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OpenBSD Turns 10

Posted by ScuttleMonkey on from the great-work-continues dept.

Eh-Wire writes to tell us OpenBSD Journal is reporting that OpenBSD is officially ten-years-old today. After some confusion, it was decided that 10 years ago today marked the birth of OpenBSD when Theo de Raadt committed his makefile to CVS.

9 of 61 comments (clear)

  1. Slow development by Just+Some+Guy · · Score: 5, Insightful
    After ten years, they've only made it to version 3.7. FreeBSD isn't that much older and I already have 7-CURRENT on my laptop. Even Windows progressed from 3.11 to 95 in a few short years.

    Seriously, though, OpenBSD is simply amazing. Any reasonably experienced Unix user should be able to install it and know what every single running process on the default system does. There's nothing like logging into a multiuser system and seeing a "ps" listing maybe 15 lines long. Their devotion to doing things The Right Way is staggering -- who else bothered to randomize PIDs and TCP serial numbers and encrypt swap?

    They treat every theoretical exploit as a practical matter, and the result is some of the most robust, elegant software to be found. I have my reasons for not running it on every system I admin, but that doesn't stop me from giving them my utmost respect. Kudos, Theo et al. Job well done.

    --
    Dewey, what part of this looks like authorities should be involved?
    1. Re:Slow development by ickoonite · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Hear hear!

      I think I came to OpenBSD at about 2.7, and I have always been impressed by its simplicity. After a few years spent struggling with Linux, it was such a relief. I'd say something like the install isn't for the faint of heart, as it doesn't even sport a Debian-style ncurses-based interface, but it works surprisingly well, and, like you say, anyone with reasonable UN*X experience should be able to install it.

      I'm a big fan of the Mac now, but see the same kind of brilliant design and engineering that goes into Mac OS X in OpenBSD. It really is wonderful.

      iqu :)

  2. I don't care about what people say re: Theo... by SecureTheNet · · Score: 5, Insightful

    about his attitude or any of that. OpenBSD is a very good product, and it's leading-edge when it comes to security. They audit code, they take care of security issues, and they tackle even the so-called theoretical security issues. OpenBSD is the best example of how others should treat security. Happy Birthday OpenBSD!

    --
    SecureThe.Net - Practical Resources for Securing Systems
    1. Re:I don't care about what people say re: Theo... by grub · · Score: 5, Insightful


      And Theo is the best example of how you should not treat others.

      I've had a handful of email exchanges with the man over the years and he's never been less than 'to the point' and quite friendly.

      --
      Trolling is a art,
  3. Theo is not the worst by any means. by CyricZ · · Score: 3, Insightful

    There are frequently comments regarding Theo's frankness with other developers and users. Even if he doesn't use the most friendly tone, at least he tends to back up his controversy with expertise and code. Compare that to the KOffice developer who recently insulted a longtime KDE and KOffice user. I've never seen something that low from Theo.

    --
    Cyric Zndovzny at your service.
    1. Re:Theo is not the worst by any means. by CyricZ · · Score: 2, Insightful

      I follow the discussion on the misc and tech mailing lists on a daily basis. Of course Theo is blunt. He's busy putting in hours upon hours of work into OpenBSD. He doesn't have time to waste being overly diplomatic. But he still manages to keep a far more civil tone than that particular KOffice developer.

      --
      Cyric Zndovzny at your service.
  4. Re:Theo: The Last Angry Man by CyricZ · · Score: 3, Insightful

    I don't think Theo really cares what you think, or whether or not you'll "purchase" OpenBSD. Chances are that, regardless of what you do, he will continue to provide excellent software, users will continue to use it, and they'll all have safer and more secure systems.

    --
    Cyric Zndovzny at your service.
  5. Re:Theo: The Last Angry Man by Shanep · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Is it a bird? Is it a plane? NO! Its Captain Obvious. And he is on crack as usual.

    This seems a little rough. I think his reply was quite fitting, considering that some guy who dislikes Theo, is not going to buy Theo's wares, like it's going to make some sort of difference. Don't you think sometimes the obvious needs to be stated to the people who don't see it? That's how I took CyricZ's reply.

    What's obvious to you, might be news to someone else. So many people come into misc@ or slashdot and try to equate OpenBSD with a business model for example and then argue the same lines which have been argued countless times over the past 10 years, for which I have beared witness to about 6 years of. Those people can be bludgeoned to a black and blue death with the OBVIOUS-STICK, still not "get it" and then come out forever stating that, "Theo is rude and they'll never buy his CD's". Nobody gives a fuck. Least of all Theo.

    Unfortunately, those people cannot accept the obvious because their egos get in the way. However, poor chaps and lasses which mean well, try to explain what has already been explained to people who don't want to accept the reality.

    Theo and the other OpenBSD developers make a really nice OS, along with some other nice software like OpenSSH. The personality of the project lead should not matter at all when you consider the excellent results they get.

    --
    War crimes, torture, lies, illegal spying... Would someone give Bush a blowjob, already, so he can be impeached?
  6. I like it. Documentation is good. by Tandoori+Haggis · · Score: 2, Insightful

    I've been using SuSe Linux for a few years but I've also taken an interest in OpenBSD for a while. Recently I decided to give it a go. The online documentation is very well thought out. To suppliment online documentation I opted for an excellent book which should help new and experienced *nix users alike in getting the best from OpenBSD for their requirements. Absolute OpenBSD by Michael W. Lucas ISBN 1-886411-99-9 http://www.nostarch.com/ http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/search-handle-fo rm/103-8285097-8052630/ http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/188641199 9/qid%3D1129994895/026-1045610-3018009/ I like the way OpenBSD has been produced and the way in which it encourages good practice.

    --
    My hyperlinks aren't worth the paper they're printed on.