Lenovo Thinkpad T400 running FreeBSD 13.0-RLEASE-p7

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Trihexagonal

FreeBSD 13.0

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Mate running on FreeBSD 13.1. Smooth.

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Nice

I like what you have done with that one (they are are all cool though).

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Installed NetBSD 9.2 to a external Toshiba 0.5TB mechanical drive today. ctwm is OK, but I prefer cwm so I pkgin installed that, along with mc, sshfs and tigervnc. vncviewer into my application server - that runs x0vncserver and that's working well. Some niggles such as powerd lid closure suspend not working correctly, so I disabled that. Otherwise ... nice!

Replacement for OpenBSD 7.1 which for my system is acting oddly, where the cpu fan intermittently seems to turn off allowing core temperatures to rise to worryingly high levels. Tried down shifting performance levels to very low settings etc. but still periodically sees re-occurrences of the laptop base becoming uncomfortably hot and I'm worried that the MB could endure some solder melts shortening the laptops life. Purely specific to OpenBSD 7.1, prior versions and other OS's are all fine.

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Nice print. You beat me to a NetBSD Print

I like use OpenBSD as a secondary system to test objects I develop for Work on Linux. It helps me find issues.

But I have been having the same issue as you. On Linux, the Temp averages between 45 -- 50C, rarely going over 55C when loaded (means just having Firefox running).

On OpenBSD the average is between 57 -- 60 on idle, this is on the same machine, spiking quickly when just in Firefox. So, I am also in the process of replacing OpenBSD with NetBSD.

I use to use NetBSD as a 2nd OS a long time ago, but when I got a newish Laptop after the old hardware died, it would not boot NetBSD. So I went with OpenBSD.

Now I have an old T420 that works with OpenBSD and NetBSD. Soon I will have NetBSD on it, leaving my main laptop as Slackware only.

Note did you see this (dataswamp.org) ? It works, but for me, getting it consistently lower than 70C hurts performance a lot.

Anyway good luck and soon I hope to be joining you using NetBSD as a 2nd Test OS very soon.

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Yep saw that workaround, but even setting performance policy to manual and a 0 level setting - still sees mine periodically go into overheat. Something amiss somewhere, unstable and 7.1 isn't worth the risk of possible laptop damage so I'm avoiding it as per Theo's advice (I'm not actually registered on that mail list/comment wasn't mine) https://marc.info/?l=openbsd-misc&m=165235844217950&w=2

NetBSD is working well for me, but with the irritation of the laptop touchpad not working as intended, no two finger browser scrolling for instance, but quickly becoming accustomed to just using space bar and page up (or alt-spacebar) to scroll chrome pages. Have to be a bit careful when typing as the touchpad is touch sensitive (jumps the mouse pointer/text entry).

Lid closure also doesn't work correctly for me either, does a reboot instead of suspend, but that's not really a bother for me. I just commented the relevant lines out of /etc/powerd/scripts/lid... (or something like).

I spent the afternoon trying to get sndiod working via the linux emulator, but sadly gave up without success. vnc into a linux application server and export AUDIODEVICE=snd@ip-of-laptop/0 and chrome/vlc/whatever with OpenBSD sndiod running just plays the forwarded sound beautifully. With NetBSD I'm effectively running a browser with no sound.

A few niggles in NetBSD, but maybe more might move across and help improve things. May very well end up remaining with it longer term

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Thanks, I always thought that was the best looking one for a business-type desktop. That's using the invisible skin for gKrellm for some green.

I'm liking the Dark Angel Poppy right now and that probably my nicest homemade wallpaper. It took me longer to figure out Gimp than the Linux box it came with and am still learning new techniques.

This the only FreeBSD 13.1 box I have but plan on having OpenBSD and Solaris desktops again time willing. I will keep one Kali desktop just because it gives so many people heartburn to see me running one like a Debian box, and I actually like using apt and the rolling updates. I haven't had an OpenBSD box or Solaris box for a couple years but am going to see what changes were made to Solaris with it's head in the clouds.

This Poppy the Gorgon.

[edit]
moved to linuxquestions.org NetBSD Hints

Like rufwoof did, I moved to NetBSD from OpenBSD due to CPU Temp on my T420. I did use it a while back on a very old PC with 512mb memory, but the hardware finally failed.

ctwm, xbattbar, xloads, xconsole

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NetBSD 9.2

ctwm as-is is nice. Old style twm resizing of windows that catches some out, basically you press the resize button, then drag the mouse towards the window center, and then drag the mouse out in the direction(s) you want to resize. Can feel awkward at first after using other window managers but you soon get into the habit of dragging the window title so that the bottom left corner aligns to where you want that to be, then use the resize button to resize the top-left window to where you want that to be.

Stepping through multiple desktops are a WIN + up or down arrow. Some instead use a single desktop and set a large (xrandr) panning region so when you mouse to a screen edge so the visible window pans around that larger region.

Me, I tend to just use a single fixed size desktop and where I maximise each window within that, and use alt-tab to step between the windows. For that particular preference cwm serves as the better window manager IMO.

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Laptop, 2 core 4GB
NetBSD 9.2
ctwm
tigervnc (for vncviewer)

vnc'd into a Linux box/server (4 core, desktop/tower) running x0vncserver (vncserver). That Linux session is a read-only (Copy on Write (CoW)) contained session, so each reboot boots back to a clean/pristine session, all changes during the session are lost.

Copy (scp or sshfs) files from the laptop into that, edit as required, scp the files back to laptop (NetBSD). So in effect the laptop's HDD is my data storage area, where if the Browser were compromised my data files are not visible to that session.

x0vncserver style of vnc works the best for me, Youtubes etc. play as quickly as if run locally (through vnc local LAN connection), much better/quicker than X11vnc and/or X-forwarding (ssh -X)

Presently the contained server session is using a combination of chroot, unshare, capabilities dropped - so even root is like a highly restricted userid. A hacker exploiting a zero day browser flaw to gain access to root - is nigh on useless to them.

Both the main and contained session on the server use the same squashed file system (sfs) that is loaded into memory at bootup, so contained sessions use little additional resources and start near instantly. Closing one contained session to start another is very quick and clears out all cookies etc. Which removes the risk of one web site seeing remnants of prior different web sites activities/cookies. Access to the router admin IP is blocked within the main session (iptables/within-kernel) such that a hacked contained session can't even try to brute force (or otherwise) attack the router even if they have 'root' control (and where dropped capabilities prevent any attempt to undo that firewall rule).

More usually I have the vnc session full-screen'd, but attached image show it window'd. For local NetBSD file management I tend to use ctrl-alt-F3 (or whatever) i.e. cli/tty.

A bottom up approach to security - assuming root on the system where the browser is running has been compromised and limit the damage that might do, rather than the more common top-down approach to security - where it is assumed root has and always will remain secure, but where even a brief instant of weakness might have let a hacker into the system to install deeply hidden/persistent control functions.

Forward intent is to replace the server with a small-scale device, such as a pi 4 (4 core 8GB) such that when stuck to the laptop lid both the client (NetBSD/laptop) and server (pi) are on the same sub-net with gigabit data speeds. Recently I've been using sndiod to forward sound from the server to the laptop i.e. was using OpenBSD on the laptop, but with the server and laptop in effect combined its just as easy to plug headphones into the pi and be directly served sound from the server. Older physically robust laptop acting as the keyboard/mouse/display, pi acting as the headless server, with physical separation/isolation of data and internet facing apps/programs. And where 'upgrading' the laptop is relatively inexpensive (later pi choices as/when they become available costing perhaps < $100).

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Same as prior post, but whilst running vlc on the Linux server with NetBSD (laptop/client) 'top' in bottom left, Linux 'htop' in bottom right. x0vncserver (vnc) is crisp and responsive, no tearing/blips, sound coming through very cleanly (I love vlc's Effects and Filters options - very comprehensive (equalizer, spacial, compressor, widening ...etc.)).

Server indicating GB's of network data transmitted (I've set vncviewer to use 'raw' rather than compressed) after a few hours of usage, I have both ethernet's connected to the same hub/switch so near as being the same as a cross-over cable connection and as such data volume doesn't matter as that's not bleeding onto the rest of the household LAN/Wifi.

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Often there's beauty in simplicity

NetBSD 9.2
ctwm

Relatively simple black and white'ish theme

Note pkgin list | wc -l indicating 24 packages installed, mostly due to tigervnc where x0vncserver is being used to provide google chrome, galculator and vlc are sourced over ssh -Y

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