Many people responded to the call for OpenBSD and OpenSSH donations by purchasing an OpenBSD CD set. Those CDs are beginning to arrive in the mail, and when they do, how are you going to use them? If you're a software enthusiast who has never used OpenBSD before, you might enjoy installing it by yourself and figuring it out as you go. If, however, you're looking for a more practical approach to using OpenBSD as a desktop or server operating system, here's a guide to get you started.
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Member since:2005-08-11
Why do they have to be grumpy about it? Some people just don't know, or are frazzled and managed to miss that part of the documentation.
I've never installed OpenBSD because I've heard their community is a bunch of snobs about questions like these. I tend to ask a lot of questions like these even after searching through documentation. It isn't always clear to me how to use the given system to accomplish what I'm trying to do, so sometimes I don't look in the right places. And very often, my brain gets fried after spending 14 hours on my computer, trying to wrestle with a laundry list of things throughout the day, and the last thing I'm going to put up with is snottiness from some arrogant elitist.
Sure, as experts, they have a license to be arrogant, but that doesn't gain them mindshare. Too bad, because OpenBSD would be the perfect example of the "many eyes" theory of security if they had more eyes.
Member since:2005-11-15
"and the last thing I'm going to put up with is snottiness from some arrogant elitist."
"Sure, as experts, they have a license to be arrogant, but that doesn't gain them mindshare. Too bad, because OpenBSD would be the perfect example of the "many eyes" theory of security if they had more eyes."
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Hear, hear!
I never cared about Linux (specifically Debian) for the same reasons as above, until i read an article by Clinton De Young, explaining how to do it. I quit Windows and never looked back, that's all I needed.
As for the pseudo openbsd geeks, i ain't got time for them, they can keep it. Somebody may write an installation guide in English for it, and then many users will install it. This already has hapenned with FreeBSD, and it was fun to install it following the instructions from a 19 yr-old freshman posted in the internet, but in the end, i dumped it because Debian fits my needs better.
My 2 cents,
Edited 2006-04-25 16:07
Member since:2006-04-25
Why do they have to be grumpy about it? Some people just don't know, or are frazzled and managed to miss that part of the documentation.
Why should the devs answer lame newbie setup questions, which mostly come from users who switch operating systems more often than they switch socks? The OpenBSD community is small. They don't have time for that crap. They aren't focused on making the uber Microsoft desktop killer/take over the world OS. Therefore they are not interested in helping every newbie switch to OpenBSD.
This isn't about snobbery, it's just that this community is not an evangelical one. It's an opinionated OS. Love it or leave it.
Member since:2005-08-11
Member since:2005-06-29
Do you really prefer handholding by some old obscure how-to, written by an anonymous 12year old, without any quality control or proofreading? Do you really need a forum to go and ask help on this? You're installing an operating system - this shouldn't take an afternoon; the installer makes it possible to do this interactively in about 10 minutes. If you have that much problems installing an operating system, please don't dabble in system administration.
I wouldn't have expected more from an OpenBSD pedant. For those who want more, please have a look at the OpenBSD channel on Usenet, or have a look at the mailing lists!
OpenBSD: Should be called CloseMindedBSD!
Member since:
2005-11-15
I really do not get peoples' problems with the openbsd installer; it's the most to-the-point and no-nonsense installer I've encountered - and I've installed about every operating system that runs on x86 for the last 20 years.
What more do you need to install an operating system?
If you can't figure out these basic questions the installer asks you, you still have...
-the cd's with the install sets and a minimal explanation of the installation routine for every architecture;
-the leaflet which came with your cd's, which actually walks you thru the entire install while giving hints on sane defaults;
-the excellent FAQs and manual pages online at the website;
-the entire cvs tree available thru the website, which includes the build-infrastructure that was used to make your installation cd's.
Do you really prefer handholding by some old obscure how-to, written by an anonymous 12year old, without any quality control or proofreading? Do you really need a forum to go and ask help on this? You're installing an operating system - this shouldn't take an afternoon; the installer makes it possible to do this interactively in about 10 minutes. If you have that much problems installing an operating system, please don't dabble in system administration.
And yes, the community on their mailinglists tend to get in a grumpy mood, when for the N-th time someone asks a question that's already perfectly documented.