How To Approach OpenBSD With A Few Tips

BSD systems stand often on an unnoticed island, while Linux can be seen almost everywhere without people's knowledge of other alternatives. In version 4.1 of OpenBSD, users have a native port of OpenOffice.org and many other utilities that help to cope with problems that users face with open source software.

For some people, it is difficult to prepare a bootable CD with OpenBSD, as official ISO images are not available (contrary to FreeBSD or NetBSD).

1. How to burn a CD. Download cdrtools and burn your media with (cdrecord) almost the same syntax as in Linux.
2. How to write documents. In OpenBSD, you have two very good Word editors that will also handle the Microsoft Word format. One is AbiWord and the other one is OpenOffice.org. You can also spell check your documents. Both editors are included in the OpenBSD packages repository. The native port of OpenOffice.org first appeared in version OpenBSD 4.1.
3. How to install a program. If you have packages on your CD/DVD, or in a local directory, you can issue a very simple command: pkg_add package.tgz
4. OpenBSD router/NAT/firewall. I developed SONaFR, which is a one floppy OpenBSD router with NAT/firewalling capabilities: www.freebsd.nfo.sk/opbsd. If you need a free router, consider OpenBSD - it is one of the most secure systems in the world.
5. How to make the ISO image of OpenBSD. The OpenBSD team does not provide ISO images for users - they are encouraged to buy CDs. If you are interested in making your own OpenBSD, install CD, download OpenBSD's files from this ftp site: ftp://ftp.openbsd.org/pub/OpenBSD/4.1 where the last number is the version of OpenBSD. The aforementioned directory also contains other architectures, so choose your own (i386, AMD64, etc.). Download all files from FTP's architecture directory to a local disk - to /usr/opbsd/4.1/i386 directory, which you can create, and when you are finished with your download, issue this command (Linux, FreeBSD, or even mkisof.exe for Windows):
   mkisofs -b cdrom41.fs -c boot.cat -R -v -o /usr/myopenbsd.iso /usr/opbsd
   Create the directory opbsd/4.1/i386 in your /usr space. During installation, OpenBSD script is looking for its version directory, so if "4.1/i386" is not in the ISO image, you must type its path manually, which may be bothersome.
6. How to include packages to the installation DVD. Mkisofs makes the ISO image from files that you burn to a CD or DVD. But with IS0 9660 format, it does not matter which medium you use. The only requirement is that it must fit on the medium. Since packages are in a separate directory, you may visit the packages directory, download them all and put them to /usr/opbsd/4.1/packages/i386 directory. After issuing the above command, your packages will be included to the ISO file and you can burn your first OpenBSD DVD.

The philosophy of proprietary developers is to keep a lock on users who use proprietary systems so that users are not able to look into the source code.  Proprietary licenses are restrictive - if you buy a program, you cannot copy and share it with friends. This situation is much better with "free" licenses; BSD and Linux follow the same approach in this regard.