cwisecarver wrote: post #16

Is anyone else concerned about buying a laptop from a Chinese manufacturer? I own a number of MacBooks and while they were all assembled in China I don't have any concerns about the firmware. As more of these make it to US markets I'm sure if there is something it will come out but I'm currently taking a wait and see approach.

What are you concerned about exactly?

I imagine compromised security due to government meddling. Huawei's ownership structure is complicated and government influence is a concern. See Australia's decision to ban Huawei from it's National Broadband Network tender:

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-10-29/government-maintains-n...

I have yet to hear of any proof that Huawei has actually compromised any of it's products or work.

Re: OpenBSD on the Huawei MateBook X

#35

Post by unethical_ban »

sverige wrote: post #23
oneplane wrote: post #18

While it obviously does run, it's still so broken it's hardly usable. You basically have a 'mobile PC' rather than a laptop/notebook. There is no suspend/resume, hibernation is slow, video not really supported and the touchpad doesn't fully work. Basically, it's fine for when you want a 'mobile server', but for desktop or human interaction via the local console this is just as bad as a cheap windows laptop: things ar…

Things like suspend/resume, hibernate, video drivers, and touchpads generally get fixed when developers have a need for them. You can hack it together yourself, or you can buy a developer the same model laptop that you wish had everything working and hope they like it enough to fix stuff. Or you can shut up. And fwiw, cheap windows laptops "just work" far more often and far better than almost any linux distro I've tr…

Or one can continue pointing out the deficiencies in the software as it relates to a consumer-ready laptop WITHOUT doing anything you mentioned, which is almost as impolite as you telling people to shut up when they notice an imperfection in the OS.

Re: OpenBSD on the Huawei MateBook X

#36

Post by sverige »

unethical_ban wrote: post #35
sverige wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Things like suspend/resume, hibernate, video drivers, and touchpads generally get fixed when developers have a need for them. You can hack it together yourself, or you can buy a developer the same model laptop that you wish had everything working and hope they like it enough to fix stuff. Or you can shut up. And fwiw, cheap windows laptops "just work" far more often and far better than almost any linux distro I've tr…

Or one can continue pointing out the deficiencies in the software as it relates to a consumer-ready laptop WITHOUT doing anything you mentioned, which is almost as impolite as you telling people to shut up when they notice an imperfection in the OS.

It's free software. Does OpenBSD owe you a perfect OS?

Re: OpenBSD on the Huawei MateBook X

#37

Post by cptskippy »

willtim wrote: post #24
IgorPartola wrote: post #10

A few years ago I bought a top spec MacBook Pro 15" as my main workhorse. I did it somewhat for the OS because there was a small handful of applications I needed that only ran on OS X or Windows and between the two the choice was clear. But the main reason for it was that the build quality of the laptop case, the screen, and the keyboard were superior to anything money could buy. I am still very happy with it, but I…

What exactly do you mean by "build quality"? An aluminium case? Sure it gives a premium feel, but it's also heavy, dents and attenuates radio, so not really an obvious choice before Apple popularised it. Recently Apple have also standardised on glued-in batteries, which is not really representative of a premium "build quality" IMHO. Their trackpads have been very good, but I've always preferred the ThinkPad nipple. >…

I have both a MacBook Pro 2015ish and a Thinkpad T430 2016 issued through work and I would be hard pressed to choose which one I prefer. They're both well build and both keyboards are nice. Oddly I find the MacBook much more comfortable to use on my lap but prefer the Thinkpad on a desk. I have not found glare to be an issue and prefer the glass screen of the MacBook to the matte screen of the Thinkpad primarily because it's next to impossible to remove finger prints from the matte screen. I hate hate hate the sharp edge of the MacBook which digs into my wrists. I like the battery bump on the Thinkpad because it gives me a grip to carry it. I baby the MacBook because I know it will be a chore to repair or replace where as the Thinkpad is just a 15 min HDD swap so it receives a lot of abuse.

Re: OpenBSD on the Huawei MateBook X

#38

Post by voltagex_ »

sverige wrote: post #23
oneplane wrote: post #18

While it obviously does run, it's still so broken it's hardly usable. You basically have a 'mobile PC' rather than a laptop/notebook. There is no suspend/resume, hibernation is slow, video not really supported and the touchpad doesn't fully work. Basically, it's fine for when you want a 'mobile server', but for desktop or human interaction via the local console this is just as bad as a cheap windows laptop: things ar…

Things like suspend/resume, hibernate, video drivers, and touchpads generally get fixed when developers have a need for them. You can hack it together yourself, or you can buy a developer the same model laptop that you wish had everything working and hope they like it enough to fix stuff. Or you can shut up. And fwiw, cheap windows laptops "just work" far more often and far better than almost any linux distro I've tr…

Looks like $1500+ here. Bit steep, but I may try to find the cash so I can send one to any developer who can make HiDPI not suck on Linux.

Re: OpenBSD on the Huawei MateBook X

#39

Post by rmusial »

AdmiralAsshat wrote: post #7

What would be the draw of OpenBSD on a consumer laptop over, say, FreeBSD, or even Linux?

At least in my experience on several Lenovo laptops and even a 2012 MacBook Pro, OpenBSD has a much better GUI experience than FreeBSD, down to things like suspend and resume working with no tweaking required.

Re: OpenBSD on the Huawei MateBook X

#40

Post by cyphar »

sverige wrote: post #36
unethical_ban wrote: post #35

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Or one can continue pointing out the deficiencies in the software as it relates to a consumer-ready laptop WITHOUT doing anything you mentioned, which is almost as impolite as you telling people to shut up when they notice an imperfection in the OS.

It's free software. Does OpenBSD owe you a perfect OS?

No, but if you want people to switch to it, then ignoring complaints is the first way for people to just boycott using your OS. I also work as a free software developer, and I don't understand why you would act that way when someone tells you they don't like the state of your project.

Responding to a reasonable complaint with "as developers we only scratch our own itch and we don't owe you a 'perfect OS'" is just hostile for no reason.

Also, nobody said they expect a perfect OS, but I also wouldn't call this a laptop install if everything that GP said didn't work was correct.

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