OpenBSD 4.5 released

http://undeadly.org/cgi?action=article&sid=20090430171848

by there • 17 years ago

29 20 17 years ago

systems• 17 years ago

Most OSes and Linux distributions try to make it easier to be installed, by providing ISO images and live CDs from which you can install the OS/Distribution after you made sure everything works

But not OpenBSD! I don't like how they don't provide ISO images as an excuse to make people buy their CDs.

I understand that its not meant as a Desktop environment, but this also eliminates many tinkerers who would run OpenBSD for few days just to know more what its about.

Is being tinkerer friendly such a bad thing!

Dobbs• 17 years ago

BTW: They do distribute iso images. You just have to grab them off the ftp server.

chops2• 17 years ago

And their ISO images are one of the least fussy of any distros (linux/freeBSD) I've used. I much prefer having a minimal iso image that installs everything from a network connection download, rather than downloading an entire ISO complete with a million useless packages, when all I want is a simple server that does a few basic things.

The OpenBSD ISOs are a few meg, and take a few seconds to download, even from a slow mirror. Compare that with downloading 700 meg ISOs for other distros.

An experienced OpenBSD user almost can go from nothing to installed in less time than it takes to download the Ubuntu ISOs on release day.

listic2• 17 years ago

NB: They do now. They seem to begin doing that since 4.2. I had to assemble full iso image of 4.1 myself.

babo• 17 years ago

With a little bit of patient you can build your own OpenBSD boot media with minimal fuss. Actually I prefer they method over others as more tinker friendly but I agree, it's a different beast.

ams6110• 17 years ago

OpenBSD funds continued development by selling CDs. Is it really too much to pay $50 if you are yourself realizing value from the OS?

And if you're really a tinkerer you shouldn't have much trouble installing without the CDs.

Donald• 17 years ago

http://obsd.cec.mtu.edu/pub/OpenBSD/4.5/i386/

there• 17 years ago

But not OpenBSD! I don't like how they don't provide ISO images as an excuse to make people buy their CDs.

buying cds helps the project by providing funds to buy hardware, hold hackathons, and pay for other project expenses (including the openssh project). you get printed installation instructions, all of the pre-compiled packages, and stickers. cds can be pre-ordered and received days or weeks before the ftp release.

however, we do make iso images of the installation sets available on the ftp servers (installXX.iso) and have for quite some time.

alternatively, you can download cdXX.iso which is just the installer, then boot to it and let it fetch and install just the sets you want over ftp or http. or download bsd.rd and pxe network boot it. or download floppyXX.fs and make a floppy disk.

bliving• 17 years ago

Different != Harder

Yes, you will have to read the fine manual. But their man pages are to die for! A real treat; up to date and complete. Actually useful.

blhack• 17 years ago

that was the biggest difference I noticed when I moved from linux(gentoo) to openbsd; the man pages.

They're actually....really really really useful.

schof• 17 years ago

I'm an experienced Debian/Ubuntu guy, and decided to start playing with OpenBSD. A hardware compatibility issue[1] made me go back to Ubuntu Server, but I came away with two main impressions:

1) It's actually pretty easy to install, once you get past the whole "it's different" bit. I had no real trouble.

2) Updating/upgrading is a PITA. Having to upgrade by patching source code -- WTF?

What do you do if you have a fleet of 100s of OpenBSD machines? I may be spoiled by apt, but I can upgrade the several hundred machines I'm responsible for in an almost trivial manner. (And updating a single machine with apt is absolutely trivial.) That doesn't seem to be possible with OpenBSD. (I suppose you could write a custom shell script to do the update, and distribute that to your machines, but...certainly not trivial.)

What's more, I would be willing (if not completely comfortable) to update a remote Ubuntu/Debian box to the next release -- that doesn't seem like a good idea (or even possible under some circumstances) with OpenBSD.

This seems even stranger when you consider the security reputation of OpenBSD, and how important updates are for security, even for something as well-audited and well-written as OpenBSD.

Am I missing something here?

[1] http://kerneltrap.org/mailarchive/openbsd-misc/2009/2/8/4924...

Zarathu• 17 years ago

Yay! :D

Raphael• 17 years ago

Funny, I thought I had you pegged as a Solaris guy.

mahmud• 17 years ago

An OpenBSD box and babysit plenty of Solaris boxen in a DMZ sandbox.

silentbicycle3• 17 years ago

Of course, those of us who pre-ordered have had it for two weeks already. :)

OpenBSD 4.5 released

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