Advice to those new to OpenBSD

Introduction

Firstly, I am fairly new to OpenBSD myself and so this advice does not stem from any vast experience, but from my initial findings on my journey into it. Nor does this particular article offer advice on using the operating system, instead it focuses on interacting with the OpenBSD community. I'm not getting all high and mighty about anything, but as I notice a fair few newbies visiting this site (as well as some old hands by the looks of things), I thought it might be appropriate to have this here, for those who might never have considered the issues I point out. I like to think that this advice is bourne more from common sense, than anything else and that it might help you to think in terms that will help you avoid making some basic mistakes, which might annoy others and also leave you feeling annoyed or like you are being ignored. Being ignored may actually be the politest form of 'response' that you could be given, in certain circumstances. It's better than having the heartfelt opinion of somebody, if you're being a pain in the arse. If you are looking for advice on getting into OpenBSD, go to this page.

I had planned to do a "Do's & Don'ts" style list, but realise that this is a dangerous approach, as failing to cover an issue in exactly the same way as you may think of it, will lead nowhere but into the land of misinformation and confusion. I may also be quite wrong about something and wouldn't want to mis-inform andybody, or state something which isn't the case. Instead, I will try to explain the overall situation, so that you have a better understanding of the position of the OpenBSD developers and the community as a whole. Some of my opinions are from reading the misc@openbsd.org list, which I advise that you do, while others are the result of doing what I advise you to do on this page, mainly thinking for a while and considering the position of those whom I am asking these questions of.

Some tips:

• Subscribe to misc@openbsd.org and do not post, unless you have a critical problem, until you have a good feel for the etiquette of the place. Look at how questions are asked and how particular styles of asking these questions are responded to, if they receive any response at all. A lack of responses is not a clear indication of right or wrong, as people may have responded directly to the poster, without copying the list in on it. However, where responses seem terse or critical of the question or the supposed thinking behind it, you should see how 'not to go about it'.
• Although you may genuinely want to help, do not ask how you can help the OpenBSD team/project. This may sound almost rude and arrogant, but naivety does nobody any favours. The rule of thumb is generally, if you have to ask how you can help, then you will probably be of very little help. Competent programmers will know how they can help, which is by solid code and informative input. If this is above your head, then you are not in a position to help. DO NOT see offering to help as a means of gaining favour with the developers, which might then lead to them taking you under their wing and tutoring you in C/C++ programming. They are busy people, usually with commitments away from the OpenBSD project and will have very little time to 'teach the world to sing'.
• As I hope the above point will have emphasised, placing demands no matter how indirect or well hinted at, on developers time, knowledge and resources, is just plain unfair. The time that these people give to the OpenBSD project, is voluntary, which I see as fantastic and much more than anybody has a right to demand of them. Do not think for a moment that these people have time to spare to help wannabes along. This post to misc@ (Here's the post, from the archives) might seem harsh, but it speaks the truth and was the inspiration for this article. They give their time to the OpenBSD project and if their work has impact on the overall codebase, then that in-turn helps you. Be grateful for this and don't demand, or even expect, yet more of them.
• Be polite and provide as much information as you possibly can. Politeness is vital, as if you do not extend this common courtesy, then human nature dictates that you will be unlikely to find anybody inclined to help YOU, no matter how interesting or relevant your problem or issue might be. Simply saying, "Help! Application XYZ crashes all the time/intermittently" is not being informative and is likely to be ignored or if somebody is having a bad day, might even be responded to with outright honesty. The truth can be so hurtful at times, I advise you not to set yourself up for scorn. A complete dmesg from the machine in question (and possibly having some core dumps available, if crashes are involved, but not attached to your post), is the very least that you should be providing, depending on your question. Also remember that there is strength in numbers and that if you are asking about an obscure application, then it will receive much less priority than say, a serious problem with pf or something that is widely used. If you don't get an answer as soon as you'd like, don't just repeat the post, be patient. Sometimes it might take a little while for somebody with the right knowledge and genuine interest in your problem, to find your post and begin looking into it. Leave it a week or more and then maybe follow it up. Remember also, that there is no guarantee that your problem will be looked into by anybody. Nobody has any obligation to do so, as far as I am aware.
• Maybe this point should be mentioned first, but if you have read this far then it shows that you thinking along the right lines of thoroughness and are willing to try to help yourself, before asking for the help of others. Use google or whatever search engine you prefer. Search the Internet for advice on your problem and make sure that you vary your wording in your searches. Remember, if you are a beginner, then you might not be asking the right question, which will result in a lack of returned suggestions of sites to visit. A lack of results in this sense, doesn't necessarily mean that your problem is unique and could be an indication that you are not asking the right question. Try asking in a forum first, where people with far more time and, in some cases, a desire to impress their peers might help point you in the right direction. Although you might think otherwise, going straight to the source (ie asking on the OpenBSD lists) may not be the best place to start, especially if you are barking up the wrong tree, so to speak.
• Always stay on topic. Keep your posts specific to OpenBSD and don't try to start opinion based discussions like comparisons of different operating systems. There are plenty of articles of this nature, dotted all around the Internet and that's the best place for them. Everybody is entitled to their opinions, but we are also entitled to the right to not have these opinions pushed in our faces when we are trying to discuss something factual. Also, ask questions rather than spouting criticism. If your post looks like an attack on something, rather than a question, then it could well get people's backs up and you will likely be seen as a miserable whinger or, in my cynical mind, a troll who is trying to do a bit of propaganda against OpenBSD. I sometimes see posts that make me think in this way about the poster, but maybe I'm just paranoid and way too cynical.
• Most importantly, think before posting. More accurately, search, research, think and then post. If you are not willing to help yourself, then tell me, why should anybody make the effort to help you? I have probably been guilty of not following this myself, but I do at least try to follow my own advice. We all have our bad days and everybody makes mistakes. It's how we learn, or not, from our mistakes that is important. Keep making these same 'mistakes' and it will show you in a bad light. After all, how else can anybody gauge anything about you, other than the content of your posts? Another list user also pointed one particular troll, I'm pretty sure he's a troll or at least not very bright, in the direction of a web page that centres on this very topic. You might want to consider checking it out for yourself and having at least a skim through. Smart Questions web page
• I also advise that you visit, if you haven't already, the OpenBSD mailing list page for some more accurate information, in the words of the OpenBSD team.

I hope that I haven't painted a dark picture of those involved in the OpenBSD project and it's community of users. They are not ogres and they are most definitely human beings, so it should go without saying that they should be treated as such and with the respect that they deserve, for their knowledge and the very nature of their volunteered involvement. Approached in the right way, they are a very helpful bunch of people I find. However, as in many walks of life, fools are not tolerated kindly and in my opinion, rightly so. I have received help on technical issues specific to the list (a long story that arises from my ISP's past history of being rather spam friendly) and advice from general as well as prominent members of the community. All this in the space of my first few days of participating. As you can see, my own experience has been a good one and yet I do not consider myself to be the most diplomatic of people but I like to think that I am reasonably considerate of others.

I'll leave it there, for now. If you have any other suggestions, want to put me right on anything or whatever, then please feel free to get in touch. Here would be an appropriate route. If you have read this and some of my other pages on this site, then you will have realised that I am not the best source for technical advice on BSD and/or C programming, but I am happy to share my experiences in getting to grips with the subjects. I try to put these thoughts on-line, negating the need for people to contact me on the matter but am willing to help where I can. Just don't expect very much of me, especially in these early days.

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