+++
title = "OpenBSD: Live from OpenBSD in Amsterdam"
author = ["Michał Sapka"]
date = 2023-07-19T22:47:00+02:00
categories = ["blog"]
draft = false
weight = 2037
abstract = "A short info on OpenBSD Amsterdam"
aliases = ["/2023/moved-to-openbsd", "/bsd/moved-to-openbsd/"]
+++
This site, in its infancy, was running Debian on Linode.
Then I moved [^fn:1] to [FreeBSD](https://freebsd.org) on Vultr.
Today marks a day of another migration:
hello from [OpenBSD](https://www.openbsd.org/) running on [OpenBSD Amsterdam](https://openbsd.amsterdam/).[^fn:2]
## OpenBSD {#openbsd}
OpenBSD Logo
OpenBSD is one of the three most popular BSD distributions.
While [NetBSD](https://www.netbsd.org/) focuses on running on obscure hardware[^fn:3], and [FreeBSD](https://freebsd.org) has ZFS as its killer feature, OpenBSD is all about security[^fn:4].
I was very happy with FreeBSD, but at the same time, I was never fully confident in my ability to configure it securely.
Not that my server hosts anything of real value[^fn:6], but I still wouldn't like a machine I administer to become a cog in some botnet.
Between learning forensics and a new OS, the latter seems nicer.
OpenBSD's official project goal[^fn:7] states that even though they aim to provide the most secure OS, each developer has their own goals and can freely pursue them as long as the project adheres to these goals.
It's a very different approach to what we see anywhere else.
There is no 10-year roadmap and constant consultations.
Instead, we have a hacker-oriented[^fn:8] culture.
This resulted in multiple projects having their inception in OpenBSD, like [OpenSSH](https://www.openssh.com/) or [LibreSSL](https://www.libressl.org/).
OpenBSD ships with a secure by-default mindset.
All non-essential services are disabled, and those running are using sensible configurations.
For example, I had huge problems configuring a firewall on FreeBSD, especially for IPv6[^fn:9].
On OpenBSD, it was much simpler.
OpenBSD being a BSD, provides a complete system - system and user space are developed together.
No GNU tools are needed, as everything comes together.
At the same time, BSDs come with a lot of surprising things out of the box.
FreeBSD wowed me with Jails[^fn:10].
All in all, a lot of things I've learned on FreeBSD are easily transplantable to OpenBSD.
They say that all BSDs are separate OSes, a stark difference from distributions of GNU/Linux.
I fail to see it, as so much works the same.
The package manager of FreeBSD may be more modern, and the separation between system space and user space[^fn:11] is not so evident here, but so many things work the same.
I can not pretend to be a pro-BSDer, but I fail to see evidence of them diverging so narrowly to call them completely different OSes.
But then again, maybe it's just my poor judgment and love for POSIX.
And still no SystemD(1) in sight. I don't have enough willpower to learn forensics or Rust, not even to mention an OS-level complex PID1 process.
## OpenBSD Amsterdam {#openbsd-amsterdam}
OpenBSD Amsterdam logo
I had a similar exodus of server providers.
First, it was Linode, then Vultr.
Linode became useless when I wanted to try BSD.
Vultr was great as it provided images of FreeBSD and OpenBSD for its VMs.
But why stop halfway?
Vultr doesn't use BSD as the base system.
While it may not be a big deal, I've recently learned of[ OpenBSD Amsterdam](https://openbsd.amsterdam/)[^fn:12].
OpenBSD Amsterdam is a small company based in (to the surprise of everyone reading this) Amsterdam.
What's even better is that they serve OpenBSD VMS from OpenBSD hosts via vmm(4) and vmd(8) - a small virtualization driver baked into OpenBSD. Cool.
What's even cooler is that they give a significant part of their earnings to the [OpenBSD Fundation](https://www.openbsdfoundation.org/).
I could not resist, and a day after learning about them, I had already paid for a full year.
## Updates {#updates}
2023-12-12: moved info about web stack to a [dedicated article](/bsd/open-bsd-web-stack).
[^fn:1]: [Early FreeBSD Thoughts](https://michal.sapka.me/2023/early-freebsd-thoughts/)
[^fn:2]: for technical folks, tinkering with their sites is just as fun as making them.
I still have to create a "Yet Another Blog System", but discovering BSD was a great award in itself.
[^fn:3]: There is a semi-widely known story about running NetBSD on a [toaster](https://www.embeddedts.com/blog/netbsd-toaster-powered-by-the-ts-7200-arm9-sbc/).
It may not support a modern WiFi card, but if the device is old, you can run NetBSD on it.
[^fn:4]: At least officially.
In reality, I'm test-driving it on my laptop and have much fewer problems than with FreeBSD[^fn:5].
[^fn:5]: You may want to check my writing about this epic fight - [FreeBSD on Thinkpad X1 Extreme G2]().
[^fn:6]: at least until "[Run Your Own Mail Server](https://www.tiltedwindmillpress.com/product/ryoms-esponsor/)" finally lands in my digital hands
[^fn:7]: : [OpenBSD Project Goals](https://www.openbsd.org/goals.html)
[^fn:8]: : enough said that OpenBSD coined the term "Hackathon" before corporations stole it - like the internet.
[^fn:9]: : [Fixing IPv6 and securing the domain](https://michal.sapka.me/2023/fixing-ipv6-and-securing-the-domain/)
[^fn:10]: : Jails are FreeBSD containerization mechanisms based solely on chroot(8). Ever since I learned how simple it can be, I started vocalizing my disgust for Docker.
[^fn:11]: : vide hier(7)of [OpenBSD](https://man.openbsd.org/hier) and of [FreeBSD](https://man.freebsd.org/cgi/man.cgi?hier(7))
[^fn:12]: : notice the lack of Amazon Web Services.
Screw them.
They have almost all of the interwebs in their server farm, but they will not have this blog!