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14: <h2>
15: <a href="index.html">
16: <font color="#0000ff"><i>Open</i></font><font color="#000084">BSD</font></a>
17: <font color="#e00000">Users' Views</font>
18: </h2>
19: <hr>
1.5 ian 20: <p>
1.22 tb 21:
1.1 ian 22: <p>Many users have commented on their use of OpenBSD.
1.10 ian 23: The following are unsolicited comments from our public mailing lists or,
1.3 ian 24: occasionally, other mailing lists (these have links to the original articles).
1.6 ian 25: Postings have been shortened, and edited slightly for spelling and grammar,
1.1 ian 26: but are otherwise unchanged.
27:
1.8 deraadt 28: <hr>
29:
1.19 sthen 30: <h3>Jules Desforges wrote this in an introduction to the
1.22 tb 31: <a href="http://ukopenbsdusers.saneusergroup.org.uk/pipermail/uk-openbsd-users/2010-June/000022.html">
32: ukopenbsdusers mailing list</a>:</h3>
1.19 sthen 33: <p>
34: My name is Jules and I live in Kent. I've been using OpenBSD since 2.9.
35: I have OpenBSD running on 6 x Nexcom NSA1086's to provide core routing
36: between our Data Centres. All the routes are running from read-only
37: Compact Flash. Largely runs untroubled, pushing ~ 400Mb/s.
38: Main motivation was the cost savings compared to equivalent
39: Junpier/Cisco kit.
40: I hope to be testing the new MPLS code soon.
41: <p>
42:
1.13 henning 43: <h3><a href="mailto:SKohrman@apu.edu">Shawn Kohrman</a> writes:</h3>
44: <p>
45: As a Security/Network Administrator for over ten years, I have to say
46: OpenBSD is hands down the best out-of-the-box OS I have seen yet. I
1.14 henning 47: have worked with MS NT/2000, Linux (from its humble beginnings),
1.13 henning 48: Solaris, etc. OpenBSD is simple, clean, secure and reliable. Many
49: thanks to the developers for an outstanding job.
50:
1.10 ian 51: <h3><a href="mailto:kristoff@phatness.net">Kris Wilkinson</a> writes:</h3>
52: <p>
53: I've been securing networks for quite some time now, and until recently
54: when I installed Open BSD 3.0 I never realized how easy my life could have
55: been had I tried it earlier.
56: After experiencing all the "other" operating systems available, 3.0 has to
57: be the most secure, easily managed and well organized package I have ever seen.
58: Not only is it completely cutting edge, it focuses on the smaller points of
59: security which I'm tired of having to manually tweak every time you setup a box.
60: <p>
61: I am securing networks all over Alberta using your fantastic
62: setup. Thank you so much! Keep up the incredible work.
63:
1.8 deraadt 64: <h3>Matthew Haas says this:</h3>
1.1 ian 65: <p>
66: I've been very impressed with OpenBSD since my decision to install it.
67: Definitely a great system, reminds me of my Slackware days, but better.
68: <p>
69: Thanks.
70:
1.8 deraadt 71: <h3>
1.7 ian 72: <a href="mailto:webmaster@2600.org.au">Grant Bayley</a>,
1.8 deraadt 73: an IT Manager from Australia, writes:</h3>
1.1 ian 74: <p>
75: By way of success stories, since a few of us at 2600 Australia started
76: using OpenBSD about 12 months ago now in some form or another, we've seen...
77: friends load it onto their machines and been simply amazed
78: at the quality of it, in particular the forethought that goes into
79: securing things out of the box.
80: <p>
81: We've also had one of our guys working at an ISP go head-to-head with an
82: in-house SuSE zealot of sorts on a compatibility, stability and security
83: test in advance of them selecting an operating system for their servers
84: (which, while using RedHat, had been rooted at least once). OpenBSD passed
1.6 ian 85: with flying colors and as of today, they're beginning a roll-out of 2.6
1.1 ian 86: onto their servers, mostly using stock components and software from the
87: ports tree (qmail, cucipop etc).
88:
1.8 deraadt 89: <h3>System and Network Administrator Jeff Schneiter offers this:</h3>
1.1 ian 90: <p> With a frozen budget it sure makes one squeeze every last
91: bit of power out of whatever hardware one can lay his hands
92: on... and thanks to OpenBSD, I have been doing just that.
93:
1.8 deraadt 94: <h3><a name=sarendal href="mailto:tony@polarcap.org">Tony Sarendal</a> says this:</h3>
1.1 ian 95: <p>I tried OpenBSD because of the IPsec support.
96: The reason I stick with it is because it really is nice to use
97: and it gives a feeling of quality which no other OS can match.
98: <p>
99: I did some programming on an OpenBSD machine, after this I really
100: appreciated the man pages. Other Unices I used had man pages that
101: simply weren't any good.
102: <p>
103: Keep up the good work guys.
104:
1.8 deraadt 105: <h3>Security Engineer Tyler Allison writes:</h3>
1.1 ian 106: <p>
1.6 ian 107: I have installed, secured, and maintained Linux, Windows NT and OpenBSD in
108: highly secure environments. (yes you can secure Linux and Windows NT in
1.1 ian 109: this environment :) ). Having said that I have to point out that if you
110: want a minimum administration to keep up with security issues option you
111: need to pick OpenBSD by far. It is not uncommon for people to go years without
112: updating their production OpenBSD machines because they are just rock solid
113: and there are no known "remote" vulnerabilities. Thus no good reason to
114: upgrade...
115: <p>
116: I would feel perfectly happy to have one of my [novice] interns do a basic
117: OpenBSD install on a PC (no extra security work after the install) and then put
118: the companies crown jewels on that machine and then walk away for a year.
119: Knowing full well that machine hasn't crashed, been broken into or in need
120: of an OS upgrade. You can't say that about NT or Linux.
1.14 henning 121: Or if you do you obviously haven't ever used the product that way :)
1.1 ian 122: <p>
123: Another thing that I hear people point out is go check your local exploit
124: site or vulnerability alert mailing list and see if you can find a "remote"
125: root level exploit that works on OpenBSD. I dare say you won't find any that
126: are less than 12 months old.
127:
1.8 deraadt 128: <h3>Jan Johansson gave this reply to a "how do I build a cheap web server?" query:</h3>
1.1 ian 129: <p>
130: I work today with Solaris, OpenBSD, NT Server, NT Workstation and Win 95.
131: <p>
132: After reading Bugtraq for some weeks I will say that I will never put
133: any (important) machine on the Internet if there is not a firewall in
134: front and for packet filtering I go for OpenBSD...
135: <p>
1.6 ian 136: For a cheap web server I say hardware from a known vendor, an ordered
1.1 ian 137: OpenBSD CD-ROM and Apache...
138:
139:
1.8 deraadt 140: <h3><a href="mailto:wyodlows@nj.devry.edu">
141: William Yodlowsky</a> at Devry Institute wrote:</h3>
1.1 ian 142:
1.4 ian 143: <p>[A few] years ago I was just getting into system administration. I learned
1.1 ian 144: Linux first. Then one of our old (I mean *really* old) BSDi servers
145: crashed, and it was up to me to rebuild the system.
146: <p>
147: I looked at FreeBSD, NetBSD, OpenBSD and Linux. In the end, it came down
148: to "secure and stable" that took the prize. OpenBSD 2.1 was installed.
149: <p>
150: Since then, I've run 2.1-2.5 on everything from production servers to
151: laptops. We've never (repeat: NEVER) had a break-in.
152: <p>
153: A coworker setup a RedHat based box to test his skills at setting up SSL
154: and a secure web site.
155: It was hacked literally overnight, and by the next morning was attacking
156: other sites.
157: <p>
158: Our OpenBSD servers were probed and then left alone.
159: <p>
160: In the intervening two years, that original server got upgraded
161: and patched several
162: times and the OS never gave us reason to question the reliability or
163: security of OpenBSD.
164: <p>
165: We have another box, acting as a router for about 800 workstations doing
166: very basic filtering and NAT. It's on a P120 with 32MB RAM and typically
167: the uptime would look like this:
168: <pre>
169: % uptime
170: 9:05PM up 266 days, 4:23, 1 user, load averages: 0.06, 0.06, 0.06
171: %</pre>
172: <p>As well, OpenBSD runs on my laptop.
1.6 ian 173: A Gateway Solo 2500 with a Xircom modem, and a Linksys fast Ethernet NIC.
1.1 ian 174: <p>
175: And it never crashes :)
176: <p>
1.4 ian 177: One other incident that made me a believer... we were pingbombed
178: [perhaps a predecessor to the early2000 DDOS attacks?]. I mean,
1.1 ian 179: 900 different hosts on different networks floodpinging an OpenBSD 2.3 box
1.6 ian 180: simultaneously, while it was processing email and web pages for 3500 users.
1.1 ian 181: <p>
182: It was a P133 with 64MB ram. And it didn't go down. It got a bit slower,
183: but never crashed :-)
184:
1.8 deraadt 185: <h3>John J. Adelsberger III said this about us in Bruce Schneier's
1.1 ian 186: <a href="http://www.counterpane.com/crypto-gram-0004.html#CommentsfromReaders">
1.8 deraadt 187: Crypto-Gram</a>:</h3>
1.2 ian 188: (the comments he is responding to are Schneier's)
1.1 ian 189: <br>
1.6 ian 190: <br>> Real systems show no signs of becoming less
191: <br>> complex. In fact, they are becoming more complex,
192: <br>> faster and faster. Microsoft Windows is a poster
193: <br>> child for this trend to complexity.
1.1 ian 194: <br>...
1.6 ian 195: <br>> The other choice is to slow down, to simplify,
196: <br>> and to try to add security.
1.1 ian 197: <p>
1.15 david 198: OpenBSD does this. <i>I am unaware of any other group whose workings
199: are publicly viewable that does so</i> [emphasis added], which is regrettable, because
1.1 ian 200: I would prefer not to have this appear as an OpenBSD plug; rather,
201: my purpose is to point out that not only is this approach feasible,
202: but it is being done.
203:
1.8 deraadt 204: <h3>Andrew Hermetz commented as follows:</h3>
1.1 ian 205: <p>Hey all,
206: <p>Just wanted to drop a line and thank all who have worked to make OpenBSD
207: such a clean, cool, & efficient project.
208: <p>Major kudos to Theo for being a man ahead of his time! ;-)
209: <p>As I have to frequently explain to people *why* security is important at
210: all ("if you have nothing to hide...", "nothing you do is important enough to
1.6 ian 211: warrant encryption...", "only criminals and terrorists need to sneak around
1.1 ian 212: anonymously...", etc. ad nauseam), let alone *why* it's important in this day
213: and age of personal networks behind a DSL or even a full T1, I love being able
1.6 ian 214: to point them to a page which sets out a well-reasoned explanation for taking
1.1 ian 215: computer security seriously.
216: <p>[... OpenBSD installed]
217: effortlessly onto a Pentium 90 Compaq LTE 5100 laptop -- even the no-name
218: brand LAN card came right up and did a kickass install over a friend's office
219: T1. When I sing its praises, the thing that seems to get most people is its
1.10 ian 220: spartan look & feel, but I like knowing where everything is and not having a
1.1 ian 221: distro that shoves [stuff] into dark corners I'll never find...
1.17 grunk 222:
223: <h3><a href="mailto:ben@wbpsystems.com">Ben Smith</a>, president of
224: <a href="http://www.wbpsystems.com">wbp systems</a> says:</h3>
225: OpenBSD is the most secure operating system
1.18 grunk 226: <a href="http://www.wbpsystems.com">wbp systems</a> has ever used.
1.17 grunk 227: With all of our products, OpenBSD has allowed us to focus on our customers
228: instead of tweaking the OS to make it secure.
229: Internally we use OpenBSD for everything imaginable.
230: With its rock solid performance, we never have to worry about a file
231: server, proxy server or application server crashing.
232:
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