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OpenBSD Drops Support For Loadable Kernel Modules
jones_supa writes: The OpenBSD developers have decided to remove support for loadable kernel modules from the BSD distribution's next release. Several commits earlier this month stripped out the loadable kernel modules support. Phoronix's Michael Larabel has not yet found an official reason for the decision to drop support. He wagers that it is due to security or code quality/openness ideals.
"amazingly customizable kernel with"
Clearly you've never used OpenBSD before. Kernel hacking is one thing they explicitly frown upon. Too easy to break important things and compromise security.
https://bitbucket.org/braindam...
These are some of the worst and most uninformative commit messages I've ever seen...
1) Why are there so many commits to achieve the same thing?
2) Any commit message that is only a single line other than "fix typo" is a bad commit message
Seriously, even some of the worst/most incompetent Android kangers have written better commit messages than the shitpile of LKM removals I'm seeing there.
retrorocket.o not found, launch anyway?
Presumably, AC meant Ted Unangst, the OpenBSD developer who authored the lkm removal commits.
Linux or OpenBSD?
BSD seems to be strengthening (all BSDs). More and more serious businesses I know are considering FreeBSD. I used to run 6 BSD/OS servers and short of HW issues, never had an issue. In fact, we got to work about 9, went to lunch at 1130, hung out wherever until about 1330, came back smoked on the loading dock and left for home by 4. Rarely had issues. The Windows and Linux guys? Always something wrong.
mod parent up
same experience here. BSD if you just want something that works(tm).
As an avid OpenBSD user and fan, this puzzle me because it would seem like a giant step backwards. Yes, loadable kernel modules do weaken the security some but it makes adding hardware drivers difficult.
Again: compiling the OpenBSD kernel is an emergency measure only. Most of the time, patches distributed by the project require you to compile the userland only.
As for adding device drivers, you usually do not need to: the standard kernel works very well with most hardware configurations.
I have motherboards burn on me, restarting the OpenBSD server usually was a question of taking the drive out of the machine, connecting it into a new machine and powering the system. The kernel just picked up and accepted whatever new hardware was in the replacement machine. Much, much easier than Linux.
The right to offend is far more important than the right not to be offended. (Rowan Atkinson)
They were vulnerable because openssl took specific measures to counteract the defense mechanisms present in openbsd. See this writeup.
Even Coverity could not detect the problem.
OpenBSD market share drops as it no longer supports third party hardware.
That's basically already the case, their hardware support is pisspoor. Which is okay if you're building a machine around openbsd, who cares? But it's a bummer if you want to use what you have lying around.
"You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"