# OpenBSD?



## geek (Oct 15, 2015)

Hello.

Do any OpenBSD-related forums exist?

I'm planning to buy a new laptop, and I will probably install OpenBSD as its operating system, because its graphics card seems to be supported by DragonFlyBSD and OpenBSD, but weirdly not FreeBSD, the biggest and most popular BSD.

Do you have any experience or knowledge about whether OpenBSD is a suitable or usable OS for everyday computer activities, surfing, studying, programming, and occasional low-performance gaming or simple 3D game development?


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## Cthulhux (Oct 15, 2015)

The usual place for OpenBSD discussions is on DaemonForums.org and on mailing lists. 

I use OpenBSD on one of my surf laptops and it works well.


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## hitest (Oct 15, 2015)

geek said:


> Hello.
> 
> Do any OpenBSD-related forums exist?



Daemon Forums is the best place for OpenBSD advice/help.

http://daemonforums.org/forumdisplay.php?f=11


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## gofer_touch (Oct 15, 2015)

OpenBSD works really nicely on laptops, especially Thinkpads.


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## kpa (Oct 15, 2015)

I'm using OpenBSD on my dual stack IPv4/IPv6 router/firewall. Works like a charm out of the box.


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## hitest (Oct 15, 2015)

gofer_touch said:


> OpenBSD works really nicely on laptops, especially Thinkpads.



I'm happily running OpenBSD 5.7 -RELEASE on my Dell Optiplex 990.

```
$ uname -a
OpenBSD obsd.home.local 5.7 GENERIC.MP#4 amd64
```


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## shepper (Oct 16, 2015)

I've setup nearly identical desktops in Open/Free/Net-BSD's and used them long term.  I watch a few videos - astro/stellarium and  graphics/inkscape are my most taxing graphics applications.  FreeBSD seemed to be the fastest of the three while OpenBSD is adequate.  FreeBSD is easier to maintain long term, while I backup and re-install OpenBSD, with M:tier security updates, with each new release.

Twice in the past year, the FreeBSD package updates have broken an application I needed to use.  I have never had this happen in 5 years of OpenBSD stable.  Unless security is paramount, FreeBSD would be my first choice for a server and a close second for a desktop.  For my day-to-day needs, I use OpenBSD because, once set up, when I boot it I can count on getting my task done.

If your video driver is Nvidia based, FreeBSD is the only real choice.  OpenBSD openly discourages the use of closed source NVidia drivers.
FreeBSD will likely support the video driver you mentioned in a few months.  Laptop specific:  FreeBSD does have an application to scan and connect to wireless access points if you roam frequently and wpa_supplicant can be setup for multiple wireless access points.  OpenBSD has its own wireless security but can use wpa_supplicant with some work.  Sound can take some effort in FreeBSD while it usually works out of the box in OpenBSD.

OpenBSD encourages binary packages but does have a ports system to make modifications if needed.  OpenBSD has about 8,000 packages, with binaries, while FreeBSD has roughly twice as many.  Still, OpenBSD had the applications I use.  As far as NetBSD,  it always take the longest to set up, has the oldest binary packages and some binaries (Libreoffice) would build but would just not run.  I did not have the expertise to fix it.  NetBSD security updates are time consuming to apply and seem to appear much later than OpenBSD/FreeBSD.

OpenBSD also seems more organized and structured - releases are every 6 months.  FreeBSD releases are when ready.


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## gofer_touch (Oct 16, 2015)

Just as an anecdote, I recently fired up DragonflyBSD 4.2 on a Thinkpad X230. It is one blazing fast OS if you find OpenBSD isn't suitable for your needs. Both work very well on this particular model Thinkpad. OpenBSD has the advantage that it reliably suspends/resumes if you need it to.


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## hitest (Oct 16, 2015)

I gave NetBSD 7.0 a try in Virtualbox yesterday and I was impressed.  NetBSD 7.0 is a blazing fast BSD with a sensible installer and excellent documentation.  After OpenBSD it is my second choice for a stable BSD.


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## geek (Oct 16, 2015)

gpatrick said:


> You might also try the recently released NetBSD 7.0 (from which I'm posting) which added this:



Is it for 32-bit x86 only, or both 32-bit and 64-bit?


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## jrm@ (Oct 16, 2015)

gofer_touch said:


> Just as an anecdote, I recently fired up DragonflyBSD 4.2 on a Thinkpad X230. It is one blazing fast OS if you find OpenBSD isn't suitable for your needs. Both work very well on this particular model Thinkpad. OpenBSD has the advantage that it reliably suspends/resumes if you need it to.


Not quite the same model, but suspend and resume is reliable on the X220 on FreeBSD as well.  One of the few things I noticed OpenBSD do faster though, was suspend and resume.  It's pretty much instantaneous.  With FreeBSD there is a delay of a few seconds before it's asleep.


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## geek (Oct 17, 2015)

gpatrick said:


> If you're asking if NetBSD is 32- or 64-bit, it is both.


Of course it is, but I mean the graphics acceleration.


> DRM/KMS support brings accelerated graphics to x86 systems using modern Intel and Radeon devices.


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## ANOKNUSA (Oct 18, 2015)

geek said:


> Of course it is, but I mean the graphics acceleration.



If not both, then probably the x86-64 build, since 32-bit x86 operating systems are virtually obsolete now. x86 is just the generic term for the "IBM PC-compatible" CPU architecture that's been the standard for thirty-odd years, and a 64-bit x86 CPU can run 32-bit binaries anyway.

NetBSD's focus is on _portability_, so it's available for a ton of different machine architectures--if it's got a microprocessor in it, someone at the NetBSD project has probably contemplated making a NetBSD build for it. (Finally, you can put that old Sega Dreamcast in your basement to good use. ) x86 is just the common desktop/laptop architecture, so it makes sense that's where the KMS work would go first.


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