OpenBSD

Updated: 02/27/2019 by Computer Hope
OpenBSD puffer fish mascot.

OpenBSD is a free, open-source operating system derived from BSD (Berkeley Software Distribution).

History

Its development began as the NetBSD project in 1993, founded by Theo de Raadt, Chris Demetriou, Adam Glass, and Charles Hannum. De Raadt parted ways with NetBSD in 1995, forking the NetBSD 1.0 code and continuing its development under the name OpenBSD.

The first official release of OpenBSD was version 1.2 in July 1996.

Purpose and use cases

The stated goal of OpenBSD is to be the most secure operating system available, and its developers strive to patch security vulnerabilities "before anyone else." Development is headquartered in Canada, and can legally export the cryptographic software components of the system to the rest of the world. The source code and version control change history are both available for public review on the web.

OpenBSD is primarily used in servers, security applications, and highly-secure workstations. Downloads, CVS (Concurrent Version System), and additional information are available at the OpenBSD website.

Operating System terms, Security