I know there are several posts regarding timeout, so I am aware this has
been discussed, but I just want to provide some feedback.
I am only an enthusiast, but I have switched from Ubuntu Server to
OpenBSD for all of my web servers and have now been a very happy user of
OpenBSD for around 5 years or so.
I have found that the timeout on doas is a very regular and
unnecessary-feeling interruption that pushes me in the following directions:
1. Create simpler user password. This way I can more easily and quickly
complete a command.
2. Use doas su -l so I never have to enter a password.
Of course I don't like either of these as the user password can also be
used to access the user account and I prefer to enter doas when
performing commands that can really mess things up because it is a cue
for my brain to pay a little extra attention to what I am typing.
Having used Ubuntu Server nearly since it was launched, I never really
paid much attention to sudo timeout length because at 15 minutes, I am
rarely hitting the timeout.
The 5-minute timeout in OpenBSD is rarely long enough for me to get what
I need out of a man page, and often I am also referencing external
package documentation while making configuration edits that require root
privileges.
The timeout occurs most commonly while I am editing a file. After
completing the edit, I often will edit another document requiring root
privileges or I will test a configuration prior to reloading appropriate
services. While the simple option of a 15-minute timeout as Ubuntu
Server uses seemed to provide me enough time for this, another probably
more complex not-worthwhile solution would be a 5-minute timeout where
the timer begins after completing the most recent command as I'm rarely
more than 5 minutes between running commands requiring root privilege,
not including the time to edit a file.
I do find OpenBSD to be a fantastic project that I otherwise enjoy
using, I just wish this timeout length to be 15 minutes or managed a
little differently, somehow.
Thank you,
Paul
