Douglas A. Tutty 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.
1) We don't do "discussions". 2) See rule #1 :) ... > 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. Wow, you determined a lot from your experience with your 486... Never found a use for "3D acceleration" myself. Seems to be mostly for games and, well, games. > 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. and no point talking about things that don't exist. > 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. I should introduce you to fluffy, my multi-headed computer. Two 1280x1024 LCD panels, one 1600x1200 CRT. Why do I have three monitors? Because my table isn't big enough for #4 (there are at least two empty PCI slots in the thing. :) > > > # >8-- > > Does this seem like a fair addition? no, I don't like this. And, I get to make those decisions. :) I obviously don't share your definition of "desktop". To me, you don't describe a desktop computer, you are describing an entertainment system. I do work with my computer...both for money and fun, but it is a tool to accomplish what I wish to do, not the goal of my work. It is a tool on my desk, like my the phone, the calculator, the screwdriver and other tools. I watch movies in a theater or on a TV. It's good to step away from the computer once in a while, and interact with people. How about mentioning the fact that it doesn't run Microsoft Office? That is a lot of people's definition of a desktop computer. They don't want OpenOffice, they want MS Word, Excel, and Powerpoint. How about Autocad? Outlook? Visual Basic? Halo3? Nero? Weblogic Workbench? That silly but addictive game my mother plays on her laptop? How dare you call it a desktop without these apps?? Personally, I absolutely LOVE the fact that OpenBSD doesn't support flash natively. I think that's a great selling point for using it on a desktop. Oh, but you not only like flash, but demand it. That's ok, that's your measure of "desktop", it's my measure of annoying. Are there some places I can't go? Yep. I rather suspect they lose more by not having me than I do by not having them. There is no shortage of flash-free or non-flash-dependent websites for me to waste my time on. Based on the saying, "What is the most commonly clicked on link on the Internet? 'skip intro'", I really don't think I'm alone here. It sounds like your definition of "desktop" is "Windows", but you don't like Windows. Ok, whatever. Use whatever Windows-emulating system you like best. OpenBSD is not spending its time emulating Windows, not in look-and-feel, not in application count, not in design, not in security. There were desktop computers before Windows, there are desktop computers OTHER than those based on the Windows model. OpenBSD isn't for everyone. It is for each prospective user to decide whether OpenBSD is for them by their own definitions. If you are going to start enumerating ways that OpenBSD isn't Windows, it will take a lot more than what you have written, and it isn't something I want to waste space in the FAQ for. You could write a comparable article arguing that OpenBSD isn't a server, either, since it doesn't run Exchange, Weblogic, MS-SQL Server, or ... Nick.
