OpenBSD

OpenBSD is a secure, freely available, multi-platform BSD-based Unix-like operating system. OpenBSD specialises in security and correctness. Its developers carefully and proactively audit the system's code, which in turn contributes to the stability and security of OpenBSD. The project is led by Theo de Raadt from Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

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Schism

In December of 1994, Theo de Raadt, a co-founder and member of the NetBSD core team for two years, was "asked to resign" from the NetBSD Foundation. His access to the NetBSD CVS server was terminated and he was instructed to e-mail any further changes to the system as patches, so that the core team could check them. He was also informed that he no longer represented the NetBSD project in any formal manner.

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As the main developer of the sparc port and, at the time, the second most active developer on NetBSD, Theo was surprised and displeased at these events. During the seven months that followed, he attempted to discover the reason for his removal. However, he found that NetBSD developers had been encouraged not to talk with him about the issue. Thus, after much frustration, he decided to create a new project.

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At the time, the NetBSD CVS system was closed to the general public. Only members of the core team were permitted to access it. Outsiders were only able to see what was released, rather than follow what was currently being worked on. This approach had some problems. For example, contributed patches would often be duplicates of already completed but undisclosed work in the CVS repository. Theo decided to make this aspect of his project the polar opposite of NetBSD. Where the NetBSD CVS was closed, his project's would be open. Working with Chuck Cranor, a server was set up to allow anonymous access to the new project's source. This was the first time the concept was ever used and it has since been adopted by all of the open source BSD operating systems. It is from this that the new project would take its name.

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The removal of Theo de Raadt caused a schism within NetBSD and many developers chose to pick a side. Some that considered Theo's treatment unjust moved to work with him. Others that agreed with the core team's actions, or felt that Theo had been damaging to NetBSD's image and had scared away potential contributors, stayed with NetBSD. Some simply remained on the sidelines, contributing to both projects. In October 1995, OpenBSD 2.0 was first released as a fork from NetBSD 1.0.

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To date, no information has been publicly released by the then NetBSD core team

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(Charles Hannum, Adam Glass, Paul Kranenburg, J.T. Conklin, Chris Demetriou) as to why Theo was expelled. The only reason officially given is "because of philosophical and developer personality differences" between Theo de Raadt and the other founders of NetBSD.

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Focus

During the early period of OpenBSD's existence, Theo de Raadt was contacted by a local security software developer interested in creating a tool to find and attempt to exploit possible security flaws. This company began a symbiotic relationship with Theo and his newly formed OpenBSD project, a synergy that allowed him to tighten his operating system while the company expanded its tool.

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This helped to form the focal point of the OpenBSD project. Where other systems might take the path of least resistance, OpenBSD would often go out of the way to do what was right, proper or secure, even at the cost of ease, speed or functionality.

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With time, relations with the company began to dissipate. As bugs within OpenBSD became less easily found and exploitable, the security company found that it was too difficult, or not cost effective, to handle such obscure problems. After years of cooperation, the two parties decided that their goals together had been met and parted ways.

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Here and now

Despite being the largest reason for OpenBSD's existence, security is not the only focus of the OpenBSD project. As a descendant of NetBSD, OpenBSD is a very portable operating system, currently running on 16 different hardware platforms. Supported platforms are added and dropped as resources and practicality warrant. Other focuses are licence purity and good documentation. OpenBSD has strict guidelines regarding the licence of imported code, and strives to remove or replace existing code that is under licences considered undesirable. The excellent quality and wide coverage of the man pages are a noted feature of the project.

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