Show HN: OneManBSD – A self-containing OpenBSD build with all source in the ISO

2 points by bialamusic 2 months ago · 1 comment · 1 min read

This major update. There is offline documentation included in the installer image now + some fixes. I built this because I am tired of OSs turning into server-controlled clients. We are losing the ability to understand, let alone rebuild, the tools we use every day.

The Project: OneManBSD is a customized OpenBSD 7.8 installation image for i386 platforms.

The "Sovereign" Features:

Source in the Image: The installer includes sys.tgz, src.tgz, xenocara.tgz, and ports.tgz. You can go offline and rebuild the entire kernel and base system from the local drive.

No Bloat: I’ve avoided Gtk3 and Qt. The desktop uses JWM, XFE, and Nedit.

Hardware-Level Control: I’ve bypassed heavy audio daemons, using awk for notification beeps and raw mixerctl for hardware unmuting.

Offline Docs: Full documentation is included in the image for true independence.

Watch the 90-second demo (Boot speed & JWM setup): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2wHaoQhXOYY

My goal isn't to start a "distro" but to encourage others to build their own "OneMan" systems. The more versions and diversifications we have, the more freedom we keep.

I’d love to hear your thoughts on maintaining a source-only workflow on older hardware.