1.0 - Introduction to OpenBSD

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Table of Contents

• 1.1 - What is OpenBSD?
• 1.2 - On what systems does OpenBSD run?
• 1.3 - Is OpenBSD really free?
• 1.4 - Why might I want to use OpenBSD?
• 1.5 - How can I help support OpenBSD?
• 1.6 - Who maintains OpenBSD?

1.1 - What is OpenBSD?

The OpenBSD project produces a freely available, multi-platform 4.4BSD-based UNIX-like operating system. Our efforts place emphasis on portability, standardization, correctness, and security. OpenBSD supports binary emulation of most binaries from SVR4 (Solaris), FreeBSD, Linux, BSDI, SunOS, and HPUX.

1.2 - On what systems does OpenBSD run?

OpenBSD 2.8 runs on the following platforms:

• i386 - CD bootable
• sparc - CD bootable
• hp300
• amiga
• mac68k
• powerpc
• sun3
• mvme68k
• vax

bootable means that OpenBSD will boot directly from the CD. The CD set will boot on several hardware platforms. See section 3.0 of this FAQ for details of obtaining OpenBSD on CD.

Previous releases of OpenBSD also had a port for:

• arc - This port was removed from the 2.4 release. Code can be found in OpenBSD 2.3.
• mvme88k
• alpha - It is likely this port will re-appear in the near future.
• pmax.html

Multiprocessor support? See 8.12 for more info.

1.3 - Is OpenBSD really free?

OpenBSD is all free. The binaries are free. The source is free. All parts of OpenBSD have reasonable copyright terms permitting free redistribution. This includes the ability to REUSE most parts of the OpenBSD source tree, either for personal or commercial purposes. OpenBSD includes NO further restrictions other than those implied by the original BSD license. Software which is written under stricter licenses cannot be included in the regular distribution of OpenBSD. This is intended to safeguard the free use of OpenBSD. For example, OpenBSD can be freely used for personal use, for academic use, by government institutions, by non-profit making organizations and by commercial organizations.

For further reading on other popular licenses read: http://www.openbsd.org/policy.html.

The maintainers of OpenBSD support the project largely from their own pockets. This includes the time spent programming for the project, equipment used to support the many ports, the network resources used to distribute OpenBSD to you, and the time spent answering questions and investigating users' bug reports. The OpenBSD developers are not independently wealthy and even small contributions of time, equipment, and resources make a big difference.

1.4 - Why might I want to use OpenBSD?

New users frequently want to know whether OpenBSD is superior to some other free UNIX-like operating system. That question is largely un-answerable and is the subject of countless (and useless) religious debates. Do not, under any circumstances, ask such a question on an OpenBSD mailing list.

Below are some reasons why we think OpenBSD is a useful operating system. Whether OpenBSD is right for you is a question that only you can answer.

• OpenBSD runs on many different hardware platforms.
• OpenBSD is thought of by many security professionals to be the most secure UNIX-like operating system as the result of a 10-member 1.5-year long comprehensive source code security audit.
• OpenBSD is a full-featured UNIX-like operating system available in source form at no charge.
• OpenBSD integrates cutting-edge security technology suitable for building firewalls and private network services in a distributed environment.
• OpenBSD benefits from strong on-going development in many areas, offering opportunities to work with emerging technologies with an international community of programmers and end-users.
• OpenBSD offers opportunities for ordinary people to participate in the development and testing of the product.

1.5 - How can I help support OpenBSD?

We are greatly indebted to the people and organizations that have contributed to the OpenBSD project. They are acknowledged by name here:

http://www.openbsd.org/donations.html

OpenBSD has a constant need for several types of support from the user community. If you find OpenBSD useful, you are strongly encouraged to find a way to contribute. If none of the suggestions below are right for you, feel free to propose an alternative by sending e-mail to donations@openbsd.org.

• Buy an OpenBSD CD. It includes the current full release of OpenBSD, and is bootable on many platforms. It also generates revenue to support the OpenBSD project, and reduces the strain on network resources used to deliver the distribution via the Internet. This inexpensive two-CD set includes full source. Remember, your friends need their own copy!
• Donate money. The project has a constant need for cash to pay for equipment, network connectivity, and expenses relating to CD publishing. Manufacturing CDs requires an up-front out-of-pocket investment for the OpenBSD developers, without guaranteed return. Send e-mail to donations@openbsd.org to find out how to contribute. Even small donations make a profound difference.
• Donate equipment and parts. The project has a constant need for general and specific hardware. Items such as IDE and SCSI disks, and various types of RAM are always welcome. For other types of hardware such as computer systems and motherboards, you should inquire as to current need. Write to donations@openbsd.org to arrange for shipment.
• Donate your time and skills. Programmers who enjoy writing operating systems are naturally always welcome, but there are literally dozens of other ways that people can be useful. Follow mailing lists and help answer new-user questions.
• Help maintain documentation by submitting new FAQ material (to faq@openbsd.org). Form a local user group and get your friends hooked on OpenBSD. Make a case to your employer for using OpenBSD at work. If you're a student, talk to your professors about using OpenBSD as a learning tool for Computer Science or Engineering courses. It's also worth mentioning one of the most important ways you should not try to "help" The OpenBSD project: do not waste your time engaging in operating system flame wars on Usenet newsgroups. It does not help the project to find new users and can cause substantial harm to important relationships that developers have with other developers.

1.6 - Who maintains OpenBSD?

OpenBSD is maintained by a development team spread across many different countries. The project is coordinated by Theo de Raadt, located in Canada.

[To Section 2.0 - Other OpenBSD information resources]