Package management

/LQXx KDs GLsWULEXWLRQ-sSHFLfiF SDFNDgH PDQDgHPHQW WRROs DQG formats for installing additional packages from the Internet or from a CD—like Red Hat RPM, while Debian and Ubuntu use DEB, and so on. The package management system in OpenBSD uses what is known as the pkg_add toolkit. Like everything else in OpenBSD, this is tightly integrated with the OS itself, and all the tools necessary for installing, maintaining, upgrading and removing packages are installed as part of the OS install. The package management system is written in Perl, which is preinstalled for OpenBSD. You can install packages from an install CD (which needs to be purchased) or off SSH, FTP or HTTP mirrors. It’s simple to install a package. For example, pkg_add socat (as the super-user) will install the package socat.

CHUWDLQ SDFNDgHs FRPH wLWK ‘flDYRXUs’, wKLFK GHWHUPLQH whether they are built with Python or Lua support for X. For example, if you wish to install the multimedia application mplayer, then you could try pkg_add -i mplayer. The extra ‘-i’ switch is important—it turns the installation into an interactive session, which will prompt you to choose a sSHFLfiF flDYRXU RI mplayer.

I normally install a certain minimum set of packages after a base install, which takes about 10 minutes, by issuing the following command: # pkg_add -i mplayer vim socat colorls qemu windowmaker pidgin fireIox

Your choices may differ. In fact, if you end up using my LiveUSB project images, they come pre-built with a certain FRQfigXUDWLRQ, SDFNDgHs, HWF.

Now I guess you are fairly familiar with OpenBSD and are ready to explore its potential to address basic and slightly advanced needs like running your own mail server, NAS backup system, and a very simple Web server. Doing this obviously requires domain knowledge and experience, which you can slowly acquire—or if you already have it, you can now do things in a new way using OpenBSD. First examine what problem you are trying to solve and then go about the implementation. (Mail Transfer Agent) to use. There are several popular options available, and though OpenBSD does not yet have its own implementation, it will very soon—Gilles Chehade and friends are hard at work on one called OpenSMTPD. I sHWWOHG RQ :LHWsH VHQHPD’s 3RsWfix 07A RYHU DOWHUQDWLYHs OLNH Sendmail, nmail and Exim. Also, certain sites use Microsoft Exchange, which so far has never given me any pain. It is very odd—Windows machines often get virus-infected, sending out spam that can get your company’s mail server’s public IP blacklisted as a spam source. Other people on the Internet may abuse your mail server for purveying mail to unsuspecting third-party users. Yet, Microsoft Exchange, as an MTA, has not given me any trouble so far.

)LUsW, yRX REYLRXsOy KDYH WR LQsWDOO 3RsWfix, wKLFK Ls Ds simple as PKG_ADD -I POSTfiX. It will throw up about eight choices, and you can select what you like. No big deal.

It is also very important to know that a mail server doesn’t just send and receive mail using SMTP; it also has ancillary functions like distributing mail using IMAP and/or POP3, and acting as a webmail server. All this is part of the bargain. You will end up using the very brilliant Dovecot open source package for IMAP and POP3, which can also interact nicely with MS Outlook and Roundcube, a PHP webmail package. One of my customers tells me that using Roundcube is similar to using Outlook. It is that great and user-friendly. So to install, issue a simple… pkg_add roundcube dovecot and you’re ready.