OpenBSD 7.1 has been released!

For those unfamiliar with this OS, OpenBSD was forked from NetBSD in 1995.  In the BSD landscape, FreeBSD is the 800 pound gorilla, and OpenBSD is more of a niche OS focused on security and correctness.  The project has released a ton of innovative projects, many of which have gone on to become core components in other operating systems.  I’m referring to little things like OpenSSH, OpenBGPD, LibreSSL, and many others.  They’ve also developed many interesting OS technologies, such as memory protections and pledge (an alternative approach to enhanced security like selinux).

What I’ve always loved about the project is its gorgeous documentation.  Not that a man page is gorgeous per se but when the man page matches the code and missing documentation is considered a serious bug, I’m in love, especially wading through the garbage dump that is Linux OS documentation.  Add in their continuous code audits and OpenBSD is a very cool project.

This is the 52nd(!) release.  New features include:

• Support for Apple Silicon!  Yes, run OpenBSD on your Apple M1.  You can do this with Linux also but OpenBSD has been working on getting their OS on Apple Silicon almost since the moment it was released and I think they’re further along.
• More support for ARM architecture.  Yes, OpenBSD has supported the Raspberry Pi for a while now.
• As always, many OS and SMP improvements, as well as many new improvements for vmm, which is OpenBSD’s native hypervisor.

There’s much more, so read the release notes.  Alas, no song this time but there are shirts.

raindog308

Raindog308 is a longtime LowEndTalk community administrator, technical writer, and self-described techno polymath. With deep roots in the *nix world, he has a passion for systems both modern and vintage, ranging from Unix, Perl, Python, and Golang to shell scripting and mainframe-era operating systems like MVS. He’s equally comfortable with relational database systems, having spent years working with Oracle, PostgreSQL, and MySQL.

As an avid user of LowEndBox providers, Raindog runs an empire of LEBs, from tiny boxes for VPNs, to mid-sized instances for application hosting, and heavyweight servers for data storage and complex databases. He brings both technical rigor and real-world experience to every piece he writes.

Beyond the command line, Raindog is a lover of German Shepherds, high-quality knives, target shooting, theology, tabletop RPGs, and hiking in deep, quiet forests.

His goal with every article is to help users, from beginners to seasoned sysadmins, get more value, performance, and enjoyment out of their infrastructure.

You can find him daily in the forums at LowEndTalk under the handle @raindog308.