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points by fguerraz 3 days ago | 0 comments

OpenBSD shows nothing. It’s insignificant and nobody is actively looking for flaws in it.

OpenBSD gave you OpenSSH and many interesting technologies. Hardly “insignificant “…

It did, yet almost no one uses the OS itself.

OpenBSD is a software distribution, that can be used as an operating system. To claim OpenBSD is “insignificant” is simply wrong.

OpenBSD components are widely used. OpenSSH is one example used by most of HN.

OpenBSDs libc is also used by Android as another example. Also widely used.

[–] Geezus_42 2 days ago

Specific parts of the system are significant. The system as a whole is insignificant. I have no hate for OpenBSD, but those significant parts would find a new home if it didn't exists.

[–] Gud 2 days ago

Doubtful. They only EXIST because of the OpenBSD team.

Time and time again, we see how ports of OpenSSH has vulnerabilities not found in OpenBSDs version.

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50377221

[–] gertop 2 days ago

You might be technically correct about the OpenBSD project as a whole, but please remember the topic at hand which is exploit in kernels. OpenBSD's kernel truly is insignificant beyond being a source of pride for its very vocal circle jerk.

[–] Shorel 3 days ago

It is enough that it is good and that it has a community that uses it.

Not everything needs to be dominant to be successful. That's a pure USian way of thinking.

In fact, we are much better of with it existing. Think of it as a safeguard in case Linux gets overwhelmed or we need to migrate in a rush.

[–] Ar-Curunir 3 days ago

The point is that no one has spent 1.2M dollars worth of tokens finding bugs in it. If they did, I am sure they would find many bugs.

[–] Shorel 2 days ago

Given current AI trends, it would not surprise me one bit if they actually try exactly this scenario in the following weeks.

Then we can compare with actual data.