Hello everyone, I was considering buying a workstation (since i generally use laptops) and got interested in these single board computers: https://www.geekompc.com/geekom-as-6-mini-pc/ So I was wondering a few things: Should i prefer AMD or intel for NetBSD support ? What is better supported in general when it comes to hardware? Will NetBSD run on such a thing? In case NetBSD wouldn't run on this thing I would probably consider using it from a VM. I am wondering is there any other people here who use NetBSD from a VM as a kind of main OS? So use the host OS more or less just to boot the NetBSD guest?

NetBSD Workstation and Hardware Support

netbsdnoob

Hello everyone,

I was considering buying a workstation (since i generally use laptops) and got interested in these single board computers:

https://www.geekompc.com/geekom-as-6-mini-pc/

So I was wondering a few things:

Should i prefer AMD or intel for NetBSD support ? What is better supported in general when it comes to hardware?
Will NetBSD run on such a thing?

In case NetBSD wouldn't run on this thing I would probably consider using it from a VM.
I am wondering is there any other people here who use NetBSD from a VM as a kind of main OS? So use the host OS more or less just to boot the NetBSD guest?

JuvenalUrbino

netbsdnoob I was considering buying a workstation (since i generally use laptops) and got interested in these single board computers:

I think you can save your money and prevent waste by buying a used Lenovo/Dell/HP workstation 😉. More chances of finding working components. You may even consider building it yourself, or replace incompatible parts. That' the beauty of tower PC desktops.

Bruno If you want a machine where NetBSD supports all the hardware so the best ones are from 10 years back.

My self-built workstation is from 2017 and with NetBSD 10.0 everything is finally working fine. It wasn't designed with NetBSD in mind (but to run Linux) and had some fresh new or picky components from the very beginning.
The Thinkpad T460 (released in 2018) which I bought used last year and use has a daily driver works amazingly well with NetBSD (graphics, wifi, suspending, webcam, docking station).
10 years or more seems like a too pessimistic time span in my view; I would say that 5-years old stuff will be ok, as long as you look for compatible components (which means checking drivers man pages - 4th section - for the components you want to buy and possibly ask here for confirmation).
Have a look at the BSD Hardware Database: https://bsd-hardware.info/?d=NetBSD

Bruno

I have one of this, it is a AMD Ryzen 7 3750H and...I don't recommend for NetBSD usage.
Maybe you will get more luck if you try some with Ryzen 7 2700U instead. AMD Third generation still has some bugs in NetBSD. I hope they are going to be fixed in 10.1-RELEASE since it is not working for 10.0 as now.
For WiFi, give up! NetBSD supports only old WiFi. I'm using urndis driver for tethering my mobile WiFi into NetBSD using the USB cable, and it is really fast, faster than WiFi itself in my opinion.

netbsdnoob

Bruno
I mean what is good hardware to run netbsd? I mean can it only run on old machines?
Is there a way to get a powerful build with a netbsd running on top?

Bruno

netbsdnoob If you want a machine where NetBSD supports all the hardware so the best ones are from 10 years back. As older the hardware, as better NetBSD supports it. NetBSD is not for old machines only, but due manpower and donation compared to other operating system, this is what NetBSD can achieve by now.