jumping from ubuntu to OpenBSD

[Woodchuck]

On Sun, 12 Nov 2006, Vim Visual wrote:

hmmm, "slice" is FreeBSDish.

Are you planning on installing so that the laptop will boot both
OpenBSD and that Ubuntu thing?

> -firefox, nvu, xine etc

Firefox, as of 1.5.0.7 and I presume .8 is buggy, and crashes like
a windoze application -- very shabby error handling in the programming,
full of memory leaks, too, I hypothesize.  those saying it works fine
either have a loser definition of "fine" than I do (fine = "NEVER 
crashes" to me) or haven't pushed firefox into a corner.  Open
about four or five separate windows (same user) and ten or so
tabs per window and exercise them all.  After about three days of
this it'll quit without an error message, or dump core, or on
some occasions misbehave so badly that it crashes the complete
X system.

(My version of 1.5.0.7 dumps core if the DISPLAY variable isn't
set according to its liking. This does not inspire confidence.)

Also, you will discover that native java support is a true pain in
the butt to install and use.

Because of licensing issues, you are more or less on your own with
java.  It's in the ports, and requires you sign ("click") an NDA
with sun.  There are no "approved" packages for installing java,
as far as I know.  This list will help with java, I'm no expert on
it, but I have gotten it installed.  Java's buggy and dumps core
sometimes.

Forget flash -- non-existent for OpenBSD, as far as I know.
Unfortunately, the rest of the world will not forget flash.  (Like
my stockbroker.)

The workaround is to install a linux emulation (RedHat) and run
linux versions of mozilla and/or firefox.  I'm developing a personal
aversion to linux over the years that is getting (but not surpassing)
my aversion to windoze.  But I'm a curmudgeon.

> etc etc but I assume these things are working just fine, right?

No.  You can assume that everything in the OpenBSD *core* works
fine, much better than linux of any kind, but that remark does not
apply to ports or packages.  Yeah, that's a negative thing to say,
but it's true.  These things, ("applications") are distinct 2nd
priority to the OpenBSD project.  That said, give it a shot anyway.
The OpenBSD port *system* is fine, it's the ports themselves that
are spotty.

> Since this mailing list is called "newbies" I think it's the right
> place to post this.

Right.  This is a "be nice" list.

> 
> This is just a wrming-up email... when I start the hard-core thing be
> ready to have patience with my emails, please... :)
> 
> Cheers,
> 
> Pau
> 
> PS: I bought the Absolute OpenBSD book but I didn't get it yet!

Should be good reading.

Dave
-- 
  "Confound these wretched rodents! For every one I fling away,
               a dozen more vex me!" -- Doctor Doom