A new BSD desktop conference, GhostBSDCon 2025, has been announced for March 29, 2025. This virtual event, hosted by the GhostBSD project, focuses on developing and using desktop systems based on any BSD variant. GhostBSD, a FreeBSD-derived OS with the MATE desktop, aims to provide a user-friendly BSD desktop experience. The conference is a significant event for BSD enthusiasts, offering a platform to discuss and advance desktop BSD technologies. More details can be found in the official Call For Papers.
The Valuable News weekly series is dedicated to provide summary about news, articles and other interesting stuff mostly but not always related to the UNIX/BSD/Linux systems.
This article provides a comprehensive guide to rendering graphics on a NetBSD system without using X11. It begins by comparing the NetBSD console with the EndBASIC console, highlighting the latter's ability to mix textual and graphical elements. The article then delves into the wscons framework, which abstracts hardware display and input devices, allowing for uniform treatment across different platforms. The wsdisplay and wskbd devices are explored in detail, explaining how to query framebuffer properties and draw to the framebuffer. The article also covers handling keyboard input using the wskbd device and the wsmux multiplexer.
It's 2025 and there are a few Myths around FreeBSD that still persist, so here are some of authors personal thoughts to counter them.
The FreeBSD Journal's Virtualization edition for November/December 2024 is now available in both HTML and PDF formats. This issue covers a range of topics including tutorials on character device drivers, introductions to bhyve and Xen for FreeBSD, and discussions on embedded virtualized systems. Experienced BSD users will find valuable insights into advanced virtualization techniques and real-world applications. The journal also includes community contributions and event calendars, making it a comprehensive resource for anyone interested in FreeBSD and virtualization technologies.
Security Audit of the Capsicum and bhyve Subsystems, ZFS on Linux and block IO limits show some limits of being out of the kernel, NetBSD on a ROCK64 Board, Domain Naming, BSDCan 2025 CFP, The Internet Gopher from Minnesota, and more.
Learn how to identify and resolve storage performance issues using tools like iostat, zpool iostat, ztop, and ioztat. This article covers essential tools for sysadmins to manage and optimize ZFS storage systems, providing insights into storage bottlenecks and system reliability across FreeBSD and Linux platforms. Key tools include iostat for low-level storage analysis, zpool iostat for ZFS pool insights, ztop for dataset-level monitoring, and ioztat for flexible dataset-level tracking. These tools help sysadmins diagnose and address storage bottlenecks, ensuring efficient and reliable system performance.
OpenZFS 2.3.0 introduces several key features, including RAIDZ expansion, fast deduplication, direct IO, JSON output for commands, support for long file names, and numerous performance improvements. This release also addresses critical bug fixes and supports FreeBSD releases 13.3 and 14.0 to 14.2.
FreeBSD 13.3 EOL, booting FreeBSD on Steam Deck, porting to Pinephone Pro and more.
The post discusses the process of installing FreeBSD on a Steam Deck. The author shares their experience and the steps involved in booting FreeBSD on the handheld gaming device. This resource is valuable for BSD enthusiasts who are interested in experimenting with different operating systems on their Steam Deck, offering insights into the challenges and rewards of such a project.
This repository focuses on porting FreeBSD to run on the Pinephone Pro. It includes modifications and additional files to the FreeBSD source to enable this functionality. The project tracks changes that are intended to be merged upstream once ready. Key features include basic system functionalities such as booting via serial console, LED control, and battery status. However, significant hardware components like the modem, WiFi, and USB are not yet functional. The repo provides detailed instructions for setting up the development environment, building the kernel, and installing it on the device.
The Valuable News weekly series provides summaries of news, articles, and other interesting content related to UNIX/BSD/Linux systems. This edition covers a range of topics including porting FreeBSD to the PinePhone Pro, debunking FreeBSD myths, and various hardware and software updates..