On Thu, 8 Feb 2018 13:41:20 -0800 Charlie Eddy <charlie.e...@occipital.com> wrote:
> hello misc, > > I am considering a move to OpenBSD, since I subscribed to this > mailing list some time ago (~few months). I want to take advantage of > security. > > However, a programmer who I know personally and respect considers > OpenBSD to be old-school, in a negative sense. He recommends Arch > Linux as superior, because more new. Does the difference boil down to > one's definition of free software, and then compliance with that > definition? > > I have read up on this a lot, and this is a serious question. I have > heard that it is unimportant what *nix you're on after a few years of > using one or the other, in terms of functionality. I am interested in > embedded devices. I think that bends the needle towards Arch, but the > security of OpenBSD is also attractive. What considerations should I > take into account? If installability on embedded devices is a requirement, I think that would rule out a whole bunch of BSDs and Linux distros. About your friend: There's a logical fallacy called "Appeal to Novelty" (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Appeal_to_novelty) If your experience is anything like mine, household appliances installed in the 1980's tended to last almost 20 years, whereas appliances in the 2010's tend to last about six. Sometimes newer is better, sometimes it's not. Arch Linux uses the relatively new systemd init system/OS controller/Desktop aid. It's such a mess that nobody's ever been able to draw its block diagram, complete with boxes and arrows. My main OS right now is Void Linux, but when I used OpenBSD I was impressed with how everything worked exactly the same, every single time. This is subjective, but I view OpenBSD as the most solid OS I've ever run. SteveT Steve Litt January 2018 featured book: Troubleshooting: Why Bother? http://www.troubleshooters.com/twb
