It’s been about 6 months since 7.7, so – like clockwork – OpenBSD has released another version of itself.

7.8 is now out!  As usual, it features a variety of hardware support improvements, new features, and bug-squashing.

The biggest changes are:

• Support for the Raspberry Pi 5, though note that you’ll need console on the serial port.  This means getting an RS232-type hat.
• Can now multitask TCP/IP connections.  Up to 8 concurrent threads are supported.
• There’s a beautiful new graphic installer.

…OK, I’m totally lying about that last one.  It’s still the same beloved text-based Q&A experience.

If you’re not familiar with OpenBSD, it’s a free (in the BSD-licensed sense), open-source, Unix-like operating system.  Along with FreeBSD, it’s one of the flagship BSD operating system that collectively are an interesting alternative to Linux.  Unlike the latter, which is the kernel plus hundreds of independently-developed packages, the BSDs are built end-to-end.  In other words, with a single command you can recompile the kernel and all of userland.  Then you can add a wide variety of third-party packages.

OpenBSD is renowned for its security and has many companion projects that are widely used, including OpenSSH, PF (packet filter), LibreSSL, and more.

If you like tinkering with Linux, you’ll probably love tinkering with OpenBSD, too.

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.