sshd(8) split into multiple binaries- "After this changes, the listener binary will validate the configuration, load the hostkeys, listen on port 22 and manage MaxStartups only. All
session handling will be performed by a new sshd-session binary that the listener fork+execs." https://www.undeadly.org/cgi?action=article;sid=20240517092416#openbsd
Would be a free public shell account service based on #FreeBSD/#OpenBSD systems interesting for you? If yes, what would you run on it?
Please provide feedback, so @gyptazy can check if it makes sense to provide such a service (this is already available in a limited beta).
What to expect:
A free user login to a FreeBSD or #OpenBSD based system where multiple users can access it at the same time. You can do everything in your own home directory, run processes, open sockets, compile stuff etc. System is managed in general for you.
What you cannot do:
Make changes to the system in general, use low ports, install or modify things system wide.
@passthejoe I've tried using Guix a few times. It makes a lot of sense to me as a system you can spin up by specifying a few parameters in a deployment management script. It seems less suited for a personal desktop system that I'd work with daily.
Try #guix on Debian as a package manager: this will let you figure out if the packages you need are there.
I really like the shell feature of Guix: you can very easily deploy virtual environments for any language/tool--think of Docker without any of the complexities.
So, my actively used computer fleet is as follows now:
Main desktop, for gaming and general use. Bonkers fast brand new Ryzen 9 and high end Radeon. Runs Fedora KDE.
Laptop - the mini Intel N100 laptop I reviewed. I love this tiny 10"-er so, so much (context, Thom!). Fedora KDE.
Workstation. My awesome dual-Xeon machine with a Radeon Pro w5700, 4K display, and gobs of cores. Runs #OpenBSD with Xfce now. For work, located in my office.
The spare parts box, built from some previous machines' parts. Runs Windows 10 now, sadly, specifically for League of Legends. Uses my previous 1440p 144Hz display.
I have a million other machines, too, but they're not in use. My wife has computers, too of course. Our house is uh, a bit of a computery place.
Got me an old but new-to-me AsRock A300 DeskMini PC with a Ryzen 2400G. Microsoft says "bah, too old for Windows 11" which is how I got it (traded my HP mini PC that is Win11 supported to a friend who needs Win11 for work-from-home).
What to do with it? Why, run #OpenBSD of course!! I'm thinking minimalist backup workstation with cwm or i3 and as little else as possible that isn't in base already.
Firefox is a given, but apart from it and its dependencies what else would I really need? Thoughts? Opinions? Hit me.
Also noticed that #DNSCrypt provides a large amount of binary distributions for #FreeBSD, #OpenBSD, #NetBSD, #DragonFlyBSD, #Solaris, among several other OSs, plus many architecture-specific binaries. That is really nice! Next thing will be deploying it on the beastie server.