weirdr.net is a Fediverse instance that uses the ActivityPub protocol. In other words, users at this host can communicate with people that use software like Mastodon, Pleroma, Friendica, etc. all around the world.
This server runs the snac software and there is no automatic sign-up process.
What about a nice Midnight Commander-style TUI to manage cells interactively? 🤔
https://netbsd-cells.petermann-digital.de
#netbsd #cellsfornetbsd #tui #devops #modernretrocomputing
| Yes, absolutely: | 16 |
| Sounds interesting: | 9 |
| Only if it stays simple: | 3 |
| No, not for me: | 3 |
boostedpwning #NetBSD -aarch64 (ARM)
#RunBSD #Linux #unix
https://www.feyrer.de/NetBSD/bx/blosxom.cgi/nb_20260308_1932.html
Thanks everyone for the constructive discussion and participation in the naming poll over the past days. It was really helpful.
The former "Jails for NetBSD" project will move forward under the name "Cells for NetBSD".
New project page:
https://netbsd-cells.petermann-digital.de
Next steps will focus on stabilizing the current prototype, testing it with real-world workloads, and exploring further ideas around a NetBSD-native container technology.
I’ve been following the discussions about the name of my NetBSD project ("Jails for NetBSD") across a few platforms over the past days and really appreciate the thoughtful feedback.
The short version: the current prototype is probably closer to a cell or a cage than a strict jail, so the name might indeed not be perfect. The project originally started as an experiment inspired by FreeBSD jails, but while exploring NetBSD internals it evolved into something slightly different: controlled process isolation built around the secmodel framework, a different approach for the tool chain and configuration, and without resource limits and network virtualization.
Because of that, I’m open to renaming the project at this stage.
I’ve attached a small poll with a few candidate names — please vote if you like.
And if the right name isn’t listed yet, feel free to drop suggestions in the comments 🙂
Project site: https://netbsd-jails.petermann-digital.de/
#netbsd #jails #freebsd #openbsd
| Jails (current name): | 11 |
| Cells: | 14 |
| Realms: | 5 |
| Domains (clash with Xen): | 0 |
| Enclaves: | 4 |
| Cages: | 9 |
The #eurobsdcon 2026 Call for Papers is open!
https://2026.eurobsdcon.org/cfp/
Submit by June 20th, come to Brussels September 9-13 and mingle with #BSD people!
We also offer pre-submission guidance/mentoring, see within.
Wonder what BSD and the conferences are about? See https://nxdomain.no/~peter/what_is_bsd_come_to_a_conference_to_find_out.html
@EuroBSDCon #freebsd #netbsd #openbsd #freesoftware #libresoftware #brussels #bruxelles
The #eurobsdcon call for papers is on!
https://2026.eurobsdcon.org/cfp/
We offer pre-submission mentoring, see within!
@EuroBSDCon #freebsd #netbsd #openbsd #freesoftware #libresoftware #brussels #bruxelles
Since the last article, the secmodel_jail / jailctl / jailmgr stack has moved closer to a coherent whole. The original guardrails remain unchanged: no modifications to existing kernel paths, no UVM hooks, no NPF integration, no hidden coupling. The scope stays explicit and the risk bounded.
Progress has focused on operations. Logging, lightweight supervision, and basic metrics are in place, shifting the question from "can this work?" to "can this be run?". Networking remains intentionally simple and host-based; for hard isolation, Xen is still the right boundary. Jails provide an operational frame inside the host, not a replacement for virtualization.
Resource budgeting is being prototyped again via the secmodel evaluation interface, touching allocation paths and scheduler run queues in a minimally invasive way, but it needs careful review.
There is now also a small landing page to make the ideas visible, including an experimental amd64 ISO based on NetBSD 10.1 for testing. If it sparks upstream interest or discussion around lightweight, explicit isolation on NetBSD, that is already a win.
boostedI think 2026 is the right time to bring back BSDmag
https://archive.org/details/BSD_Magazine_11_2014/page/16/mode/1up
#DragonflyBSD #FreeBSD #OpenBSD #NetBSD #MidnightBSD #RunBSD
boosted@jaypatelani
It's fun that NetBSD literally was shown running on a toaster. It was a TS-7200 device. Unfortunately, I can't find a current link, with a quick try searching.
I had fun with NetBSD on the TS-7200 back then as well, used it for a weather station and weather cam back in the 2000s. Rugged device.
NetBSD continues to be awesome 😊
My old friend, a Raspberry Pi A+, has been running my home heating system for months, just like it did back in 2014.
It has not missed a single moment.
It has sailed through every so called cloud outage.
It kept working flawlessly even when the Internet connection was down, because it simply does not need it.
This is the kind of technology I love.
Of course, it runs NetBSD!
rpicaldaia# uptime
6:23PM up 78 days, 20:16, 4 users, load averages: 0.33, 0.17, 0.13
rpicaldaia# uname -a
NetBSD rpicaldaia 10.1 NetBSD 10.1 (RPI) #0: Mon Dec 16 13:08:11 UTC 2024 mkrepro@mkrepro.NetBSD.org:/usr/src/sys/arch/evbarm/compile/RPI evbarm
@kaveman Thank you so much for mentioning my little experiment with bringing Jails to NetBSD here - I really appreciate it.
In the meantime I’ve brought it to a somewhat usable state (at least in its core) and experimented with some interesting - though highly experimental - integration paths with UVM and NPF.
I’m currently thinking about what the best next step would be. One idea is a stripped-down version that complements the kernel code - essentially just secmodel_jail+kauth+jailctl+jailmgr, but without UVM and without NPF integration - possibly as a pkgsrc package?
The current experimental state is described here:
https://www.petermann-digital.de/blog/netbsd-secmodel_jail-update/
(Sorry - at the moment it’s available in German only.)
While writing my article, it became clear to me how much responsibility — and especially experience — is required to touch areas like UVM or NPF inside NetBSD.
I’ve learned a lot over the past weeks. But I’m also honest enough to say: I don’t yet have the depth of experience needed to modify those subsystems responsibly.
So I made a conscious decision.
I’ve created a new experimental branch for secmodel_jail / jailctl / jailmgr that is strictly additive:
- No changes to existing kernel code paths
- No UVM hooks
- No NPF integration
- No hidden coupling between subsystems
It adds new code only.
The reason is simple: even without deep UVM or NPF integration, the security model already delivers significant practical value for me. And in this reduced, explicit form, the attack surface is clear and the audit scope sharply defined.
This feels like the right first alpha candidate: understandable, bounded, and reversible.
https://github.com/MatthiasPetermann/netbsd-src/tree/feature/jails-v1-ga
I just wrapped up an interesting call that was originally scheduled for last week but rescheduled for today. The client is looking for a unique setup, and thanks to having an early re-read of the fantastic The Book of PF - 4th Edition, I was able to propose some configurations that had completely slipped my mind. The client is extremely curious, and this will likely lead to a new OpenBSD deployment in an interesting environment.
At the same time, I received an email from a professor at an Italian university whom I had encouraged to extend his lectures to include BSDs. I piqued his curiosity as well and proposed a session specifically on firewalls, focusing on OpenBSD and pf. He will be reading The Book of PF soon and will likely add it to his students' recommended reading list. I'll probably present them, too.
In short - one book, a thousand new possibilities. Infinite thanks to @pitrh for the massive and wonderful work behind it.
https://nostarch.com/book-of-pf-4th-edition
#OpenBSD #FreeBSD #NetBSD #RunBSD #PF #Firewalling #IT #SysAdmin