This guide explains how to install FreeBSD on hosting providers that do not officially support it using mfsBSD. The process involves booting the server in rescue mode, downloading the mfsBSD image, and writing it to the server's disk using the dd command. After rebooting, users can connect via SSH, change the root password, and proceed with the standard FreeBSD installation. The guide highlights the benefits of FreeBSD, such as service isolation in jails and ZFS snapshots, and addresses the limitations imposed by providers that only support Linux distributions. The author emphasizes the importance of avoiding IT monocultures and provides a practical solution for those seeking to use FreeBSD.
The HardenedBSD June 2025 status report covers updates from both May and June 2025, focusing on pkgbase and build infrastructure improvements. Key developments include experimental pkgbase repos for HardenedBSD, which are not yet recommended for production use, and research on descriptor randomization for enhanced security. Notable changes in the src tree involve updates to hbsd-update, RTLD fixes, and netlink support for userland. In the ports tree, various ports were updated and fixed, including emulators/virtualbox-ose and databases/redis. The report also highlights the need for donations to support infrastructure upgrades, particularly for a new HVAC unit to cool the server room, with an estimated cost of $7,000 - $9,000 USD.
As of July 1st, 2025, FreeBSD 13.4 has reached its end-of-life and will no longer receive support from the FreeBSD Security Team. Users are strongly advised to upgrade to a newer release. Currently supported branches include stable/14, releng/14.3, releng/14.2, stable/13, and releng/13.5, with their respective end-of-life dates listed.
The blog post discusses the author's experience with setting up Jekyll, a static website generator, on FreeBSD. The author encountered compatibility issues with Ruby 3.3 and decided to use Ruby 3.2 instead. The post provides a step-by-step guide on how to install and configure Ruby 3.2, including setting the default version in /etc/make.conf and installing bundler from ports. The author also encountered issues with upgrading Jekyll and provides a workaround. The post concludes with the author expressing their frustration with Ruby and their desire to switch to a more modern static site generator.
Errata patches for the X11 server and kernel pledge(2) have been released for OpenBSD versions 7.6 and 7.7. Binary updates are available for amd64, arm64, and i386 platforms via the syspatch utility. Source code patches can be found on the respective errata pages for each version. This update aims to enhance system security and stability. Users are encouraged to apply the patches promptly to maintain optimal system performance.
The Valuable News weekly series provides a summary of news and articles related to UNIX/BSD/Linux systems. This edition includes updates on FreeBSD, such as its porting to Apple MacBook, the release of FreeBSD 14.3, and various security projects. Notable mentions include the XLibre project, GIMP 3.1.2 release, and discussions on Wayland and X11. Additionally, there are insights into hardware developments like the Libreboot ThinkPad T480 and Dell OptiPlex 3050 Micro.
John Baldwin, a long-time FreeBSD community member, has been elected to the FreeBSD Foundation Board. With a history dating back to his undergraduate years, Baldwin has contributed significantly to FreeBSD's development and community. His roles have included serving on core teams, release engineering, and the srcmgr team, as well as chairing the FreeBSD Journal's editorial board. Baldwin aims to strengthen the bond between the developer community and the Foundation, bringing his extensive experience and unique perspective to the board. His election is expected to enhance the Foundation's support for the FreeBSD Project.
The FreeBSD Foundation has announced that applications for travel grants to attend EuroBSDCon 2025 are now open. These grants are designed to assist FreeBSD developers and advocates with travel expenses for conferences related to FreeBSD development. The deadline for applications is August 5, 2025. Additionally, the Foundation offers travel grants for other technical events, provided that attendance benefits the FreeBSD Project and Community. Applications for these grants must be submitted at least seven weeks prior to the event.
How to use Podman hooks to mount ZFS datasets into containers, and cleaning up on exit, ensuring datasets are properly unmounted. This setup is ideal for managing persistent data in ephemeral containers, such as databases.
FreeBSD version 14.3 is available, Reliable ZFS Storage on Commodity Hardware, My website is ugly because I made it, Semi distributed filesystems with ZFS and Sanoid, April 2025 Laptop Support and Usability Project Update, UDP sockets instead of BPF in dhcpd(8), and more.
The FreeBSD Foundation has initiated a project to enable Software Bill of Materials (SBOM) for FreeBSD, commissioned by the Sovereign Tech Agency. Running from April to December 2025, the project aims to enhance tooling and processes for SBOMs, which are crucial for improving software supply chain visibility and security. Key goals include developing tools to merge provenance data, parse and inspect the FreeBSD source tree, and extend package management capabilities. The project is driven by user demand and regulatory requirements, with a focus on automation and long-term maintenance. The Foundation will provide periodic updates to the community as the project progresses.
The FreeBSD Foundation has initiated a project to bolster security in FreeBSD Ports and Packages, commissioned by the Sovereign Tech Agency. Running from April to December 2025, this project is part of a broader strategic initiative to advance Zero Trust builds, SBOM adoption, and CI/CD automation. Key goals include migrating from the VuXML vulnerability database to the industry-standard OSV, improving CI tooling for FreeBSD Ports, and developing a package audit backend. These enhancements aim to speed up release updates and strengthen security measures, with periodic updates shared with the community as the project progresses.