OpenBSD Makes Computing Fun Again

Blog post incoming. I've been using OpenBSD in a sort of experiment lately to try and rekindle my love for computing and so far I'm pretty pleased with the results. I fell in love with computers with Windows 95 and a short bit later dial up. Got bored with that a few years later and switched to Linux, my internet and hardware got faster and Linux got more friendly so got bored again and distro hopped around the usual nicer distros, but eventually settled back into Slackware and have been in sort of a malaise for a few years. I've tried to get that feeling of wonder back, and while age might be a factor, I've started to think that having a machine with limits that are hard to hit, and always on internet that is fast enough to stream HD video, and filled to the brim with guides and wikis that reduce the mystery to a numbered list of steps are the bigger culprits. So to this end, I've installed OpenBSD 6.6 on an ASUS EEE PC 701sd, 700mhz single core, 512mb of ram, 8gb emmc, and a wireless card that OpenBSD doesn't support. I've set it on a little desk where there is no ethernet connection near by, and I use it there. If I want to download something or otherwise need network access I need to carry it into another room. I've printed out the FAQ from OpenBSD's website, and I've got a paperback copy of K&R C. So far it's only been connected to the network once to run fw_update and sysmatch. Any problem I have that isn't in the FAQ I solve through browsing man pages. It might be more tedious at times than a simple google search, but I feel like I'm learning a lot more, and after 3 days like this I realise I'm starting to really have fun. I haven't felt like this while using a computer in a long long time. >>73481625 >deliberately makes life harder >"Wow i'm learning so much guys"

A 4chan-style post describes using an old ASUS Eee PC with OpenBSD, no supported wireless card, limited network access, printed documentation, and manual pages to recapture the wonder of early computing. The reply mocks the author for deliberately making life harder and then celebrating the resulting learning experience. It is used as a reaction to excessive self-imposed difficulty, tech nostalgia, or overengineering. EN: A 4chan-style post describes using an old ASUS Eee PC with OpenBSD, no supported wireless card, limited network access, printed documentation, and manual pages to recapture the wonder of early computing. The reply mocks the author for deliberately making life harder and then celebrating the resulting learning experience. It is used as a reaction to excessive self-imposed difficulty, tech nostalgia, or overengineering.

• @gentoomemes / 12047 2024-06-29