However, it is also worth noting that some typical desktop needs and uses are incompatible with the focus of OpenBSD. There are currently no video cards that provide the necessary specifications to create open drivers for all hardware function, most notably 3D acceleration. While more than adequate for most uses of the X-Window system, in some cases 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 available video cards. If this is something you care about, please contact your video card manufacturer.
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. Therefore, it 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 trade offs 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. ---- Fixed up a tiny bit, now that I've gotten a good whack with the old cluestick. No opinion either positive or negative on it's inclusion. That, and it has nothing to do with me. I agree with what's being said, I think...but people's definition of a desktop differ, and as an aside, it's perhaps a little excessive? I mean, how many users are going to really notice video differences, or attempt to play 3d games in OpenBSD? (Do we even have many in ports?) On 10/11/07, Kevin Stam <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > Ah, thanks for the information. My bad. I'll have to take back the video > comments now. :) Learn something new every day... > > On 10/11/07, Brett Lymn < [EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > > On Thu, Oct 11, 2007 at 10:56:38PM -0400, Kevin Stam wrote: > > > > > > Or perhaps you're being quite legitimate here. I just haven't heard of > > that > > > problem before, it's always been about 3d acceleration. > > > > > > > http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/X_video_extension > > > > It makes a big difference. > > > > -- > > Brett Lymn > > "Warning: > > The information contained in this email and any attached files is > > confidential to BAE Systems Australia. If you are not the intended > > recipient, any use, disclosure or copying of this email or any > > attachments is expressly prohibited. If you have received this email > > in error, please notify us immediately. VIRUS: Every care has been > > taken to ensure this email and its attachments are virus free, > > however, any loss or damage incurred in using this email is not the > > sender's responsibility. It is your responsibility to ensure virus > > checks are completed before installing any data sent in this email to > > your computer."
