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OpenBSD 4.7 Preorders Are Up

Posted by timothy on from the so-you're-in-favor-then? dept.

badger.foo writes "The OpenBSD 4.7 pre-orders are up. That means the release is done, sent off to CD production, and snapshots will turn -current again. Order now and you more likely than not will have your CD set, T-shirt or other cool stuff before the official release date. You get the chance to support the most important free software project on the planet, and get your hands on some cool playables and wearables early. The release page is still being filled in, but the changelog has detailed information about the goodies in this release."

8 of 191 comments (clear)

  1. But I want it now by MichaelSmith · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Thats how people think these days. They don't care about having the three CDs in their soft shell case. The T shirt probably won't fit (I have a NetBSD shirt which would fit two of me).

    So charge for an ISO download. Get'em out the door. Save money on CD burning, etc.

    --
    http://michaelsmith.id.au
  2. Re:Most important free software project? by tzanger · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Just because they created OpenSSH doesn't mean the OS is the most important open source project on the planet.

  3. It is the most important open source project. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Insightful

    OpenSSH is just a small part of why OpenBSD is so important.

    They're basically the only major operating system project that gives a damn about security. Sure, Linux, for instance, is better than Windows when it comes to security. But that's only because Microsoft has fucked up Windows' security so badly.

    The OpenBSD developers, on the other hand, are proactive about security. Their coding practices and extensive code reviews prevent bugs and security problems in the first place.

    OpenBSD is what you use when you need a system that's secure, stable, and will work for years without being touched. It's excellent for embedded systems, and is excellent for servers. We have some internal OpenBSD servers that haven't been rebooted in six years.

    This utmost care permeates the entire OS. It makes it as close as we can get today to "perfect software". The only other project as close to OpenBSD in terms of quality and security is FreeBSD, which benefits a great deal from the code reviews and effort that the OpenBSD devs put in.

    1. Re:It is the most important open source project. by DAldredge · · Score: 2, Insightful

      What exactly is wrong with Windows Server security?

    2. Re:It is the most important open source project. by e9th · · Score: 5, Insightful

      OpenBSD, while is very secure, does owe some, if not a lot, of it's security to security through obscurity.

      Security through obscurity? What are you talking about? Name a better documented OS or distro.

      New (and not so new) users are well-advised to keep the FAQs bookmarked, but the man pages shipped with the distribution are the most comprehensive I've ever seen. Terse, maybe, but complete, and the developers treat errors/omissions seriously.

      Maybe you meant security due to small market share? Don't you think that every wannabe cracker out there wants to make a name for himself by rooting a properly configured OpenBSD box?

    3. Re:It is the most important open source project. by slimjim8094 · · Score: 5, Insightful

      http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/Bulletin/MS10-006.mspx

      That's a month ago. Took about two minutes of searching - like I said, it was a month ago so I didn't have to look backwards very far.

      Remote code execution on Server 2k3 (all versions), Windows 7, and Server 2k8. Of course, this presupposes that Windows has SMB (hint: yes)

      Or do you not consider remote code execution a security issue?

      Look. I don't despise Microsoft like most people around here - just a lukewarm pain-in-my-assness. But let's not go pretending that they don't have more holes than Swiss cheese. If you do, you're either too ignorant to comment, or being delibrately obtuse.

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  4. Re:Subjective summary is subjective by onefriedrice · · Score: 2, Insightful

    As good as the Linux kernel is, there are viable replacements with arguably better licensing terms. On the other hand, the likes of OpenSSH are so good (and so widely used) that most people couldn't name a single ssh alternative.

    --
    This author takes full ownership and responsibility for the unpopular opinions outlined above.
  5. Re:Subjective summary is subjective by MrNaz · · Score: 2, Insightful

    11 words.
    The Linux kernel would not be securely accessible remotely without OpenSSH.

    --
    I hate printers.