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OpenBSD 4.5 Released
portscan writes "OpenBSD 4.5 has been released. New and extended platforms include sparc64, and added device drivers. OpenSSH 5.2 is included, plus a number of tweaks, bugfixes, and enhancements. See the announcement page for a full list. OpenBSD is a security-oriented UNIX/BSD operating system." As per OpenBSD tradition, of course there's a song.
Oh BSD for server farms,
For blinking rows of lights.
For late night coke and deli runs
In those bitter winter nights!
NetBSD! FreeBSD!
Dick shakes his fists at thee
And hates much more the fact that you're
As dead as dead can be!
NetBSD 5 yesterday, OpenBSD 4.5 today and a three day weekend ahead.
*fap*
Stop Computers/Cars Analogies on S
It's totally unlike MINIX. MINIX is a hobby OS that only works and has perfect security in the author's mind. OpenBSD is used in production where security matters and on real hardware.
I am willing to claim that OpenBSD is more than comfortable for its intended use in routers and servers.
OpenBSD doesn't use GUI config tools, and complex package managers, but that is because they are not needed. It is simple and elegant like that.
It has some rough edges like the lack of utf-8 support in the base system and utilities but it isn't bad as a Desktop OS either, most desktop applications don't use libc for their encoding support anyways.
My home server and my laptop both run OpenBSD and I don't miss your real OSes at all. After all whatever I cannot do easily in OpenBSD Linux does through binary blobs and proprietary software. At that point I could be as well running Windows 7.
10 little-endian boys went out to dine, a big-endian carp ate one, and then there were -246.
I would beg to differ. The package management is just as good if not better than what's available in Linuxland, so there's no great difficulty in setting it up as a good desktop system.
Having excellent support for many non-x86 platforms, as well as having a small footprint make it a great choice for older hardware. I currently have it installed on on my old UltraSparc and Alpha workstations.
OpenBSD contributes more than just OpenSSH to other OS'es. Aside from pushing hardware manufacturers to open up their documentation, they've also reverse engineered drivers that have made their way into the other BSD's and even Linux (remember the whole Atheros? issue last year). Whereas many Linux distributions and the other BSD's have made compromises with proprietary drivers and binary blobs, OpenBSD still pushes for true open source.
PF and CARP also make OpenBSD a superior router platform to any IPTables based setup any day. You may be surprised how popular it is in the data centre.
Unlike Minix, OpenBSD's niche has a place in real world usage.
http://astutehosting.com/
isn't UNIX a standard?
"It's a Unix system ! I know this !"
Squirrel!
A version of KDE that no longer gets any love from upstream; old Firefox, old Thunderbird. Hopefully there are security updates for the latter two and that someone is giving some TLC to the former.
OpenBSD is on a 6-month development release, and remember the auditing and code-screening that goes into each release. Patches for these "optional" packages (OBSD default install primary use is a stripped down server environment) can be updated immediately. Just like any other installer, there WILL be updates available, even on day 1.
"The one area where OpenBSD is let down on the security front is the packages/ports"
"The ports & packages collection does NOT go through the thorough security audit that the OpenBSD base system does. Although we strive to keep the quality of the packages collection high, we just do not have enough human resources to ensure the same level of robustness and security"
davecb5620@gmail.com
Who cares if your browser is jailed? Someone who owns your browser also owns your online banking, stock trading, webmail... you get the picture.
A slashdotter who didn't build his own computer is like a Jedi who didn't build his own lightsaber.