The 53rd release of OpenBSD appeared on October 20th.  OpenBSD 7.2 features:

• Support for Apple’s M2 chip and Ampere Altra, as well as some Lenovo ThinkPads
• Many SMP improvements, particularly on networking
• Improved error logging with vmd, OpenBSD’s native hypervisor
• Tweaks to OpenBSD’s native startup system (rc.d)
• A cool new “forest display mode” flag for ps
• Support for many new devices

Keep in mind that when OpenBSD releases a new version, it’s an update to the entire OS, not just the kernel.  In Linux land, an update to ps(1) or bug fixes to ip(1) are done by those projects.  In OpenBSD it’s one big source tree, so you will see mention of fixes like these:

• Added seconds to the uptime display of top(1).
• Sped up wc(1) word counting.

There are hundreds of fixes in OpenBSD 7.2, as well as version upgrades for external packages from outside suppliers like LLVM/Clang, Perl, nsd, etc.

Alas, no new song for this release.

Provider Support

If you go back 10 years, OpenBSD support was iffy but today nearly any provider that offers KVM will either have an OpenBSD image, can add one on request, or will let you upload the custom ISO of your choice.  A few big providers offer OpenBSD, such as Vultr.

I Want It!

Read more on the official page, or download!

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.