4 ms·

AFAIK, most routers use OpenBSD over Linux for security reasons.

by evv 12y ago

dublinben 12y ago
I guess I'm only considering commodity, consumer routers. I'm sure you're right at higher levels.
intorio 12y ago
For licensing issues, actually.
bashinator 12y ago
Juniper Networks' JunOS is a FreeBSD derivative.
kjs3 12y ago
What significant networking vendor runs OpenBSD? And I don't mean the low-end, low-support, OpenBSD on an embedded board from China stuff (so, no, Soekris isn't a significant vendor in the router space). I can't think of a single business or enterprise class one that does. Cisco doesn't use it (IOS is home grown, IOS XR is QNX, NX-OS is Linux), Juniper uses FreeBSD, Arista uses Linux, HP uses (I think) Comware (linux), Intel & Broadcom are pushing Cumulus (linux) on their reference networking platforms, Dell/Force10 is NetBSD based (and older Dell is VXWorks, I think), Pretty sure Brocade is Linux, but they've also used VXWorks. Don't know what Hauwei uses (that wasn't stolen from Cisco, or course). Not that this is authoritative, but I've talked to a couple of execs at companies who were using OSS platforms for their networking devices (Nokia, Juniper, Force10, Arista) and all of them basically said OpenBSD wasn't a consideration because of the open hostility the people leading the project had towards commercial enterprises. No one was interested in betting the company with the threat of a "DARPA funding" moment hanging over them, much less someone who was more interested in dictating terms and making "statements" than cooperation on business relationships. [edit for punctuation]
- noryungi 12y ago
  I believe the OpenBSD community of developpers is not too concerned with popularity or integration with vendor's hardware. They are more concerned with doing things right (or, some would say, doing things their own way). Nevertheless, there are some small companies selling things based on OpenBSD - even though, I'll admit, they are mostly companies started by OpenBSD developpers: http://www.openbsd.org/products.html http://www.openbsd.org/products.html You can also get some consulting & support: http://www.openbsd.org/support.html http://www.openbsd.org/support.html And, of course, there is always the strong possibility that some people are using OpenBSD while keeping it hush-hush and "under the radar" -- maybe even under the radar of their own management. Make of this what you will.
  - kjs3 12y ago
    I would certainly say "doing their own way" rather than "doing it right", and I would never say "wrong", for most values of wrong. I'm merely pointing out to the OP that other than the "side projects" (e.g. SSH), there is for all practical purposes zero uptake of OpenBSD in the commercial networking space. Yeah, there are some very niche players and lots of DIY folks, but that's not what was being alleged.

AFAIK, most routers use OpenBSD over Linux for security reasons.

by evv 12y ago

AFAIK, most routers use OpenBSD over Linux for security reasons.

dublinben 12y ago

I guess I'm only considering commodity, consumer routers. I'm sure you're right at higher levels.

intorio 12y ago

For licensing issues, actually.

bashinator 12y ago

Juniper Networks' JunOS is a FreeBSD derivative.

kjs3 12y ago

What significant networking vendor runs OpenBSD? And I don't mean the low-end, low-support, OpenBSD on an embedded board from China stuff (so, no, Soekris isn't a significant vendor in the router space). I can't think of a single business or enterprise class one that does. Cisco doesn't use it (IOS is home grown, IOS XR is QNX, NX-OS is Linux), Juniper uses FreeBSD, Arista uses Linux, HP uses (I think) Comware (linux), Intel & Broadcom are pushing Cumulus (linux) on their reference networking platforms, Dell/Force10 is NetBSD based (and older Dell is VXWorks, I think), Pretty sure Brocade is Linux, but they've also used VXWorks. Don't know what Hauwei uses (that wasn't stolen from Cisco, or course). Not that this is authoritative, but I've talked to a couple of execs at companies who were using OSS platforms for their networking devices (Nokia, Juniper, Force10, Arista) and all of them basically said OpenBSD wasn't a consideration because of the open hostility the people leading the project had towards commercial enterprises. No one was interested in betting the company with the threat of a "DARPA funding" moment hanging over them, much less someone who was more interested in dictating terms and making "statements" than cooperation on business relationships. [edit for punctuation]

noryungi 12y ago
I believe the OpenBSD community of developpers is not too concerned with popularity or integration with vendor's hardware. They are more concerned with doing things right (or, some would say, doing things their own way). Nevertheless, there are some small companies selling things based on OpenBSD - even though, I'll admit, they are mostly companies started by OpenBSD developpers: http://www.openbsd.org/products.html http://www.openbsd.org/products.html You can also get some consulting & support: http://www.openbsd.org/support.html http://www.openbsd.org/support.html And, of course, there is always the strong possibility that some people are using OpenBSD while keeping it hush-hush and "under the radar" -- maybe even under the radar of their own management. Make of this what you will.
- kjs3 12y ago
  I would certainly say "doing their own way" rather than "doing it right", and I would never say "wrong", for most values of wrong. I'm merely pointing out to the OP that other than the "side projects" (e.g. SSH), there is for all practical purposes zero uptake of OpenBSD in the commercial networking space. Yeah, there are some very niche players and lots of DIY folks, but that's not what was being alleged.