Installing OpenBSD on the Pomera DM250 Writerdeck (jcs.org)

by djfergus 14 comments 74 points
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14 comments

[−] skydhash 30d ago
I'm running OpenBSD as a daily driver and one of its nicer point is not the security angle, but how simple and hackable it is, while still fairly capable in terms of hardware support. Linux may be more convenient, but its subsystems are too complex and not prone to quick modifications.
[−] binkHN 30d ago
Yep. While I've yet to run it on my production workstation, I absolutely love it for single purpose tasks.
[−] shevy-java 30d ago

> Linux may be more convenient, but its subsystems are too complex and not prone to quick modifications.

LFS/BLFS. Which BSD has that?

I don't disagree with you fully, mind you, but I think this is mostly because many more noobs use Linux, whereas on the BSDs more people with a lot of knowledge use it. But even then I would reason that there are more experts using Linux than OpenBSD, simply due to numbers alone. Not all of them can be bothered to write blogs either. (And sometimes they have reallife hardships suddenly, such as Fefe.)

There is a reason the top 500 supercomputers all run Linux. No BSDs there.

https://www.top500.org/statistics/details/osfam/1/

[−] skydhash 30d ago

> LFS/BLFS. Which BSD has that?

They can’t have it. The BSDs are a complete system, where the kernel and utilities are built in sync. And building them is quite easy.

Linux complexity may give you flexibility, but most users systems are fairly simple. OpenBSD has a lot of documentation, and if that’s not sufficient, you browse the source code to see what’s happening.

[−] lmz 30d ago
Surely any BSD is "FS" being a fully functional core system from one source tree?
[−] ori_b 30d ago

>

LFS/BLFS. Which BSD has that?

That comes with the system. Here's the manpage: https://man.openbsd.org/release

[−] stuxnet79 30d ago
Well this is interesting ...

I have a DM250 that I bought a year ago that's been collecting dust because I couldn't get used to the UI/UX. It was imported straight from Japan so I'm pretty sure it's not the US model although I'll have to confirm that.

Customizing / tinkering with it has been difficult because it's a pretty niche product with not a ton of information online (at least on english websites).

Skimming this tutorial it seems like installing OpenBSD is a high-risk / high-reward type of thing. I'll have to look into further to see if it's worth it.

[−] ninjin 30d ago
Always fun to read jcs@'s write ups. I am seriously tempted to look into getting one of these as light, fanless alternatives to run OpenBSB on the move are few and far between. My current main laptop is not big at 11", but it clocks in at ~1.7kg and that makes you reluctant to carry it around everywhere.

Main downsides with the DM250 seems to be that you need a USB-C dongle for audio (they are tiny though) and that you can not hook it up to an external screen for better ergonomics and presentations. Still, small, means compromises are necessary, and I do not think the external screen is a deal break if one would consider the DM250 as a daily commute driver.

[−] whalesalad 30d ago
Love the flying toaster screensaver, that was a pleasant surprise.
[−] technicalape 30d ago
Congrats @jcs, I saw you battling the US version :)
[−] Unsponsoredio 29d ago
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[−] unit149 30d ago
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