 Visitor Reviews |
OpenBSD
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Reader supplied reviews for OpenBSD
Average rating
8.6 from 40 review(s)
Version: 7.7
Rating: 9
Date: 2025-05-26
Votes: 11
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I appreciate OpenBSD's completeness in providing a modern UNIX derivative that provides development, cryptographic, and networking tools. It's well documented, particularly considering the man pages. All of this is accomplished without a lot of the complexity that can be found in some other operating system distributions. There is a fair amount that can be done with the base distribution.
The packages collection provides a wide variety of software that can be added to OpenBSD when needed. In my own experience, the versions of software track closely with upstream developers. Some of those desktop packages include Xfce, GNU Emacs, LibreOffice, Firefox, and Thunderbird. On the server side, I've had good experiences with PHP, and PostgreSQL.
Using OpenBSD does require either experience with using UNIX-like systems, or a commitment to learn it as you go. The quality of the man pages helps a lot with this. One thing to understand is the community for OpenBSD doesn't have the depth of other OS distributions, so you won't find as many HOWTO style documents providing solutions. The suggestion is to treat this as a learning opportunity. Approach OpenBSD as a tool kit to build solutions tailored to you needs. I find it's particularly good for that.
OpenBSD might not have all the advanced features or hardware support of other operating systems, but when it's features align with your use case, it makes for a particularly comfortable work environment.
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Version: 7.6
Rating: 10
Date: 2025-02-06
Votes: 42
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Best choice for a highly secure home router for those not afraid of the command line and config files. Secure defaults so you don't need to spend time locking the system down. The only OS I trust for my security needs. This is not a turn-key desktop OS (although you can build it out to be this if you really want to). It's best as a command-line server OS for DNS, DHCP, NTP, SSH, reverse proxy, simple web server etc. The manual and FAQ are well laid out, and there are lots of config examples to help you enable the services you want to run on your network.
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Version: 7.6
Rating: 8
Date: 2025-01-04
Votes: 21
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OpenBSD is a Unix decedent and perfect if you want to setup a minimal OS. It's not supposed to be a high performance powerhouse like Gentoo. Over the past several months of using OpenBSD on and off, I've come to really love this OS. It doesn't have all the toys Linux does but for my needs it's perfect.
I wouldn't recommend this to someone who wants a quick and easy OS like Linux Mint. OpenBSD is not for beginners. There's lots of things you have to do manually such as setting up wi-fi with a config file or mounting an external usb via the terminal. There is no WINE, STEAM, or watching Netflix/Amazon Prime video on OpenBSD.
It ‘s a secure little Unix box for hobbyists, hackers, and minimalists.
Pros
simple
great for building a minimal OS
installation is straight forward
comes with X11 drivers
a hacker's dream OS
comes with fvwm, cwm, and twm
security driven OS
Cons
slow
no wine, steam, or netflix
uses a lot of ram
manually setting up everything
not ideal for daily driving
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Version: 7.6
Rating: 8
Date: 2024-12-27
Votes: 2
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OpenBSD is a Unix decedent and perfect if you want to setup a minimal OS. It's not supposed to be a high performance powerhouse like Gentoo. Over the past several months of using OpenBSD on and off, I've come to really love this OS. It doesn't have all the toys Linux does but for my needs it's perfect.
I wouldn't recommend this to someone who wants a quick and easy OS like Linux Mint. OpenBSD is not for beginners. There's lots of things you have to do manually such as setting up wi-fi with a config file or mounting an external usb via the terminal. There is no WINE, STEAM, or watching Netflix/Amazon Prime video on OpenBSD.
It ‘s a secure little Unix box for hobbyists, hackers, and minimalists.
Pros
simple
great for building a minimal OS
installation is straight forward
comes with X11 drivers
a hacker's dream OS
comes with fvwm, cwm, and twm
security driven OS
Cons
slow
no wine, steam, or netflix
uses a lot of ram
manually setting up everything
not ideal for daily driving
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Version: 7.6
Rating: 10
Date: 2024-12-25
Votes: 112
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I'm not an IT professional but I've been using opensource only since January 1, 2000. Many years of different Linux distributions. I learned a lot in the process. Then I tried *BSD. I stuck with OpenBSD and have been using it as a home server, as a firewall router system, as a desktop system (kde plasma is possible, but i prefer lightweights) and on my laptops for a long time. I am very happy with it. It completely meets my needs. The installation is very quick. As is almost always the case, you are well advised to find out the supported hardware. Thanks to the development team.
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Version: 7.6
Rating: 9
Date: 2024-11-07
Votes: 41
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Not a beginner's system, but the best system for learning Unix principles, network management and shell programming. Everything (including installing and upgrading the OS) can be automated using a shell script or simple configuration file. It is not a "distro" but a complete OS where the kernel, system utilities and packages are upgraded at the same time at a predictable rate (once every 6 months), and upgrading is a breeze. The focus of the developers is on security, simplicity, stability and correctness. So the OS is a good fit for applications where reliability is the first priority, e.g., routers and network servers. The builtin firewall pf is top-notch. Documentation is consistent and thorough. All configuration files are in one place /etc and generally have similar syntax and idioms. The project has developed some of the most important Internet infrastructure tools such as open-sshd, pf, libressl, and openNTPD.
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Version: 7.6
Rating: 10
Date: 2024-10-30
Votes: 109
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My journey with operating systems starts in 2018. I settled on OpenBSD because I like the simplicity, directness and absolute security. At first I struggled since it's not linux nor are you going to see a modern desktop. You're not going to see pre-installed programs or browsers. It comes with the absolute basics providing security by default. Important note. Read the man pages. The OpenBSD documentation is unique. You will get many questions answered as well as the answers you need. If you have time, try it either as a server or as a firewall. Personally it is the operating system I use every day. Really worth it...
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Version: 7.6
Rating: 10
Date: 2024-10-22
Votes: 91
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Very simple and minimal out of the box so I can understand why might not appeal to those looking for bells and whistles. But simply put the best free *nix there is. So powerful and you are in control. A super secure base system to build off of and customize. Very old school unix philosophy so no hairball bash or systemd in the base or some of the other monstrosities that are common with Linux these days. Super stable and easy to understand. Love it. There are some negatives like no NFSv4 support, no advanced file systems like ZFS on FreeBSD and multi core process performance is good but not great. Also VMM only supporting single core VMs is not ideal. Still happy to have it as my daily driver OS now.
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Version: 7.5
Rating: 6
Date: 2024-06-30
Votes: 2
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Coming from Gentoo Linux, OpenBSD was a bit of a disappointment. First off, the installation is weird and if you don't know what you're doing it can be tricky (not saying it's anywhere near Gentoo's install but it wouldn't be easy for someone coming from Linux Mint). You also need a wired connection to update the firmware practically (without having to boot strap the firmware via a usb post install).
Next, getting the wi-fi to work is a pain. Setting up your wi-fi manually with a bunch of config files is just tedious (the Ethernet network config during install was simpler).
Another negative is that it's slow.. I mean REALLY slow! Compared to most Linux distros I've used OpenBSD's boot time is slow and performance isn't as snappy (opening/closing programs, starting xfce4 session and so on). Speaking about performance.. This OS is NOT minimal on ram usage. A fresh install and running Xinitrc (OpenBSD's very own DE) uses 945mb or ram and after xfce4 is installed around 1.5- 2gb of ram! My Gentoo install with xfce4 usually always runs at 456mb idle, with Firefox open and streaming Netflix or YouTube it runs at 1.2gb smoothly. Speaking of xfce4, there are many things missing after install. Even after installing 'xfce xfce-extras' I still didn't have Thunar's volman and network manager. Putting all this together manually is just ridiculous.
In conclusion I can see why people like OpenBSD. It's nice having a complete OS and taking a step away from the chaos and confusion of all the different Linux distros. Using 'pkg_add' was simple and easy (definitely a breath of fresh air from the package managing wars of Linux). But for me, after a very tedious set up of just the basics.. it wasn't worth it in the end.
Pros:
A complete operating system
Comes with Xinitrc (better than nothing I guess lol)
Using 'pkg_add' is a breeze
Cons:
Slow at mostly everything
Uses too much ram
Poor performance
wired installation
wi-fi setup is a pain
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Version: 7.5
Rating: 10
Date: 2024-05-18
Votes: 137
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OpenBSD is the ultimate tinkerers' / hackers' operating system. It was developed as a secure server,
Unix-like system, but that doesn't mean it can't be used as a desktop / laptop O.S. .
This is not a system for someone that is afraid of the terminal or shell, but it is a system that is extremely stable.
Since 7.3, you are asked if you want to encrypt during the install, which is a nice touch, instead of having to do it manually.
I've been running OpenBSD since 2015 and absolutely love it. Before that, I distro-hopped in Linux-Land for 8 years
and even tried FreeBSD, but none of them seemed to fit the bill for my use case. In 2014 linux started using
system-destroyer which I absolutely despise. I did give some of the Devuan (Non-Systemd) distros a try and they weren't bad, but i needed an O.S. that I didn't need to spend serious time trying to harden. Enter OpenBSD.
OpenBSD is an Operating System for self learners and it has taught me a lot about how a computer SHOULD run.
What I don't get, is why people constantly say that this operating system is slow. Just use the built in tools to push
/tmp & /var/run to a RAM-Disk.Use mfs in fstab.The GIMP launches in under 4 seconds.Lighter programs launch
almost instantaniously.I stick w/ the native applications whenever I can. I don't use a full DE, and have stuck with
FVWM-2.2.5, which, after deleting the extraneous lines I didn't need, I ended up adding another 1500+ to - LOL.
But, I now have one heavily customized desktop interface. (Theo isn't the only one that still uses Fvwm-2) I also use
Elementary-dock for a quick launcher. This makes for a nice, clean desktop. I run X-Server on this laptop, the OpenBSD hardened version. (Native)
In one of these comments, someone mentioned Firefox launching slowly. If you remove the unused localizations,
it will lauch much faster.Someone else mentioned they couldn't get OBSD to work - check the OpenBSD website to see if your hardware and computer are supported. Due diligence is required with this Operating System.
For some good how-to's, check out:
vincentdelft DOT be
& Solene Rapene (an OpenBSD dev) on Gemini or at dataswamp DOT org
As far as I'm concerned, OpenBSD is a Rockin', stable, secure, and blazingly fast operating system. My hat's off to all the devs.
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Version: 7.3
Rating: 10
Date: 2023-08-15
Votes: 111
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I have used OpenBSD for many years now, not on the Desktop though, but on my firewall and servers. This is my go-to OS for everything regarding security. It never fails in any way. Start your sysupgrade when leaving work, when you come you do a sysmerge, and it is finished, and then you go six months until next release. It never fails. And every new release is getting better and better performance vice.
At home, I am running four servers with OpenBSD, two firewalls, one external and one internal, one MariaDB server and one Cal/Card-Dav server (Baikal). They work perfectly both on bare metal and on Proxmox (KVM, but also on Xen).
They were very quick in implementing the WireGuard WG Interface (VPN), which works beautifully,
Only thing OpenBSD lack is a good file system for storage. Maybe one day.
Today I only use OpenBSD and Debian (FreeBSD for storage), they cover everything.
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Version: 7.3
Rating: 10
Date: 2023-07-21
Votes: 101
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What I love about OpenBSD the most is the first party tools it comes with by default, which makes it super easy to set up a server from the ground up, super easy to make it act like a military-grade secure router that can be accessed from all over the world by you and only you, and the fine balance between doing certain things for you and staying out of your way.
The default install uses no more than 16 mebibytes of RAM, which is quite a difference from 97 mebibytes on Crux, 300 on Void, 600 on Artix, 800 on Debian, and pretty much everything on FreeBSD (but it does that for performance reasons).
I'm running OpenBSD as a server OS on almost all my servers, the only exceptions are those that require something like a Rust or NodeJS compiler, in that case I opt for FreeBSD.
But on desktops I much rather prefer Linux instead.
I see other people saying that FreeBSD has the upperhand on desktops over OpenBSD, but I actually beg to differ.
The other day, I installed FreeBSD on a ThinkPad, and closing the lid won't put it to sleep mode, even after configuring to do so it wouldn't do so.
OpenBSD on the other hand, works out of the box.
WiFi is a similar thing, OpenBSD works straight away whereas on FreeBSD it doesn't.
And even if it doesn't work on OpenBSD (because your WiFi card uses a proprietary driver), they provide a tool to easily install the required drivers post installation.
And upgrading the OS is just a matter of running "sysupgrade", which is so much smoother than FreeBSD's "freebsd-update fetch && freebsd-update install".
However, when it comes to packages, FreeBSD is better, because it has a much larger packages, packages are far more up to date, package manager is blazingly fast, and the ports let you customize just about anything, which are things I really miss on OpenBSD.
So FreeBSD vs OpenBSD comes down to usecase.
Do you run an internet facing server? OpenBSD
Do you run a NAS? FreeBSD
Do you run a desktop? Linux
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Version: 7.3
Rating: 6
Date: 2023-07-12
Votes: 0
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installation is not as easy as other distributions, such as FreeBSD. The manual is not as explanatory as others I have seen, in this aspect, FreeBSD is also superior. I've read everything but I couldn't get the sound to work. Everything was mute. For everything it offers, it seems good for a server, but for desktop it still lacks a lot. As a positive point, the system resources are minimal, it uses very little memory and does not install unnecessary pacotes. Then, I came to the conclusion that for those who want a minimalist system, which uses little system resources, it could be good, as long as it manages to solve problems like this audio. I'll stick with FreeBSD, maybe it's not so sure, but it has its advantages and it's going great.
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Version: 7.3
Rating: 10
Date: 2023-07-03
Votes: 152
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OpenBSD has the upper advantage over GNU/Linux nowadays when it comes to open-source controversies like Systemd, Wayland, PipeWire, and Rust. Being entirely focused on code correctness (instead of political correctness), I have a feeling that OpenBSD is the way one should go. With the current state of GNU/Linux in jeopardy (especially corporate-run distros like Ubuntu and Fedora), it makes sense to want to branch out to things like Debian, Arch GNU/Linux, Gentoo, or even Slackware (the most Unix-like distro), but what if you could do even better than that by looking into one of the *BSD systems? FreeBSD is readily accessible to those who want a Linux-familiar environment with plenty more packages ported over (including multilib approaches like Wine for your Windows programs), but it misses the point entirely: that we should aim to restore sanity to what "sane defaults" should entail. Wanting your system to be "just like Windows" certainly defeats the point of even using open-source OSes like GNU/Linux, OpenBSD, FreeBSD, NetBSD, etc.
Now, it should be clear here that the *BSD line of OSes should not be confused as being "distros" of any sort -- they are, for the most part, entirely separate userlands and use their own kernels. That is unlike with GNU/Linux where the distros are simply respins of the same OS (Linux from Scratch might be a possible exception to the rule if you'd like to delve deeper than what the popular distros "allow" you to tinker with).
Back to OpenBSD. Let's be completely honest when I say that these systems are SLOW (due to using FFS2 instead of the Ext* formats)... But, they are slow because of the security mitigations put into place by its developers. Sure, you COULD just enable SMT to cut back on the loading times a bit, but wouldn't that still defeat the purpose of using it in the first place? It's not just the speed that one should keep in mind, but not all commands are compatible with other Unix-like OSes. For example, it's possible to use Sudo (just like in good ol' GNU/Linux!) to grant root privileges to a user, but OpenBSD comes with its own in Doas, which is far more minimal and less of a security risk as a result. Most Sudo cases are what Doas aims to provide. Also, when it comes to sound, forget about things like ALSA, PulseAudio, and PipeWire, when Sndio is their own exclusive sound server, and it works reliably well with speakers, headphones, and even USB devices. Not only that, but Xorg has been replaced with an alternative called Xenocara, and things like Startx are disabled by default for security reasons (XenoDM replaces it, being based on XDM).
On the desktop side, OpenBSD is still catching on. Xfce, Lumina, GNOME, MATE, and the like should be supported by simply installing their respective package(s), but they may or may not perform as well as they do on their GNU/Linux counterparts. However, this would be the perfect opportunity to test out WMs like Cwm (also from OpenBSD), FVWM, Openbox, Fluxbox, IceWM, and Window Maker. I can say for sure that as of 7.3-current, Xfce itself is running very close to how I have mine set up on my Devuan and Salix GNU/Linux systems. However, like I said, still a bit slow, even with SMT enabled on the kernel, but definitely functional enough to use on a daily basis.
When it comes to driver support, prepare to be disappointed if you're an Nvidia user. AMD/ATI Radeon support is a little lacking when compared to Linux (see what I did there with dropping "GNU"? :D), just as Intel drivers are, but they should be functional enough that you can turn it into an HTPC or a lightweight gaming machine (just don't use Nvidia at all). Speaking of gaming, there are ports of open-source games and emulators that you could install for fun on the side, although things like PCSX2 and the aforementioned Wine aren't yet available because of Multilib issues (OpenBSD doesn't have this feature yet, but should 32-bit systems lose support, then it'd be more feasible).
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Version: 7.3
Rating: 5
Date: 2023-04-16
Votes: 0
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The wifi chip in my Lenovo laptop isn't supported by OpenBSD so I have only tried it out in VMware.
The install is pretty easy, often you can rely on the default options and only hit enter to proceed. However the automatic partitioning is not optimal, as the /usr/local partition created is too small even on a 20GB drive, and gets filled upp very quickly by just installing a browser and desktop environment,
In the install you have the option to get Xorg pre-configured with a basic window manager (FVWM). For a DE like Xfce to work it takes som more configuration effort however.
For some reason Firefox takes several minutes to launch. Trying to stream from Youtube didn't work for me. At the beginning both the sound and video stutters. Pretty soon after the sound stops completely but the video continues to play correctly. Searching on the web for a solution to this turns up very few hits, but some people report similar problems.
It's hard to know if this problem exists because of the way OpenBSD is designed, compatibility issues with VMware or that Firefox is not natively developed for the OS but a port.
In the end I like OpenBSD for what it is and look forward to try it on bare metal to see it it works better there.
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Version: 7.2
Rating: 10
Date: 2022-12-18
Votes: 114
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I've been using it on servers since version 2.8 and since 5.9 I've been using it on my laptop. It is the easiest UNIX-like operating system to use on a laptop - on my Thinkpad everything works out of the box - volume buttons, setting screen brightness, audio, wifi and graphics.
There is no possibility to use Nvidia graphics cards due to Nvidia's lack of cooperation when it comes to drivers and OpenBSD refuses to accept blobs.
OpenBSD is not the fastest operating system, but they don't enumerate "performance" as their goal, so you can't complain about that.
Besides, if you were supposed to buy a car - would its speed be the only factor you'd consider?
OpenBSD is easy to use, it's safe and feels familiar. It is sustainable (yes, before this buzz-word became trendy) in a way you can be sure that in 10 year's time your OpenBSD experience will be the virtually the same as today. Unlike macOS, Windows, Linux etc.
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Version: 7.2
Rating: 5
Date: 2022-12-13
Votes: 0
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I've used it in the past, pre 7.1, & it worked faultlessly on my various computers.
However since the release of 7.1, it doesn't want to work on my computers any more. :(
I don't know what changes were made, but it has caused me to reassess NetBSD, which now does work on my computers, including wifi, (which was always a problem before).
So I,personnally, have had to change alliegence to NetBSD (9.3).
The choice of Window Manager of OpenBSD was always peculiar, to my mind, & I always added Fluxbox to make it useable for me.
NetBSD comes with a reworked version of TWM, called CTWM, & has automatic addition of installed programs to its menu; it's a bit old fashioned looking, but much more user friendly than FVWM is to me.
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Version: 7.2
Rating: 10
Date: 2022-12-12
Votes: 101
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Been using OpenBSD as my daily driver for more than two years now, and don't intend to change! The base tools are simply brilliant, I try to default to them as much as possible.
Everything works out of the box for non cutting-edge hardware (mainstream vendors usually get support fairly quick). Installation is quick, simple, and intuitive, as is the package manager are simple, and intuitive. Default configuration is secure and everything is beautifully documented so it is easy to find your way around, even for non-programmers such as myself. The OS is quite minimalist, but there is good selection of packages that get regularly updated, but to fully enjoy that you have to follow current - which is remarkably stable, very different to roling release distro in the linux world.
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Version: 7.2
Rating: 10
Date: 2022-12-12
Votes: 91
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I use OpenBSD for :
- my server which runs some websites, ssh, fingerd, a gemini server, a git server, XMPP, an IRC bouncer.
- my everyday laptop.
I have no concerns about security since the defaults are good. The documentation is more than sufficient for everything, and it's all available offline, so no dodgy {google/alternative}-searching. If that fails, there is a reasonably large community (not large like Linux distros, but more than large enough) which is exceptionally supportive and helpful.
OpenBSD feels clean and well-thought-out to use. The code in particular is very clean and readable, and I feel comfortable to play around trying to patch it for whatever use case and discuss it with the developers.
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Version: 7.2
Rating: 10
Date: 2022-11-19
Votes: 88
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I've just realized that I'm using OpenBSD for more than six month now, it was very refreshing time, without grumbling about the direction that Linux is taking these past years, nor fiddling around to get stuff working in the manner I like. I've switched to Linux 17 years ago and now it's time for OpenBSD!
I've first of all tested it on my server (mainly WordPress hosting and mails) and fell in love with OpenBSD own tools, like pf, httpd, relayd, opensmtpd, an so on. They are well thought out and so well documented with consistent syntax in config files... really a joy to use.
I think OpenBSD is primary brilliant for server related tasks, but when you appreciate this system you can do everything with it, desktop is not an exception, so all my home PC are now running it. the main point of attention is hardware compatibility, which is respectable but not support Bluetooth and is not Nvidia friendly at all (or rather Nvidia that is not so friendly with open source projects!).
That said, I've found that OpenBSD is a really simple system to use, even more than many Linux distributions in it's way, easy to maintain, Gnome, XFCE, Mate, LXQT are available and functional. But to avoid Linuxism and keep it simple (stupid), I prefer to run a window manager - currently i3 - a very efficient combo!
I'll stop my praises here ;) anyway a great thank you to OpenBSD people! I can't imagine using anything else!
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Version: 7.1
Rating: 10
Date: 2022-08-17
Votes: 103
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OpenBSD is a complete Unix system focused on security and
code correctness - speed comes second. It has the 'mandatory'
desktop environments Gnome, Xfce, KDE, etc. Firefox, Chromium,
and many other personal productivity software (eg, Libreoffice).
Web stuff such as zoom and teams work, too. Thus, OpenBSD *can*
be used as a 'daily driver'.
Installation is surprisingly quick (10mins): it's text-based and
asks only for things to get you up and running asap. Hardware
support is inferior to other systems (although OpenBSD now runs
on my M1 Mac, as well!) - only some AMD GPUs are currently supported.
OpenBSD is 'secure by default': it ships with many security
features such as PIE, KARL, firewall, etc. turned on. And adding
other things, eg secure DNS or disk encryption, is a breeze since
OpenBSD's documentation is astonishingly clear and accurate. With
the possible exception of Gentoo's docs, nothing in the Linux world
comes close.
True, there is a bit of a learning curve, but the reward is mastering
a coherent, simple, secure, and thoughtfully put together system.
I concur with the review below which says that simplicity is the
ultimate sophistication!
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Version: 7.1
Rating: 10
Date: 2022-06-28
Votes: 80
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OpenBSD is where minimalism and security collide.
I've tried every minimal Linux distro I could find, but none felt quite as simple and lovely as OpenBSD feels, after the hard work of getting things set up and configured.
If you're an Alpine Linux or Void Linux kind of person, give OpenBSD a chance. You will be surprised.
OpenBSD is simple, it's secure; the resource usage is small, the man pages are unmatched, and it just feels like it was put together thoughtfully -- because it was, and it is.
There is a learning curve, and getting some hardware to work isn't as easy as on Linux, but it's well worth it if you're the type of person who believes simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.
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Version: 7.1
Rating: 9
Date: 2022-05-27
Votes: 17
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OpenBSD's development is impressive, I started using it from version 6.7, my experience is very stuttering, and network is running slowly. But now at version 7.1, it has improved rapidly,we can take it as a daily OS.
For users who like Gnome Desktop, be sure to read the built-in doc file, I saw that some comments mentioned that could not start GDM, in fact, the built-in documentation gave a solution: rcctl enbale gdm must be at the end of the line.
Plus, what I wish for the most: please packaging ibus-pinyin. Many users unable to use ibus under Gnome Desktop, which cut this operation's influence on Non-English users.
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Version: 7.0
Rating: 10
Date: 2022-04-02
Votes: 71
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This is not a Linux desktop that holds your hand and hides its complexity... this is a hard core command line BSD Unix OS. Sure you can make OpenBSD your desktop if you want, but think carefully and choose the right tool for your needs. OpenBSD is makes for an amazing minimalist command line router OS. I've been using it for years in this role, and it's the only thing I would trust to manage my network. pf firewall, unbound DNS, Wireguard VPN, radius server, DHCP, SSH tunnels, sFTP server etc. I can trust it to be secure, with proper defaults so I don't need to spend time locking everything down.
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Version: 7.0
Rating: 8
Date: 2022-01-01
Votes: 10
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A fantastic easy to use minimal cruft BSD OS. Hardware compatibility is a factor. When it works, it is a horse. Been using for 3 years as a daily driver on a lenovo a485 laptop with ASUS wifi thumbstick. Never looked backed. I like the simplicity and hassle free administration.
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Version: 7.0
Rating: 6
Date: 2021-12-22
Votes: 0
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Fantastic system for hackers and tinkerers with extremely thick skin. For everyone else it is a never ending frustration full of bugs, regressions and freezes. Performance is in the toilet and some manuals that claim hardware support are wrong. Lesser known third-party software can be out-of-date by several years and often have serious bugs. Community is very smart and knowledgeable while simultaneously having zero tact, grace or forgiveness.
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Version: 7.0
Rating: 1
Date: 2021-12-14
Votes: 0
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Bland, difficult to use and slow FreeBSD-based distro. Application take a while to respond (if they even open), the repository is very small and has a lot of outdated software, if anything doesn’t work or crashes, all the developers say is to use the terminal. I’m not going to use the terminal on this beta/alpha quality software that shouldn’t even been released!
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Version: 7.0
Rating: 8
Date: 2021-10-17
Votes: 0
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on this version openbsd absolutelly won't work my mouses...my laptop is acer a315-33
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Version: 6.9
Rating: 10
Date: 2021-10-14
Votes: 106
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If you are looking for a Windows replacement and this is your first time headed into the non-windows world - stop.
If you run nVidia graphics and want a gui desktop - stop. ATI/AMD or Intel graphics work fine.
If you expect Gnome to function as it does on RedHat/Debian or similar - stop. Use Xfce instead.
Windows replacement seekers will probably be happier with Ubuntu/Debian/Mint Linux or similar, at least in the beginning of their journey. Those Linux distros have the 'closed binary blob' drivers available for the nVidia hardware, systemd for Gnome, and more resources available to provide support.
Unless you are one who is inclined to read the well-written man pages and do some research on doing things the way OpenBSD wants them to be done, you will likely not enjoy your time with OpenBSD.
This is not Linux. It's BSD. So while the concepts and tasks are similar, the tooling/commands are different, as is the way the OS itself is maintained.
I use OpenBSD on a small server as an ad blocker, DNS and firewall. Do a search for pf-badhost and/or ubound-adblock.
OpenBSD can and does function well as a lightweight desktop - there are several youtube videos on setting it up with Xfce for example, as well as the 'Installing OpenBSD on your laptop is very hard - not' pages where - should you choose to proceed - you will see solutions for many of the complaints posted here by folks intending to use OpenBSD on the desktop.
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Version: 6.9
Rating: 10
Date: 2021-10-05
Votes: 77
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This is a high security, clean, well coded, bare bones (in a good way) server operating system. Some use it as their desktop, and more power to them, but IMO that's not where it shines. OpenBSD is the only OS I would trust to be my router. 'Secure by default' isn't just the developers' motto, it's an uncompromising design philosophy you can rely on in a way that you just can't with the complexity, bloat, and cruft of many Linux distros. With OpenBSD, I don't have to worry that there's an insecure default setting in a service that I might not be savvy enough to catch. The OpenBSD security experts have done the heavy lifting for me in the config files, and provide simple to understand documentation for securely enabling the internet facing services I need.
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Version: 6.9
Rating: 1
Date: 2021-07-26
Votes: 0
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For server systems only, not good for home computing.
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Version: 6.9
Rating: 10
Date: 2021-07-24
Votes: 64
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Security solutions on Linux usually add a lot of complexity, right? See SELinux, for example: it assumes your system is insecure, and therefore put restrictions on everything in the hopes of minimizing damage.
OpenBSD has a different approach. Every part of the system is carefully built to be secure. Its default web server is called 'httpd', but it's not Apache; it's another web server developed in-house, and it runs in a chroot jail. The configuration file is more verbose and leaves less room for errors.
You're probably thinking that the "security" in OpenBSD makes it harder to use, but it's quite the contrary. You'll see.
The init program is controlled by the 'rcctl' program. The commands are similar to systemd. "rcctl enable httpd", "rcctl start httpd", "rcctl stop httpd" and so on.
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Version: 6.9
Rating: 10
Date: 2021-05-29
Votes: 76
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Great operating system. Tried to install xfce DE and some package was broken or something but i can fix that. The only thing i had problems is that the deafult disk presented to be installed on is the same disk that i booted from and a new comer like me can get confused. Default network interface is ath0 despite the fact i had re0 available so another question mark on that but these are minor issues. Long live OpenBSD team and all the great work they putted in this piece of the art operating system. 10+ from me. Respect!
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Version: 6.9
Rating: 10
Date: 2021-05-12
Votes: 113
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After nearly 20 years using Linux, I've been trying OpenBSD for a few months the pandemic started,
I must say that I felt like a Windows user when I was migrating to Linux decades ago, coz this OS is the closest thing to a pure Unix experience that anyone ca possible get.
Surprisingly enough, I could spend pages talking about how much I love the way this OS is designed and functions, but I don't have time for it now. So I will say that OpenBSD has easily become the only OS that I use for most of my operations, including all development work, and as far as it still existing, I do not think that I will never go back the fragmented and incohesive nature of the Linux world ever again.
Sincerely.
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Version: 6.9
Rating: 10
Date: 2021-05-06
Votes: 98
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It does not have the best hardware support, but actually I don't care not using my touchpad, touchscreen and bluetooth if in exchange I have this beautifully crafted and well integrated system. I have a Lenovo Yoga (sorry, I can't remember the model) and I had to install the firmware using a usb-stick, but it's not difficult following the fw_update(1) manual.
The software that comes with the base system is outstanding, even Xorg apps are very well integrated and the preinstalled software is unixporn ready (configuring cwm(1) and xterm(1), creating your own wallpaper with bitmap(1), setting it up with xsetroot(1) and you are ready).
The package manager tools, as most of the tools in openBSD, is simple and does its job very well, better than most linux's package managers.
The manual pages are a bless and there is something about the openBSD way that has teached me to stop being lazy. I love this OS, and I'm thinking on buying compatible hardware from here on.
OpenBSD is not linux, and that must be very clear. Here you don't have an ennormous ammount of software, but the software you have is enough to do everything. Along with the base system I've installed firefox, firefox-i18n-es-CL, qiv, mupdf ,texlive_texmf-full, rubber, ffmpeg, noto-cjk, noto-fonts, noto-emoji, mpv, libreoffice, libreoffice-i18n-es, mozilla-dicts-es-es and I have everithing I need. I'm an ingeenier but right now I'm studying law at the university and openBSD fullfills everything I need.
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Version: 6.8
Rating: 9
Date: 2021-04-25
Votes: 35
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If I had to choose between OpenBSD and any other BSD OS, it would be my first choice. It may not be easy to use with wireless and may not be as fast due to its paranoid security optimizations, but it offers a clean desktop experience with a satisfying variety of packages (either with ports or pkg_add). With "installurl" setting mirrors is easier. FAQ maybe should contain more setting up instructions, but all in all, it's a simple, functional and secure OS that works with some extra effort.
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Version: 6.8
Rating: 6
Date: 2021-03-21
Votes: 0
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Pretty good. I installed it on a T61 thinkpad with 4GB ram, with windowmaker desktop. Wifi works. Suspend/resume works. Thinkpad acpi works. Sound playback works, both speaker and headphones. Seems stable. Easy PF configuration. Very good man pages, I think the best-written I have seen of any free software o/s. I like the "secure by default" concept. I like the unique kernel on every boot. X11 config works fine, and uses DRI and optimised glamor driver for intel graphics. Xephyr works, I was able to start a nested X session with fvwm as the daughter window manager. FUSE works. No kernel crashes so far.
Some downsides - only limited filesystem support, really only FFS, I have an ext4 disk but unable to mount this r/w. Unclear from documentation whether softdeps are recommended for use with SSD. Appears to be no TRIM support for SSD.
Ports - software collection is a bit limited compared to what is available on linux or even freebsd; for example, I had to patch vifm and compile it myself because the openbsd port is deprecated. The Links browser works fine, but sadly firefox regularly dumps core, and chrome has a bad memory leak, I got up one morning to find chrome had grown to 13GB (on 4GB physical ram!). But these are likely problems within the ports themselves, not in the o/s itself.
Performance is not quite as snappy as FreeBSD 13 or slackware 15 alpha on the same hardware, but its perfectly usable, even on this old hardware. Plays videos fine with mplayer, but sadly mpv frequently coredumps. Web videos play in both firefox and chrome.
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Version: 6.8
Rating: 9
Date: 2021-03-14
Votes: 32
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I had never used a BSD system before. This was my first. Here are the things that caught my attention:
- Some tools are different, such as "doas" instead of "sudo";
- The documentation (the manual pages) is a little different from what I'm used to. It feels like you're reading the "--help" usage information, but as you scroll down you realize it is much more detailed than that, and it has examples covering common use cases. Check out the FAQ first, it will seem more familiar if you're used to wiki-style documentation like the Arch Linux wiki.
- WiFi configuration is as simple as creating a file containing the SSID and password;
- There is no systemd. I thought it would be harder to manage services without it, but I was impressed to find out it's just as simple. "rcctl start service_name", "rcctl enable service_name", "rcctl stop service_name". Same deal. Also, there is no journald. Programs write logs to /var/log/.
As a server, I really think this is pretty good. It has less abstractions and it feels like the system is more predictable and transparent. My plan is to use it on a Raspberry Pi 4 (arm64).
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Version: 6.8
Rating: 10
Date: 2021-02-05
Votes: 102
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Rock solid stable and the most secure OS. It has all software I need for daily personal needs. Probabbly the best OS following KISS principle!
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Version: 6.8
Rating: 10
Date: 2021-01-29
Votes: 104
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Best OS I've ever used in more than 16 years using FOSS. Carefully designed by people who really know what they''re doing and really care about quality in every way possible. Security and high code quality as a priority and above anything else. A great development platform for C and C++ developers and frugal workstation for savy/sane people!
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Latest Reviews
Project: OpenBSD
Version: 7.7
Rating: 9
Date: 2025-05-26
Votes: 11
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I appreciate OpenBSD's completeness in providing a modern UNIX derivative that provides development, cryptographic, and networking tools. It's well documented, particularly considering the man pages. All of this is accomplished without a lot of the complexity that can be found in some other operating system distributions. There is a fair amount that can be done with the base distribution.
The packages collection provides a wide variety of software that can be added to OpenBSD when needed. In my own experience, the versions of software track closely with upstream developers. Some of those desktop packages include Xfce, GNU Emacs, LibreOffice, Firefox, and Thunderbird. On the server side, I've had good experiences with PHP, and PostgreSQL.
Using OpenBSD does require either experience with using UNIX-like systems, or a commitment to learn it as you go. The quality of the man pages helps a lot with this. One thing to understand is the community for OpenBSD doesn't have the depth of other OS distributions, so you won't find as many HOWTO style documents providing solutions. The suggestion is to treat this as a learning opportunity. Approach OpenBSD as a tool kit to build solutions tailored to you needs. I find it's particularly good for that.
OpenBSD might not have all the advanced features or hardware support of other operating systems, but when it's features align with your use case, it makes for a particularly comfortable work environment.
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Project: OpenBSD
Version: 7.6
Rating: 10
Date: 2025-02-06
Votes: 42
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Best choice for a highly secure home router for those not afraid of the command line and config files. Secure defaults so you don't need to spend time locking the system down. The only OS I trust for my security needs. This is not a turn-key desktop OS (although you can build it out to be this if you really want to). It's best as a command-line server OS for DNS, DHCP, NTP, SSH, reverse proxy, simple web server etc. The manual and FAQ are well laid out, and there are lots of config examples to help you enable the services you want to run on your network.
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Project: OpenBSD
Version: 7.6
Rating: 8
Date: 2025-01-04
Votes: 21
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OpenBSD is a Unix decedent and perfect if you want to setup a minimal OS. It's not supposed to be a high performance powerhouse like Gentoo. Over the past several months of using OpenBSD on and off, I've come to really love this OS. It doesn't have all the toys Linux does but for my needs it's perfect.
I wouldn't recommend this to someone who wants a quick and easy OS like Linux Mint. OpenBSD is not for beginners. There's lots of things you have to do manually such as setting up wi-fi with a config file or mounting an external usb via the terminal. There is no WINE, STEAM, or watching Netflix/Amazon Prime video on OpenBSD.
It ‘s a secure little Unix box for hobbyists, hackers, and minimalists.
Pros
simple
great for building a minimal OS
installation is straight forward
comes with X11 drivers
a hacker's dream OS
comes with fvwm, cwm, and twm
security driven OS
Cons
slow
no wine, steam, or netflix
uses a lot of ram
manually setting up everything
not ideal for daily driving
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Project: OpenBSD
Version: 7.6
Rating: 8
Date: 2024-12-27
Votes: 2
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OpenBSD is a Unix decedent and perfect if you want to setup a minimal OS. It's not supposed to be a high performance powerhouse like Gentoo. Over the past several months of using OpenBSD on and off, I've come to really love this OS. It doesn't have all the toys Linux does but for my needs it's perfect.
I wouldn't recommend this to someone who wants a quick and easy OS like Linux Mint. OpenBSD is not for beginners. There's lots of things you have to do manually such as setting up wi-fi with a config file or mounting an external usb via the terminal. There is no WINE, STEAM, or watching Netflix/Amazon Prime video on OpenBSD.
It ‘s a secure little Unix box for hobbyists, hackers, and minimalists.
Pros
simple
great for building a minimal OS
installation is straight forward
comes with X11 drivers
a hacker's dream OS
comes with fvwm, cwm, and twm
security driven OS
Cons
slow
no wine, steam, or netflix
uses a lot of ram
manually setting up everything
not ideal for daily driving
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Project: OpenBSD
Version: 7.6
Rating: 10
Date: 2024-12-25
Votes: 112
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I'm not an IT professional but I've been using opensource only since January 1, 2000. Many years of different Linux distributions. I learned a lot in the process. Then I tried *BSD. I stuck with OpenBSD and have been using it as a home server, as a firewall router system, as a desktop system (kde plasma is possible, but i prefer lightweights) and on my laptops for a long time. I am very happy with it. It completely meets my needs. The installation is very quick. As is almost always the case, you are well advised to find out the supported hardware. Thanks to the development team.
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Project: OpenBSD
Version: 7.6
Rating: 9
Date: 2024-11-07
Votes: 41
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Not a beginner's system, but the best system for learning Unix principles, network management and shell programming. Everything (including installing and upgrading the OS) can be automated using a shell script or simple configuration file. It is not a "distro" but a complete OS where the kernel, system utilities and packages are upgraded at the same time at a predictable rate (once every 6 months), and upgrading is a breeze. The focus of the developers is on security, simplicity, stability and correctness. So the OS is a good fit for applications where reliability is the first priority, e.g., routers and network servers. The builtin firewall pf is top-notch. Documentation is consistent and thorough. All configuration files are in one place /etc and generally have similar syntax and idioms. The project has developed some of the most important Internet infrastructure tools such as open-sshd, pf, libressl, and openNTPD.
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Project: OpenBSD
Version: 7.6
Rating: 10
Date: 2024-10-30
Votes: 109
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My journey with operating systems starts in 2018. I settled on OpenBSD because I like the simplicity, directness and absolute security. At first I struggled since it's not linux nor are you going to see a modern desktop. You're not going to see pre-installed programs or browsers. It comes with the absolute basics providing security by default. Important note. Read the man pages. The OpenBSD documentation is unique. You will get many questions answered as well as the answers you need. If you have time, try it either as a server or as a firewall. Personally it is the operating system I use every day. Really worth it...
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Project: OpenBSD
Version: 7.6
Rating: 10
Date: 2024-10-22
Votes: 91
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Very simple and minimal out of the box so I can understand why might not appeal to those looking for bells and whistles. But simply put the best free *nix there is. So powerful and you are in control. A super secure base system to build off of and customize. Very old school unix philosophy so no hairball bash or systemd in the base or some of the other monstrosities that are common with Linux these days. Super stable and easy to understand. Love it. There are some negatives like no NFSv4 support, no advanced file systems like ZFS on FreeBSD and multi core process performance is good but not great. Also VMM only supporting single core VMs is not ideal. Still happy to have it as my daily driver OS now.
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Project: OpenBSD
Version: 7.5
Rating: 6
Date: 2024-06-30
Votes: 2
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Coming from Gentoo Linux, OpenBSD was a bit of a disappointment. First off, the installation is weird and if you don't know what you're doing it can be tricky (not saying it's anywhere near Gentoo's install but it wouldn't be easy for someone coming from Linux Mint). You also need a wired connection to update the firmware practically (without having to boot strap the firmware via a usb post install).
Next, getting the wi-fi to work is a pain. Setting up your wi-fi manually with a bunch of config files is just tedious (the Ethernet network config during install was simpler).
Another negative is that it's slow.. I mean REALLY slow! Compared to most Linux distros I've used OpenBSD's boot time is slow and performance isn't as snappy (opening/closing programs, starting xfce4 session and so on). Speaking about performance.. This OS is NOT minimal on ram usage. A fresh install and running Xinitrc (OpenBSD's very own DE) uses 945mb or ram and after xfce4 is installed around 1.5- 2gb of ram! My Gentoo install with xfce4 usually always runs at 456mb idle, with Firefox open and streaming Netflix or YouTube it runs at 1.2gb smoothly. Speaking of xfce4, there are many things missing after install. Even after installing 'xfce xfce-extras' I still didn't have Thunar's volman and network manager. Putting all this together manually is just ridiculous.
In conclusion I can see why people like OpenBSD. It's nice having a complete OS and taking a step away from the chaos and confusion of all the different Linux distros. Using 'pkg_add' was simple and easy (definitely a breath of fresh air from the package managing wars of Linux). But for me, after a very tedious set up of just the basics.. it wasn't worth it in the end.
Pros:
A complete operating system
Comes with Xinitrc (better than nothing I guess lol)
Using 'pkg_add' is a breeze
Cons:
Slow at mostly everything
Uses too much ram
Poor performance
wired installation
wi-fi setup is a pain
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Project: OpenBSD
Version: 7.5
Rating: 10
Date: 2024-05-18
Votes: 137
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OpenBSD is the ultimate tinkerers' / hackers' operating system. It was developed as a secure server,
Unix-like system, but that doesn't mean it can't be used as a desktop / laptop O.S. .
This is not a system for someone that is afraid of the terminal or shell, but it is a system that is extremely stable.
Since 7.3, you are asked if you want to encrypt during the install, which is a nice touch, instead of having to do it manually.
I've been running OpenBSD since 2015 and absolutely love it. Before that, I distro-hopped in Linux-Land for 8 years
and even tried FreeBSD, but none of them seemed to fit the bill for my use case. In 2014 linux started using
system-destroyer which I absolutely despise. I did give some of the Devuan (Non-Systemd) distros a try and they weren't bad, but i needed an O.S. that I didn't need to spend serious time trying to harden. Enter OpenBSD.
OpenBSD is an Operating System for self learners and it has taught me a lot about how a computer SHOULD run.
What I don't get, is why people constantly say that this operating system is slow. Just use the built in tools to push
/tmp & /var/run to a RAM-Disk.Use mfs in fstab.The GIMP launches in under 4 seconds.Lighter programs launch
almost instantaniously.I stick w/ the native applications whenever I can. I don't use a full DE, and have stuck with
FVWM-2.2.5, which, after deleting the extraneous lines I didn't need, I ended up adding another 1500+ to - LOL.
But, I now have one heavily customized desktop interface. (Theo isn't the only one that still uses Fvwm-2) I also use
Elementary-dock for a quick launcher. This makes for a nice, clean desktop. I run X-Server on this laptop, the OpenBSD hardened version. (Native)
In one of these comments, someone mentioned Firefox launching slowly. If you remove the unused localizations,
it will lauch much faster.Someone else mentioned they couldn't get OBSD to work - check the OpenBSD website to see if your hardware and computer are supported. Due diligence is required with this Operating System.
For some good how-to's, check out:
vincentdelft DOT be
& Solene Rapene (an OpenBSD dev) on Gemini or at dataswamp DOT org
As far as I'm concerned, OpenBSD is a Rockin', stable, secure, and blazingly fast operating system. My hat's off to all the devs.
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Project: OpenBSD
Version: 7.3
Rating: 10
Date: 2023-08-15
Votes: 111
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I have used OpenBSD for many years now, not on the Desktop though, but on my firewall and servers. This is my go-to OS for everything regarding security. It never fails in any way. Start your sysupgrade when leaving work, when you come you do a sysmerge, and it is finished, and then you go six months until next release. It never fails. And every new release is getting better and better performance vice.
At home, I am running four servers with OpenBSD, two firewalls, one external and one internal, one MariaDB server and one Cal/Card-Dav server (Baikal). They work perfectly both on bare metal and on Proxmox (KVM, but also on Xen).
They were very quick in implementing the WireGuard WG Interface (VPN), which works beautifully,
Only thing OpenBSD lack is a good file system for storage. Maybe one day.
Today I only use OpenBSD and Debian (FreeBSD for storage), they cover everything.
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Project: OpenBSD
Version: 7.3
Rating: 10
Date: 2023-07-21
Votes: 101
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What I love about OpenBSD the most is the first party tools it comes with by default, which makes it super easy to set up a server from the ground up, super easy to make it act like a military-grade secure router that can be accessed from all over the world by you and only you, and the fine balance between doing certain things for you and staying out of your way.
The default install uses no more than 16 mebibytes of RAM, which is quite a difference from 97 mebibytes on Crux, 300 on Void, 600 on Artix, 800 on Debian, and pretty much everything on FreeBSD (but it does that for performance reasons).
I'm running OpenBSD as a server OS on almost all my servers, the only exceptions are those that require something like a Rust or NodeJS compiler, in that case I opt for FreeBSD.
But on desktops I much rather prefer Linux instead.
I see other people saying that FreeBSD has the upperhand on desktops over OpenBSD, but I actually beg to differ.
The other day, I installed FreeBSD on a ThinkPad, and closing the lid won't put it to sleep mode, even after configuring to do so it wouldn't do so.
OpenBSD on the other hand, works out of the box.
WiFi is a similar thing, OpenBSD works straight away whereas on FreeBSD it doesn't.
And even if it doesn't work on OpenBSD (because your WiFi card uses a proprietary driver), they provide a tool to easily install the required drivers post installation.
And upgrading the OS is just a matter of running "sysupgrade", which is so much smoother than FreeBSD's "freebsd-update fetch && freebsd-update install".
However, when it comes to packages, FreeBSD is better, because it has a much larger packages, packages are far more up to date, package manager is blazingly fast, and the ports let you customize just about anything, which are things I really miss on OpenBSD.
So FreeBSD vs OpenBSD comes down to usecase.
Do you run an internet facing server? OpenBSD
Do you run a NAS? FreeBSD
Do you run a desktop? Linux
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Project: OpenBSD
Version: 7.3
Rating: 6
Date: 2023-07-12
Votes: 0
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installation is not as easy as other distributions, such as FreeBSD. The manual is not as explanatory as others I have seen, in this aspect, FreeBSD is also superior. I've read everything but I couldn't get the sound to work. Everything was mute. For everything it offers, it seems good for a server, but for desktop it still lacks a lot. As a positive point, the system resources are minimal, it uses very little memory and does not install unnecessary pacotes. Then, I came to the conclusion that for those who want a minimalist system, which uses little system resources, it could be good, as long as it manages to solve problems like this audio. I'll stick with FreeBSD, maybe it's not so sure, but it has its advantages and it's going great.
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Project: OpenBSD
Version: 7.3
Rating: 10
Date: 2023-07-03
Votes: 152
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OpenBSD has the upper advantage over GNU/Linux nowadays when it comes to open-source controversies like Systemd, Wayland, PipeWire, and Rust. Being entirely focused on code correctness (instead of political correctness), I have a feeling that OpenBSD is the way one should go. With the current state of GNU/Linux in jeopardy (especially corporate-run distros like Ubuntu and Fedora), it makes sense to want to branch out to things like Debian, Arch GNU/Linux, Gentoo, or even Slackware (the most Unix-like distro), but what if you could do even better than that by looking into one of the *BSD systems? FreeBSD is readily accessible to those who want a Linux-familiar environment with plenty more packages ported over (including multilib approaches like Wine for your Windows programs), but it misses the point entirely: that we should aim to restore sanity to what "sane defaults" should entail. Wanting your system to be "just like Windows" certainly defeats the point of even using open-source OSes like GNU/Linux, OpenBSD, FreeBSD, NetBSD, etc.
Now, it should be clear here that the *BSD line of OSes should not be confused as being "distros" of any sort -- they are, for the most part, entirely separate userlands and use their own kernels. That is unlike with GNU/Linux where the distros are simply respins of the same OS (Linux from Scratch might be a possible exception to the rule if you'd like to delve deeper than what the popular distros "allow" you to tinker with).
Back to OpenBSD. Let's be completely honest when I say that these systems are SLOW (due to using FFS2 instead of the Ext* formats)... But, they are slow because of the security mitigations put into place by its developers. Sure, you COULD just enable SMT to cut back on the loading times a bit, but wouldn't that still defeat the purpose of using it in the first place? It's not just the speed that one should keep in mind, but not all commands are compatible with other Unix-like OSes. For example, it's possible to use Sudo (just like in good ol' GNU/Linux!) to grant root privileges to a user, but OpenBSD comes with its own in Doas, which is far more minimal and less of a security risk as a result. Most Sudo cases are what Doas aims to provide. Also, when it comes to sound, forget about things like ALSA, PulseAudio, and PipeWire, when Sndio is their own exclusive sound server, and it works reliably well with speakers, headphones, and even USB devices. Not only that, but Xorg has been replaced with an alternative called Xenocara, and things like Startx are disabled by default for security reasons (XenoDM replaces it, being based on XDM).
On the desktop side, OpenBSD is still catching on. Xfce, Lumina, GNOME, MATE, and the like should be supported by simply installing their respective package(s), but they may or may not perform as well as they do on their GNU/Linux counterparts. However, this would be the perfect opportunity to test out WMs like Cwm (also from OpenBSD), FVWM, Openbox, Fluxbox, IceWM, and Window Maker. I can say for sure that as of 7.3-current, Xfce itself is running very close to how I have mine set up on my Devuan and Salix GNU/Linux systems. However, like I said, still a bit slow, even with SMT enabled on the kernel, but definitely functional enough to use on a daily basis.
When it comes to driver support, prepare to be disappointed if you're an Nvidia user. AMD/ATI Radeon support is a little lacking when compared to Linux (see what I did there with dropping "GNU"? :D), just as Intel drivers are, but they should be functional enough that you can turn it into an HTPC or a lightweight gaming machine (just don't use Nvidia at all). Speaking of gaming, there are ports of open-source games and emulators that you could install for fun on the side, although things like PCSX2 and the aforementioned Wine aren't yet available because of Multilib issues (OpenBSD doesn't have this feature yet, but should 32-bit systems lose support, then it'd be more feasible).
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Project: OpenBSD
Version: 7.3
Rating: 5
Date: 2023-04-16
Votes: 0
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The wifi chip in my Lenovo laptop isn't supported by OpenBSD so I have only tried it out in VMware.
The install is pretty easy, often you can rely on the default options and only hit enter to proceed. However the automatic partitioning is not optimal, as the /usr/local partition created is too small even on a 20GB drive, and gets filled upp very quickly by just installing a browser and desktop environment,
In the install you have the option to get Xorg pre-configured with a basic window manager (FVWM). For a DE like Xfce to work it takes som more configuration effort however.
For some reason Firefox takes several minutes to launch. Trying to stream from Youtube didn't work for me. At the beginning both the sound and video stutters. Pretty soon after the sound stops completely but the video continues to play correctly. Searching on the web for a solution to this turns up very few hits, but some people report similar problems.
It's hard to know if this problem exists because of the way OpenBSD is designed, compatibility issues with VMware or that Firefox is not natively developed for the OS but a port.
In the end I like OpenBSD for what it is and look forward to try it on bare metal to see it it works better there.
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Project: OpenBSD
Version: 7.2
Rating: 10
Date: 2022-12-18
Votes: 114
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I've been using it on servers since version 2.8 and since 5.9 I've been using it on my laptop. It is the easiest UNIX-like operating system to use on a laptop - on my Thinkpad everything works out of the box - volume buttons, setting screen brightness, audio, wifi and graphics.
There is no possibility to use Nvidia graphics cards due to Nvidia's lack of cooperation when it comes to drivers and OpenBSD refuses to accept blobs.
OpenBSD is not the fastest operating system, but they don't enumerate "performance" as their goal, so you can't complain about that.
Besides, if you were supposed to buy a car - would its speed be the only factor you'd consider?
OpenBSD is easy to use, it's safe and feels familiar. It is sustainable (yes, before this buzz-word became trendy) in a way you can be sure that in 10 year's time your OpenBSD experience will be the virtually the same as today. Unlike macOS, Windows, Linux etc.
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Project: OpenBSD
Version: 7.2
Rating: 5
Date: 2022-12-13
Votes: 0
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I've used it in the past, pre 7.1, & it worked faultlessly on my various computers.
However since the release of 7.1, it doesn't want to work on my computers any more. :(
I don't know what changes were made, but it has caused me to reassess NetBSD, which now does work on my computers, including wifi, (which was always a problem before).
So I,personnally, have had to change alliegence to NetBSD (9.3).
The choice of Window Manager of OpenBSD was always peculiar, to my mind, & I always added Fluxbox to make it useable for me.
NetBSD comes with a reworked version of TWM, called CTWM, & has automatic addition of installed programs to its menu; it's a bit old fashioned looking, but much more user friendly than FVWM is to me.
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Project: OpenBSD
Version: 7.2
Rating: 10
Date: 2022-12-12
Votes: 91
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I use OpenBSD for :
- my server which runs some websites, ssh, fingerd, a gemini server, a git server, XMPP, an IRC bouncer.
- my everyday laptop.
I have no concerns about security since the defaults are good. The documentation is more than sufficient for everything, and it's all available offline, so no dodgy {google/alternative}-searching. If that fails, there is a reasonably large community (not large like Linux distros, but more than large enough) which is exceptionally supportive and helpful.
OpenBSD feels clean and well-thought-out to use. The code in particular is very clean and readable, and I feel comfortable to play around trying to patch it for whatever use case and discuss it with the developers.
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Project: OpenBSD
Version: 7.2
Rating: 10
Date: 2022-12-12
Votes: 101
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Been using OpenBSD as my daily driver for more than two years now, and don't intend to change! The base tools are simply brilliant, I try to default to them as much as possible.
Everything works out of the box for non cutting-edge hardware (mainstream vendors usually get support fairly quick). Installation is quick, simple, and intuitive, as is the package manager are simple, and intuitive. Default configuration is secure and everything is beautifully documented so it is easy to find your way around, even for non-programmers such as myself. The OS is quite minimalist, but there is good selection of packages that get regularly updated, but to fully enjoy that you have to follow current - which is remarkably stable, very different to roling release distro in the linux world.
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Project: OpenBSD
Version: 7.2
Rating: 10
Date: 2022-11-19
Votes: 88
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I've just realized that I'm using OpenBSD for more than six month now, it was very refreshing time, without grumbling about the direction that Linux is taking these past years, nor fiddling around to get stuff working in the manner I like. I've switched to Linux 17 years ago and now it's time for OpenBSD!
I've first of all tested it on my server (mainly WordPress hosting and mails) and fell in love with OpenBSD own tools, like pf, httpd, relayd, opensmtpd, an so on. They are well thought out and so well documented with consistent syntax in config files... really a joy to use.
I think OpenBSD is primary brilliant for server related tasks, but when you appreciate this system you can do everything with it, desktop is not an exception, so all my home PC are now running it. the main point of attention is hardware compatibility, which is respectable but not support Bluetooth and is not Nvidia friendly at all (or rather Nvidia that is not so friendly with open source projects!).
That said, I've found that OpenBSD is a really simple system to use, even more than many Linux distributions in it's way, easy to maintain, Gnome, XFCE, Mate, LXQT are available and functional. But to avoid Linuxism and keep it simple (stupid), I prefer to run a window manager - currently i3 - a very efficient combo!
I'll stop my praises here ;) anyway a great thank you to OpenBSD people! I can't imagine using anything else!
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Project: OpenBSD
Version: 7.1
Rating: 10
Date: 2022-08-17
Votes: 103
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OpenBSD is a complete Unix system focused on security and
code correctness - speed comes second. It has the 'mandatory'
desktop environments Gnome, Xfce, KDE, etc. Firefox, Chromium,
and many other personal productivity software (eg, Libreoffice).
Web stuff such as zoom and teams work, too. Thus, OpenBSD *can*
be used as a 'daily driver'.
Installation is surprisingly quick (10mins): it's text-based and
asks only for things to get you up and running asap. Hardware
support is inferior to other systems (although OpenBSD now runs
on my M1 Mac, as well!) - only some AMD GPUs are currently supported.
OpenBSD is 'secure by default': it ships with many security
features such as PIE, KARL, firewall, etc. turned on. And adding
other things, eg secure DNS or disk encryption, is a breeze since
OpenBSD's documentation is astonishingly clear and accurate. With
the possible exception of Gentoo's docs, nothing in the Linux world
comes close.
True, there is a bit of a learning curve, but the reward is mastering
a coherent, simple, secure, and thoughtfully put together system.
I concur with the review below which says that simplicity is the
ultimate sophistication!
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Project: OpenBSD
Version: 7.1
Rating: 10
Date: 2022-06-28
Votes: 80
|
OpenBSD is where minimalism and security collide.
I've tried every minimal Linux distro I could find, but none felt quite as simple and lovely as OpenBSD feels, after the hard work of getting things set up and configured.
If you're an Alpine Linux or Void Linux kind of person, give OpenBSD a chance. You will be surprised.
OpenBSD is simple, it's secure; the resource usage is small, the man pages are unmatched, and it just feels like it was put together thoughtfully -- because it was, and it is.
There is a learning curve, and getting some hardware to work isn't as easy as on Linux, but it's well worth it if you're the type of person who believes simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.
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Project: OpenBSD
Version: 7.1
Rating: 9
Date: 2022-05-27
Votes: 17
|
OpenBSD's development is impressive, I started using it from version 6.7, my experience is very stuttering, and network is running slowly. But now at version 7.1, it has improved rapidly,we can take it as a daily OS.
For users who like Gnome Desktop, be sure to read the built-in doc file, I saw that some comments mentioned that could not start GDM, in fact, the built-in documentation gave a solution: rcctl enbale gdm must be at the end of the line.
Plus, what I wish for the most: please packaging ibus-pinyin. Many users unable to use ibus under Gnome Desktop, which cut this operation's influence on Non-English users.
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Project: OpenBSD
Version: 7.0
Rating: 10
Date: 2022-04-02
Votes: 71
|
This is not a Linux desktop that holds your hand and hides its complexity... this is a hard core command line BSD Unix OS. Sure you can make OpenBSD your desktop if you want, but think carefully and choose the right tool for your needs. OpenBSD is makes for an amazing minimalist command line router OS. I've been using it for years in this role, and it's the only thing I would trust to manage my network. pf firewall, unbound DNS, Wireguard VPN, radius server, DHCP, SSH tunnels, sFTP server etc. I can trust it to be secure, with proper defaults so I don't need to spend time locking everything down.
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Project: OpenBSD
Version: 7.0
Rating: 8
Date: 2022-01-01
Votes: 10
|
A fantastic easy to use minimal cruft BSD OS. Hardware compatibility is a factor. When it works, it is a horse. Been using for 3 years as a daily driver on a lenovo a485 laptop with ASUS wifi thumbstick. Never looked backed. I like the simplicity and hassle free administration.
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Project: OpenBSD
Version: 7.0
Rating: 6
Date: 2021-12-22
Votes: 0
|
Fantastic system for hackers and tinkerers with extremely thick skin. For everyone else it is a never ending frustration full of bugs, regressions and freezes. Performance is in the toilet and some manuals that claim hardware support are wrong. Lesser known third-party software can be out-of-date by several years and often have serious bugs. Community is very smart and knowledgeable while simultaneously having zero tact, grace or forgiveness.
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Project: OpenBSD
Version: 7.0
Rating: 1
Date: 2021-12-14
Votes: 0
|
Bland, difficult to use and slow FreeBSD-based distro. Application take a while to respond (if they even open), the repository is very small and has a lot of outdated software, if anything doesn’t work or crashes, all the developers say is to use the terminal. I’m not going to use the terminal on this beta/alpha quality software that shouldn’t even been released!
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Project: OpenBSD
Version: 7.0
Rating: 8
Date: 2021-10-17
Votes: 0
|
on this version openbsd absolutelly won't work my mouses...my laptop is acer a315-33
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Project: OpenBSD
Version: 6.9
Rating: 10
Date: 2021-10-14
Votes: 106
|
If you are looking for a Windows replacement and this is your first time headed into the non-windows world - stop.
If you run nVidia graphics and want a gui desktop - stop. ATI/AMD or Intel graphics work fine.
If you expect Gnome to function as it does on RedHat/Debian or similar - stop. Use Xfce instead.
Windows replacement seekers will probably be happier with Ubuntu/Debian/Mint Linux or similar, at least in the beginning of their journey. Those Linux distros have the 'closed binary blob' drivers available for the nVidia hardware, systemd for Gnome, and more resources available to provide support.
Unless you are one who is inclined to read the well-written man pages and do some research on doing things the way OpenBSD wants them to be done, you will likely not enjoy your time with OpenBSD.
This is not Linux. It's BSD. So while the concepts and tasks are similar, the tooling/commands are different, as is the way the OS itself is maintained.
I use OpenBSD on a small server as an ad blocker, DNS and firewall. Do a search for pf-badhost and/or ubound-adblock.
OpenBSD can and does function well as a lightweight desktop - there are several youtube videos on setting it up with Xfce for example, as well as the 'Installing OpenBSD on your laptop is very hard - not' pages where - should you choose to proceed - you will see solutions for many of the complaints posted here by folks intending to use OpenBSD on the desktop.
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Project: OpenBSD
Version: 6.9
Rating: 10
Date: 2021-10-05
Votes: 77
|
This is a high security, clean, well coded, bare bones (in a good way) server operating system. Some use it as their desktop, and more power to them, but IMO that's not where it shines. OpenBSD is the only OS I would trust to be my router. 'Secure by default' isn't just the developers' motto, it's an uncompromising design philosophy you can rely on in a way that you just can't with the complexity, bloat, and cruft of many Linux distros. With OpenBSD, I don't have to worry that there's an insecure default setting in a service that I might not be savvy enough to catch. The OpenBSD security experts have done the heavy lifting for me in the config files, and provide simple to understand documentation for securely enabling the internet facing services I need.
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Project: OpenBSD
Version: 6.9
Rating: 1
Date: 2021-07-26
Votes: 0
|
For server systems only, not good for home computing.
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Project: OpenBSD
Version: 6.9
Rating: 10
Date: 2021-07-24
Votes: 64
|
Security solutions on Linux usually add a lot of complexity, right? See SELinux, for example: it assumes your system is insecure, and therefore put restrictions on everything in the hopes of minimizing damage.
OpenBSD has a different approach. Every part of the system is carefully built to be secure. Its default web server is called 'httpd', but it's not Apache; it's another web server developed in-house, and it runs in a chroot jail. The configuration file is more verbose and leaves less room for errors.
You're probably thinking that the "security" in OpenBSD makes it harder to use, but it's quite the contrary. You'll see.
The init program is controlled by the 'rcctl' program. The commands are similar to systemd. "rcctl enable httpd", "rcctl start httpd", "rcctl stop httpd" and so on.
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Project: OpenBSD
Version: 6.9
Rating: 10
Date: 2021-05-29
Votes: 76
|
Great operating system. Tried to install xfce DE and some package was broken or something but i can fix that. The only thing i had problems is that the deafult disk presented to be installed on is the same disk that i booted from and a new comer like me can get confused. Default network interface is ath0 despite the fact i had re0 available so another question mark on that but these are minor issues. Long live OpenBSD team and all the great work they putted in this piece of the art operating system. 10+ from me. Respect!
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Project: OpenBSD
Version: 6.9
Rating: 10
Date: 2021-05-12
Votes: 113
|
After nearly 20 years using Linux, I've been trying OpenBSD for a few months the pandemic started,
I must say that I felt like a Windows user when I was migrating to Linux decades ago, coz this OS is the closest thing to a pure Unix experience that anyone ca possible get.
Surprisingly enough, I could spend pages talking about how much I love the way this OS is designed and functions, but I don't have time for it now. So I will say that OpenBSD has easily become the only OS that I use for most of my operations, including all development work, and as far as it still existing, I do not think that I will never go back the fragmented and incohesive nature of the Linux world ever again.
Sincerely.
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Project: OpenBSD
Version: 6.9
Rating: 10
Date: 2021-05-06
Votes: 98
|
It does not have the best hardware support, but actually I don't care not using my touchpad, touchscreen and bluetooth if in exchange I have this beautifully crafted and well integrated system. I have a Lenovo Yoga (sorry, I can't remember the model) and I had to install the firmware using a usb-stick, but it's not difficult following the fw_update(1) manual.
The software that comes with the base system is outstanding, even Xorg apps are very well integrated and the preinstalled software is unixporn ready (configuring cwm(1) and xterm(1), creating your own wallpaper with bitmap(1), setting it up with xsetroot(1) and you are ready).
The package manager tools, as most of the tools in openBSD, is simple and does its job very well, better than most linux's package managers.
The manual pages are a bless and there is something about the openBSD way that has teached me to stop being lazy. I love this OS, and I'm thinking on buying compatible hardware from here on.
OpenBSD is not linux, and that must be very clear. Here you don't have an ennormous ammount of software, but the software you have is enough to do everything. Along with the base system I've installed firefox, firefox-i18n-es-CL, qiv, mupdf ,texlive_texmf-full, rubber, ffmpeg, noto-cjk, noto-fonts, noto-emoji, mpv, libreoffice, libreoffice-i18n-es, mozilla-dicts-es-es and I have everithing I need. I'm an ingeenier but right now I'm studying law at the university and openBSD fullfills everything I need.
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Project: OpenBSD
Version: 6.8
Rating: 9
Date: 2021-04-25
Votes: 35
|
If I had to choose between OpenBSD and any other BSD OS, it would be my first choice. It may not be easy to use with wireless and may not be as fast due to its paranoid security optimizations, but it offers a clean desktop experience with a satisfying variety of packages (either with ports or pkg_add). With "installurl" setting mirrors is easier. FAQ maybe should contain more setting up instructions, but all in all, it's a simple, functional and secure OS that works with some extra effort.
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Project: OpenBSD
Version: 6.8
Rating: 6
Date: 2021-03-21
Votes: 0
|
Pretty good. I installed it on a T61 thinkpad with 4GB ram, with windowmaker desktop. Wifi works. Suspend/resume works. Thinkpad acpi works. Sound playback works, both speaker and headphones. Seems stable. Easy PF configuration. Very good man pages, I think the best-written I have seen of any free software o/s. I like the "secure by default" concept. I like the unique kernel on every boot. X11 config works fine, and uses DRI and optimised glamor driver for intel graphics. Xephyr works, I was able to start a nested X session with fvwm as the daughter window manager. FUSE works. No kernel crashes so far.
Some downsides - only limited filesystem support, really only FFS, I have an ext4 disk but unable to mount this r/w. Unclear from documentation whether softdeps are recommended for use with SSD. Appears to be no TRIM support for SSD.
Ports - software collection is a bit limited compared to what is available on linux or even freebsd; for example, I had to patch vifm and compile it myself because the openbsd port is deprecated. The Links browser works fine, but sadly firefox regularly dumps core, and chrome has a bad memory leak, I got up one morning to find chrome had grown to 13GB (on 4GB physical ram!). But these are likely problems within the ports themselves, not in the o/s itself.
Performance is not quite as snappy as FreeBSD 13 or slackware 15 alpha on the same hardware, but its perfectly usable, even on this old hardware. Plays videos fine with mplayer, but sadly mpv frequently coredumps. Web videos play in both firefox and chrome.
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Project: OpenBSD
Version: 6.8
Rating: 9
Date: 2021-03-14
Votes: 32
|
I had never used a BSD system before. This was my first. Here are the things that caught my attention:
- Some tools are different, such as "doas" instead of "sudo";
- The documentation (the manual pages) is a little different from what I'm used to. It feels like you're reading the "--help" usage information, but as you scroll down you realize it is much more detailed than that, and it has examples covering common use cases. Check out the FAQ first, it will seem more familiar if you're used to wiki-style documentation like the Arch Linux wiki.
- WiFi configuration is as simple as creating a file containing the SSID and password;
- There is no systemd. I thought it would be harder to manage services without it, but I was impressed to find out it's just as simple. "rcctl start service_name", "rcctl enable service_name", "rcctl stop service_name". Same deal. Also, there is no journald. Programs write logs to /var/log/.
As a server, I really think this is pretty good. It has less abstractions and it feels like the system is more predictable and transparent. My plan is to use it on a Raspberry Pi 4 (arm64).
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Project: OpenBSD
Version: 6.8
Rating: 10
Date: 2021-02-05
Votes: 102
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Rock solid stable and the most secure OS. It has all software I need for daily personal needs. Probabbly the best OS following KISS principle!
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Project: OpenBSD
Version: 6.8
Rating: 10
Date: 2021-01-29
Votes: 104
|
Best OS I've ever used in more than 16 years using FOSS. Carefully designed by people who really know what they''re doing and really care about quality in every way possible. Security and high code quality as a priority and above anything else. A great development platform for C and C++ developers and frugal workstation for savy/sane people!
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