FreeBSD is an open source operating system descended from the Unix developed at the University of California, Berkeley that became an open source project in 1993 with several hundred active committers from across the globe. Today, FreeBSD provides a copy-free modern operating system that is up-to-date and scalable, offers high-performance, security, and advanced networking. It is used for personal workstations, Internet servers, embedded devices, routers, and firewalls. The FreeBSD packages collection includes popular software like: Apache web server, GNOME, KDE, X.org, Python, Firefox and over 33,000 software suites. The FreeBSD community is comprised of a global community of end users, developers and companies large and small working together to further the OS.
Check out the BSD Devroom on Sunday and visit the FreeBSD Stand to chat with FreeBSD Developers and other community members. The stand is a great place to learn more about the latest developments within the Project, find out how to get started with FreeBSD and get your most challenging questions answered. If you or your organization are looking to connect with other FreeBSD fans, folks in the stand can help. There’s a reason why companies like Netflix use FreeBSD. Take a minute to find out more about the stability and security of FreeBSD.
Since our last visit to FOSDEM, the FreeBSD Project has made strides in a number of areas including the soon to be available 13.0 release. First and foremost, the Project made the transition to git making it easier for folks to contribute. Great improvements were made in the graphics stack, as well as, to browser and video conferencing capabilities to allow for support on most any contemporary laptop. There is now better ARM64 support for servers and embedded devices like Raspberry Pi. The Project switched to a new OpenZFS upstream that supports FreeBSD and Linux. The removal of obsolete GPL components has been completed along with many network stack improvements. Finally, there is a lot of new online content to help folks get started and ask questions about FreeBSD including: FreeBSD Office Hours, FreeBSD Fridays, and several developers have hosted twitch live streaming sessions.
Scheduled to release in late March, 13.0 is the culmination of two years of hard work and showcases a shift in focus towards the future of FreeBSD. From changes in architecture and the removal of legacy tooling to faster systems and subsystems, the Project’s commitment towards looking at the future of FreeBSD is in motion! Check out the sidebar for more info on the 13.0 release
From submitting bug fixes to working on the documentation, there are a lot of ways to contribute to FreeBSD. The FreeBSD Resources Page provides links to how-to guides, getting started videos, community blogs, and the above mentioned FreeBSD Office Hours and FreeBSD Fridays Series of Introductory talks.
The FreeBSD Journal, the voice of the FreeBSD Community and the BEST way to keep up with the latest releases and new developments in FreeBSD is openly available to everyone.
Check out the recent Contributing and Onboarding issue for more great information on getting started with FreeBSD.
The FreeBSD Foundation is a501(c)(3), US based, non-profit organization dedicated to supporting and promoting the FreeBSD Project and community. The purpose of the Foundation is to sponsor software development work and fill gaps within the Project, support FreeBSD infrastructure, advocate for FreeBSD worldwide and serve as a legal entity for the Project. The Foundation is entirely supported by donations. If you’re a fan of FreeBSD please consider donating today!
Online / 6 & 7 February 2021
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Belgium Licence. To view a copy of this licence, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/be/deed.en or send a letter to Creative Commons, 444 Castro Street, Suite 900, Mountain View, California, 94041, USA. All content such as talks and biographies is the sole responsibility of the speaker.
