OpenBSD 5.4 Released

An anonymous reader writes "The release of OpenBSD 5.4 has been announced. New and notable advancements include new or extended platforms like octeon and beagle, moving VAX to ELF format, improved hardware support including Kernel Mode Setting (KMS), overhauled inteldrm(4), experimental support for fuse(4), reworked checksum handling for network protocols, OpenSMTPD 5.3.3, OpenSSH 6.3, over 7,800 ports, and many other improvements and additions."

Comments

Re:But ...

[billcarson]

Why, yes, yes it can. There is linux binary emulation available.

OpenBSD Rocks.

[grub]

Rather than slagging OpenBSD, set up a small VM and try it there for a while. It's a fantastic OS, I use it on my gateway/firewall/VPN, other edge-facing devices and a llaptop.

It's a bit minimal but what you get works.

Re:OpenBSD Rocks.

[jawtheshark]

Look into the syntax of pf, then look into the syntax of iptables. Then look back again. If I can, I damn well avoid having Linux firewalls, and I'm a Linux system administrator.

Re:OpenBSD Rocks.

[gagol]

OpenBSD focus on code stability rather than features, uses encryption everywhere it benefits and consider documentation as critical. Overall, it is very stable and secure.

Re:OpenBSD Rocks.

[grub]

I'd suggest starting here as a beginning: 9 - Migrating to OpenBSD
One thing I find OpenBSD is head and shoulders above other *nix OSs at: the documentation. Virtually every service, binary, config, library, /etc/*, what-have-you has a thorough manpage included. The emphasis on security and "correctness" shows everywhere: pf is fantastic (iptables is a cancer by comparison), the built-in IPSec is great, it's OpenSSH's "home OS", etc.

Everything fits very well together (as is also the case with FreeBSD and NetBSD). All the OpenBSD users could post replies to your question but the only way to see for yourself is to try it out.

Enjoy!

Re:OpenBSD Rocks.

[K. S. Kyosuke]

What, iptables has a syntax? I thought it only had command line options.

Re:OpenBSD Rocks.

[Anonymous Coward]

To me it is having a UNIX system that just works.
Sound, graphics, networking, documentation. Everything is just damn stable. I can update to the next version with no fear that it will break my system. Every new feature is a well thought and all over improvement on the previous version.
With Linux, it is always chasing a moving target that has many attractive features, but each fighting with each other and against the user. Today my WiFi won't work, tomorrow it will work but my headphones will be mute for no good reason. The day after tomorrow the apt database will get corrupted. Don't get me started on RPM.
I do have to renounce to some features and software that will only work in Linux, but in the end, it fits my needs the best.
As a programmer, I also find that when both systems solve a similar problem, the Linux solution usually feels more hackish and ad-hoc while the OpenBSD one(assuredly often in hindsight) feels like a real improvement.
I do always keep a Linux partition with the latest cool distro(currently Mint) but in the end I spend most of my time on OpenBSD.
As for FreeBSD, it is somewhere in a middle ground between Linux and OpenBSD, but, at least for me, that middle ground feels even less comfortable than either one.

Re:OpenBSD Rocks.

[cptnapalm]

I have this truly bizarre UltraSparc laptop. The only two operating systems which will support it are Solaris, obviously, and OpenBSD. Solaris was extremely sluggish whereas OpenBSD with Awesome is quite spry.

Re:OpenBSD Rocks.

[Waffle Iron]

With Linux, it is always chasing a moving target that has many attractive features, but each fighting with each other and against the user.

That's been the continual story of personal computing since the 1970s. *Somebody* has to go through the pain of integrating new capabilities into common use.

Re:OpenBSD Rocks.

[Burz]

OK. I'll set one up in a Qubes VM... that way the system will stay secure. :D

Re:OpenBSD Rocks.

[Anonymous Coward]

You mean like ASLR, drive encryption, stack canaries, W^X? None of these were invented there but they were common and integrated into OpenBSD long before any Linux.

Re:OpenBSD Rocks.

[celle]

Are you a masochist? If you aren't, just use open source instead. You'll get roughly the same result, minus the pain and suffering Steve inflicts on others who listen to his rants as well as use his code.

FTFY

PS Steve Ballmer is still at Microsoft and Steve Jobs hasn't been dead that long so most of his decisions are still being used so it works for both Windows and Mac OSX.

Re:Yawn.

[d33tah]

You actually woke up just to see the article?

Linux on my servers, NO WAY.

[eshaw]

There's only one solution when it comes to my network and servers, that's OpenBSD. It's secure, stable and correct coding making it an easy choice. I run a VPN, Web and redundant Firewall servers and OpenBSD gives me a piece of mind, ensuring it's stability. Stability and security are paramount for my network. PF is the king of firewall rules and iptables is an absolute mess. It's simple folks. If you want a serious OS for internet facing infrastructure, why choose anything else. OpenBSD is the obvious answer!

Re:Never mind the features, what are the benefits?

[VortexCortex]

Jail.

Re:Never mind the features, what are the benefits?

[Noryungi]

What would I be able to do with a box running this that I couldn't do with <operating system X> for any current, contemporary O/S.
Let's not talk about potential uses - but real, live, switch it on, press buttons and do stuff type of uses. Things that no other O/S or box running that O/S can do? What are they?

One word: pf.

Best. Firewall. Program. Ever.

Running the latest and greatest version of OpenSSH is also interesting.