I use OpenBSD as a desktop everyday and I have an 'entertainment center' that delivers music, movies and arcade games which also runs OpenBSD.
OpenBSD is very well suited to being a media center due to the lean default install and excellent package system. On 10/12/07, Douglas A. Tutty <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > I've been evaluating OpenBSD as a desktop system while learning about it > on my lesser (older) hardware. I've learned a lot and will continue to > learn about OpenBSD but I don't think it will work as my primary > desktop. > > Based on what I've learned here on Misc, I'd like to start a discussion > about extending the answer to the OpenBSD FAQ # 1.10: "Can I use OpenBSD > as a Desktop System?" While of course every potential new user has to > evaluate OpenBSD for themselves, we could and I believe we should point > out some of the more common tripping points found by people who end up > not choosing OpenBSD for their desktop. > > As it exists right now it reads: > > # >8-- > > This question is often asked in exactly this manner -- with no > explanation of what the asker means by "desktop". The only person who > can answer that question is you, as it depends on what your needs and > expectations are. > > While OpenBSD has a great reputation as a "server" operating system, > it can be and is used on the desktop. Many "desktop" applications are > available through packages and ports. As with all operating systems > decisions, the question is: can it do the job you desire in the way > you wish? You must answer this question for yourself. > > It might be worth noting that a large amount of OpenBSD development is > done on laptops. > > # >8-- > > > I think the following paragraphs would enhance the FAQ to provide > the person new to the OpenBSD focus a heads up on some of the > difficulties. > > # >8-- > However, it is also worth noting that some desktop needs and uses are > incompatible with the focus of OBSD. There are currently no video cards > that provide full specs to create open drivers for all hardware > function, most notibly 3D accelleration. While more than adequate for > most uses of the X-Window system, performance while watching movies, > playing games, or graphic design, may be suboptimal or not possible > depending on your hardware and expectations. The use of binary "blob" > drivers would introduce the potential for unknown security breaches and > is not going to be supported on OpenBSD. The work is ongoing in the > larger open-source community to both create open-source drivers that can > access the full hardware potential of the video cards that are > available, and there is some work to create new video cards that will be > fully open and high performance. It just doesn't exist yet. > > Similarily, flash plugins in browsers cause untested code to run on the > computer and introduce the potential for unknown security breaches, and > are therefore not supported, other than as it already exists for the Opera > browser. > > It depends therefor on what is meant by "desktop". System > administrators will likely be thrilled with OpenBSD on their desktop. > However, a home user wanting an entertainment centre, a movie editor, a > graphic designer, or a user requiring a multi-headed Computer Aided > Drafting and Design system may find the tradeoffs made for security are > too steep to use OpenBSD as their operating system on such computers and > may choose to use a less secure operating system. > > > # >8-- > > Does this seem like a fair addition? > > Doug.
