FreeBSD 15.0 RC2 release, BSD/Linux static web hosting benchmarks, rpki-client funding call and more.
Releases
FreeBSD 15.0 release cycle reaches second release candidate: The FreeBSD Project has announced the availability of the second release candidate (RC2) for FreeBSD 15.0, marking a significant step toward the final release. This build includes ISO images for multiple architectures, which are accessible on most FreeBSD mirror sites. The release cycle has progressed through multiple beta and alpha stages since September 2025, with each build expanding architecture support and refining features.
BSDSec
No security announcements. As always, it’s worth following BSDSec. RSS feed available.
News
Static web hosting performance on Intel N150 compared across BSDs and Linux: A benchmark evaluated static web hosting performance on an Intel N150 mini PC using nginx across FreeBSD jails, SmartOS zones, NetBSD, OpenBSD, and Linux, focusing on HTTP and HTTPS throughput. For plain HTTP, all native hosts and FreeBSD jails achieved ~63-64k requests per second, with SmartOS LX zones slightly lower at ~46-49k, indicating minimal overhead for most setups. HTTPS tests revealed FreeBSD, Debian, and Alpine as top performers (~62-63k req/s) with FreeBSD using significantly less CPU, while SmartOS, NetBSD, and OpenBSD required more resources and stabilized at lower throughput (~39-52k req/s). The analysis also highlighted that FreeBSD jails and SmartOS native zones introduce negligible overhead, whereas Docker containers and SmartOS LX zones show modest but measurable performance costs. The results suggest that OS choice matters more for TLS-heavy workloads, where FreeBSD and modern Linux distributions excel in efficiency, though real-world decisions should balance performance with operational factors like tooling and expertise.
rpki-client seeks €300K in funding by 2026 to sustain development: The OpenBSD-associated rpki-client project has announced a need to raise €300,000 before 2026 to continue its work, as highlighted by developer Job Snijders on the project’s updated funding page. The tool, used for Resource Public Key Infrastructure (RPKI) validation, is a critical component for organizations relying on secure BGP routing. The call for financial support targets companies and users benefiting from the software, urging contributions to ensure its ongoing maintenance and development. Without sufficient funding, future progress on the open-source project may be at risk. The initiative reflects broader challenges in sustaining niche but essential infrastructure tools within the open-source ecosystem.
DragonFly BSD updates libusb for NUT compatibility: Recent commits to DragonFly BSD have updated the libusb library primarily to improve compatibility with the Network UPS Tools (NUT) software, which replaces older APC tools for managing backup power systems. The updates include multiple patches aimed at ensuring seamless integration with NUT’s functionality. Additionally, the post notes an unrelated discovery of a separate nut(1) command-line tool for nutritional analysis, which shares the same name but serves a different purpose. The changes reflect ongoing efforts to enhance hardware support and system utilities within DragonFly BSD.
Tutorials
ZFS Boot Environments Explained: This article clarifies common misconceptions about ZFS Boot Environments (BE), focusing on their structure and functionality rather than general ZFS concepts. It explains that by default, all system data is included in a ZFS BE, with specific directories like /usr and /var excluded only when explicitly configured with the canmount=off property. The article details how new BEs are created as writable clones from snapshots of existing datasets, allowing for system rollbacks or testing. It also demonstrates transferring BEs between systems using tools like beadm and mbuffer, emphasizing flexibility in managing multiple environments. The discussion is supported by practical examples, command-line outputs, and visual aids to illustrate ZFS dataset relationships and BE operations.
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