commit 42a5dc8bbf7574698e0d5ad095170c7556f51f81 from: Roman Zolotarev date: Thu Oct 03 04:34:11 2019 UTC add mattew commit - 13fa7b43e07ef958d42956f159122a8a0cee9264 commit + 42a5dc8bbf7574698e0d5ad095170c7556f51f81 blob - 712c619f56005cd3503829cdb2ca0409b25a2c4f blob + ecd1d51733e1182528d83e1c8397affb382ff017 --- index.html +++ index.html @@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ products. Brave and curious people

You should try it too.”

+ Yuki blob - 78ecf48c8281eeebfd166e0b989829769189514d blob + 73b20e9794266ec5f8029ffe4bfc05312c90adad --- people/index.html +++ people/index.html @@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ with your display name and avatar.

Stories

+ blob - /dev/null blob + 64944e7e311221651ec7316e7367760cab0bddb9 (mode 644) Binary files /dev/null and people/matthewgraybosch.jpeg differ blob - /dev/null blob + 37c4addf7d390a717ce144509724e79cb73033a4 (mode 644) --- /dev/null +++ people/matthewgraybosch.md @@ -0,0 +1,152 @@ +

+ +# Matthew Graybosch Runs BSD + +I'm a novelist you probably haven't read, I code for a living (using +mainly Microsoft tech, [for my +sins](https://www.macmillandictionary.com/us/dictionary/american/for-my-sins)), +and I've been running [OpenBSD](https://openbsd.org) on my personal +computers since 2017. If you're familiar with the various [BSD +operating systems](https://runbsd.info) you might raise an eyebrow +at my choice, since OpenBSD is the preferred OS of security-conscious +system administrators. + +One would think that it isn't an OS for long-haired metalheads who +write crappy sf on their lunch breaks. Nevertheless, it's the OS +with which I'm most comfortable. Nor is it my first Unix. My first +Unix, if you're willing to count experience gained in a college +computer lab, was SunOS 3.x on a SPARCstation. + +Exposure to Unix while learning C was a revelation, and while I +never became a systems programmer, I got familiar enough with Unix +that I soon chafed against the limitations of the PC DOS that came +with my first PC (a secondhand IBM PS Value/Point) and the various +incarnations of Windows with which I had to cope at school and later +at work. + +Once I left school and got a job as a developer, I built a new +computer and ran a variety of Unix systems at home. Before I finally +got around to trying OpenBSD on a secondhand Lenovo Thinkpad, I ran +FreeBSD for a while, used Intel Macbooks, and did entirely too much +distro-hopping. + +If I learned anything, it was the following: + +- GNU/Linux is for people who loathe Microsoft +- OSX is for people who dislike Windows and are OK with throwing money at problems +- The BSDs are for people who actually *like* Unix + +For a while I thought I was just somebody who loathed Microsoft. +For a while, I was somebody who loathed Windows and preferred to +throw money at problems to avoid spending time. It was only recently +that I remembered how much I had actually *enjoyed* having access +to an Unix system in college, and that memory came to me the first +time I installed OpenBSD. + +I was lucky; I had picked a laptop that had good hardware compatibility +for little other reason than that I liked typing on it and that I +could get a refurbished model for less than $300. Thus it was easy +to just plug in a network cable so my Thinkpad could pull packages +from the network and just follow the instructions on every step of +the boot screen. The only point I lingered over was partitioning, +since I wanted to use all of my drive's space instead of settling +for the defaults and growing disklabel partitions later. + +I had "Money for Nothing" by Dire Straits on the stereo while the +installer carried out my instructions, and found myself singing +along in anticipation... + +> I want my...
+> I want my BSD... + +Once it was done I logged in as root, read the +[`afterboot(8)`](https://man.openbsd.org/afterboot) man page, set +up [`doas.conf(5)`](https://man.openbsd.org/doas.conf) so I could +do admin stuff without logging in as root, and started breaking in +my new system. The first thing that struck me was the breadth of +documentation provided by [OpenBSD man pages](https://man.openbsd.org/). +The dev team does *not* do a half-assed job of documenting the +system. If it's in base, it's got a man page, and that man page is +*comprehensive*. Even config files have man pages (in section 5). +I've never seen a GNU/Linux distribution as thoroughly documented +as OpenBSD. + +The next big surprise was the sheer generosity of the software +included with the base system when you install every set. Need a +text editor? Take your pick from `vi(1)`, `mg(1)` (an Emacs clone), +or the venerable standard Unix editor `ed(1)`. Need simple version +control for personal projects? Why not `rcs(1)`? Want a graphical +session? Just enable `xenodm(1)` in `rc.conf.local(5)`; Xenocara +(OpenBSD's custom X.org build) even comes with three window managers: +`twm(1)`, `fvwm(1)`, and `cwm(1)`. Want to run simple websites or +send email? `httpd(8)` and `smtpd(5)` are there. Need a software +firewall? `pf(4)` is there and running by default. Hell, if you're +old-school enough to still prefer music on CDs and have your computer +hooked up to a good pair of speakers, try `cdio(1)`. + +Naturally, OpenBSD comes with the classic BSD games collection, +with [all your old favorites](https://man.openbsd.org/intro.6). +Like text adventures? Try `adventure(6)`. Fancy a dungeon crawl? +`hack(6)` away. Enjoy simulations? Try `atc(6)` for a taste of an +air traffic controller's duties (union-busting not necessarily +included). We've even got `tetris(6)`. + +There's *plenty* you can do with the base system and its included +tools and utilities. If the included public-domain Korn shell +(`ksh(1)`) isn't your cup of tea, you can always install `bash`, +`zsh`, or `fish` using the [package +manager](https://man.openbsd.org/?query=pkg&apropos=1&sec=1&arch=default&manpath=OpenBSD-current). +Need a web browser? Pick a package. Need to do graphics editing? +There's a package for that. Musician or moviemaker? We've got +packages for you. Setting up a industrial-strength home office PC? +We've got LibreOffice, graphical email clients, and everything else +you need. Want to typeset your own documents? TeX Live is in the +packages collection, and so are GNU Emacs, vim, and neovim if the +editors in base aren't fancy enough for you. If you're a developer +working with languages not supported by the dev tools provided in +base, or you're using a more recent SCM than `cvs(1)`, then the +package manager is your friend. + +If you want something that isn't provided by the OpenBSD base system, +chances are there's a package or a port available. If you want to +build another machine and install the same packages that you have +on the first, you can dump a list of installed packages to a file. +If you want to remove all of your installed packages and start over +with a clean base system, you can do that without reinstalling the +entire OS. + +However, it's not the documentation, the robust and capable base +system, or the package management that sold me on OpenBSD. It's the +fact that OpenBSD wasn't made for me. The developers made it for +themselves, and it just happens to be available if I want it and +am willing to put in the time and effort to make it work for me. +This isn't to say that the community surrounding OpenBSD is rude +or standoffish. I've found other BSD fans on social media friendly +and patient -- as long as you treat them like adults and act like +an adult yourself. They'll even help if you make it clear that +you've tried to solve your problems on your own. + +However, I don't think you'll see the core development team worrying +about how make OpenBSD more appealing to the general public. It +suits me because the system doesn't cater to my ignorance or try +to anticipate my requirements. It's a rock-solid general-purpose +toolkit, and what I do with it is entirely up to me. + +Admittedly, my life as a writer would probably be easier if I were +content to run Windows or use a Mac like the vast majority of +authors, but I can't help it. I want my BSD! It's not like Unix +hasn't leaked into my writing. For example, in *Silent Clarion* the +computer controlling an orbital weapons platform codenamed GUNGNIR +is powered by OpenBSD, and its protagonist runs into a bit of trouble +because she's familiar with POSIX shells, but not Multics. + +Rather than take the easy way out, I run OpenBSD on a Thinkpad +T430s, a Thinkcentre M92P, and an Apple iMac G4 *because I can*. I +do it because Unix is fun to run on secondhand hardware, and because +I don't think it's a coincidence that both Unix and heavy metal +date back to 1969. + +You can find me [on Mastodon](https://mastodon.sdf.org/@starbreaker) +and [on the open Web](https://www.matthewgraybosch.com). + +_[2 Oct 2019](/raw/people/matthewgraybosch.md)_