Re: OpenBSD Install Goal

S.A.R. wrote:

> This was actually a letter from a Unix lover, asking when are we
> going to make these systems more approachable for the average user.


I hadn't realized that being "more approachable for the average user" 
was a design goal of the OpenBSD developers.  I had always thought it 
was something more like being a "nimble and transparent tool for the 
expert user."

I may be be misreading you, but there does seem to be, at least in part, 
an underlying assumption of the one true way:  All the Unixes should 
work the same as there is one best way of doing things.  I'm afraid that 
I'm going to have to disagree.  I, and I suspect many others, are 
perfectly fine with a multitude of products with different design goals 
and market niches.  In any case, I'm sure you're perfectly aware that 
they don't ignore improvements and advances made elsewhere.  Witness, as 
an example, the spread of pf.

In any case, the reception you get might be better if you gave specific 
suggestions for improvement rather than broad comparisons against 
FreeBSD, etc.  After all, OpenBSD, NetBSD, and FreeBSD didn't exactly 
part ways because the developers all thought things should be done the 
same way.  :-)


--Jon Radel