Any issues running any of these on BSDs reddit / BSD ---------------------------------------------------------------------- graemep · 2022-03-03 19:18 I am a Linux user, desktop and server, who is thinking of starting with BSD by running some serve stuff on BSD. It will be really stuff I use so want a firm foundation. I am undecided between openBSD (I like the emphasis on security) and FreeBSD (bigger community) and I do not know enough about the others (lots that looks interesting, of course). The really important things is whether there are any issues with running any of the following on BSDs in general, or any BSD in particular: 1. Django web apps, with Postgres database. Dependenceies are mostly pure Python, bar lxml and sometimes Postgis (more on client sites than my own). I usually use Nginx as the webserver but am willing to switch. 2. Wordpress 3. Nextcloud 4. An easy to admin email server: I currently use MailinaBox but that only suports Ubuntu so am willing to switch 5. Jitsi. I plan to run each in a separate VM (as I am already doing with most of them) so do not have to choose one OS to rule them all. Do any of the above stand out as easy to start with? Any other advice or suggestions? ---------------------------------------------------------------------- CoolHwhipMike · 2022-03-03 20:01 This may not be that helpful but - [Freshports](https://www.freshports.org/) allows you to search for FreeBSD ports (packages) and has ports associated with Django, WordPress, Nextcloud, and Jitsi. That doesn't mean that they are bug free or work with identical functionality to Linux but they should at least be available. [Vermaden](https://vermaden.wordpress.com/2018/04/04/nextcloud-13-on- freebsd/) has a lot of good info and tips - here he is talking about Nextcloud. [The wiki](https://wiki.freebsd.org/Jitsi) mentions a few things about Jitsi. [This article](https://www.adminbyaccident.com/freebsd/how-to- freebsd/how-to-install-wordpress-on-freebsd/) talks about setting up WordPress. I tried to follow the WordPress article but got lost since I've never tried anything like that before. It may be easy or hard, but I don't have anything to compare to. As far as doing everything in a VM, there is bhyve ([in the wiki](https://wiki.freebsd.org/bhyve)) ([in the handbook](https://docs.freebsd.org/en/books/handbook/virtualization/)) for an actual vm or [jails](https://docs.freebsd.org/en/books/handbook/jails/) for something different that might work better or worse for what you need. There are various tools to work with jails/bhyve like CBSD or ezjail (Google will show you a bunch). As a last resort you can try something using the [Linuxulator](https://wiki.freebsd.org/Linuxulator). I think most of the time people use Ubuntu or Debian because they're stable, popular, and debootstrap makes things easy but you can use any distro. If you do this most things work but systemd isn't implemented in case that limits you in some way. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- reddit_original · 2022-03-03 20:26 From years of experience on FreeBSD: 1. Used all of that. Works great. No issues. 2. Yes 3. Yes 4. Probably anything you can name. 5. Yes. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- graemep · 2022-03-03 20:26 That is very helpful. Vermaden Nextcloud info covers almost exactly what I want to do. The Wordpress article is reassuringly straightforward. Linuxlater is interesting, especially the option of having a full Debian or Ubuntu userspace - but then, if I have a full Linux userspace, maybe I might as well have a a Linux VM? ---------------------------------------------------------------------- graemep · 2022-03-03 20:28 That is very reassuring, especially with regard to 1 and 3 which are the two that are important to me. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- CoolHwhipMike · 2022-03-03 20:36 I think the Linuxulator can remove some of the overhead. There is a script called Linux-Browser-Installer that will install Ubuntu and Chrome, Vivaldi, or Brave. Everything gets started at boot and you can start Chrome like you would a native application, there is no additional delay or GUI parts to mess with other than the browser. I think it basically just uses a chroot to hold you Linux binaries and stuff. When I tried Wordpress it seemed like everything worked but I couldn't get to the Wordpress login. I'm sure I missed something (and don't really have any idea how Wordpress actually works) and just haven't had time to get back to it. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- graemep · 2022-03-03 20:49 I will not be using BSD on desktops any time soon so not worried about anything GUI. Maybe once I am used to it but I have less motive to switch. It looks from what you linked to that Wordpress should work. I am more familiar with Wordpress than i want to be... I have run it on shared hosting on FreeBSD (more than once) where it worked fine. >don't really have any idea how Wordpress actually works Slowly, insecurely, but very conveniently until you realise how often it needs updates :) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- CoolHwhipMike · 2022-03-03 20:56 Lol, good to know. I need a career change and started learning HTML and CSS. Maybe I'll try to avoid WordPress. As far as switching your desktop to BSD, I agree with you. I like it because it's an alternative, but in reality, FreeBSD and Linux are close enough that unless you have a good reason to change, it's not worth the hassle. That's also my opinion on Linux distros. I spent plenty of time hopping around, but really, they're all basically the same. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- loudle · 2022-03-03 21:50 i've run django apps with postgres on openbsd and freebsd before, and i know someone who runs nextcloud on openbsd. we both use openbsd's included httpd & relayd instead of nginx; but nginx runs as well for mail, i run opensmtpd (included in openbsd) and dovecot. it's relatively easy to set up, as mail server solutions go. once running, there is practically no maintenance necessary i have no experience with hosting wordpress or jitsi, but from what i know about wordpress it should work with a fairly standard installation on most any unix-like system ---------------------------------------------------------------------- nielskob · 2022-03-04 04:55 4 is imho probably a „no“ because these mail-setups usually use docker heavily and you have to set up a mail Server the old fashioned way. It is actually not that hard. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- reddit_original · 2022-03-04 10:37 He mentioned mailinabox and I have no clue what that is but exim, postfix, sendmail and all that don't use docker and are hardly an old fashioned way. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- graemep · 2022-03-04 12:18 Actually I think I would prefer to use OpenBSD's httpd: security over performance as I will have a relatively light load on the server. So I think I have a solution I really like for the Django sites and Nextcloud (which are what I will move first). Thank you. In restrospect I should have asked specifically about OpenBSD's httpd. I think you are right, there is unlikely to be an issue with Wordpress given how widely used it is and I asked mostly to know about any gotcha's people had run into in advance. Jitsi is lower priority. I am a bit nervous about mail servers because I never ran only until a few months ago, and they have issues web servers (risk of getting marked as spam - hotmail refused mail from my current server from the start). Thanks for all that. Very helpful ---------------------------------------------------------------------- graemep · 2022-03-04 12:32 To be fair, Wordpress has its uses. I stopped using it because most of what I do is backend development for sites that need mostly custom code so I need a framework rather than a CMS. Wordpress is really good for getting something done with minimum effort - lots of the shelf themes and plugins. Quite a few of my clients have a Django web app and a Wordpress brochure site. There are things you can do to make maintanance easier too (I find using the CLI for updates a lot easier, for example). In career terms there is a lot of work around but a lot of competition too (and low cost competition in particular). It can be well paid if you get corporate clients or local clients who are willing to pay decent rates for work that you can get done quickly. A lot of the competition technically quite weak (you can do a lot in Wordpress with automated installs and plugins) so you may have an edge there. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- reddit_original · 2022-03-04 12:37 >risk of getting marked as spam This has nothing to do with BSD or any operating system and everything to do with domain names. The large mail systems mark almost everything as spam until it can be trusted no matter what mail server is used. Getting that trust takes time. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- nielskob · 2022-03-04 12:49 mailinabox is a: next-next-finish Mailserver like Mailcow. And they preconfigure everything for you with a wizard but they wrap every service in a docker-container. You don’t really need to know how to configure postfix, dovecot or so because they do it for you. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- graemep · 2022-03-04 13:00 Of course its nothing to do with the OS. I mentioned it because its one of the reasons I am not as confident running mail servers as web servers. I have found that Microsoft is the problem and I have heard from others it is the most problematic (most likely to block), especially for low volume senders. I have had no problems with anything else. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- graemep · 2022-03-04 17:29 Yes, its pretty much "baby's first mail server". Really easy. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- gumnos · 2022-03-04 19:12 > I would prefer to use OpenBSD's httpd: security over performance as I will have a relatively light load on the server the last time I tried this, it took a little fighting. `httpd` only does FastCGI (or classic CGI with the [`slowcgi` FastCGI/CGI bridge](https://man.openbsd.org/slowcgi.8) ) and Django usually wants WSGI (or maybe ASGI these days?) The best solution I found was to run an application server like `gnunicorn` to run the Django application, and then use `relayd` to act as a fronting switchboard, directing application-specific requests to the WSGI server, and directing requests for static assets to `httpd`. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- graemep · 2022-03-04 20:58 I usually use an gunicorn ot similar anyway. I think you have saved me some time ficuting things out in terms of the relayd and httpd setup. Thanks.