I think I need more reasons to use #OpenBSD. I used to be a heavy user, even used to run it on my laptop, but currently manage zero installations.

I also think I should give #NetBSD a fair shake, I've only ever installed it twice, and never really given it a chance.

Using OpenBSD is easy, I'll probably convert my wireguard router over to it.

But any suggestions on NetBSD use cases? I mean this from the context of a heavy #FreeBSD user with a massive emphasis on jails.

#BSD #UNIX

SysctlTUI is Out!

The sysctl() system call can get or set the state of the system, the #FreeBSD kernel exposes the parameters for sysctl() as objects of a Management information Base (MIB).

sysctltui is a Text User Interface #sysctl #MIB explorer. It allow to view a parameter’s properties and get or set its value.

Link: https://alfonsosiciliano.gitlab.io/posts/2025-05-29-sysctltui.html

#UNIX #kernel #C #terminal #opensource

Alt...

A terminal window running SysctlTUI, a text-based user interface for navigating FreeBSD sysctl variables. The screen shows a tree-like menu structure, with the path security.bsd.stack_guard_page highlighted. Navigation, Properties, Set Value, and Quit options are shown at the bottom.

Alt...

A detailed view in SysctlTUI of the security.bsd.stack_guard_page sysctl variable. It displays metadata such as OID values, name, description ("Specifies the number of guard pages for a stack that grows"), flags (RD, WR, TUN, MPSAFE, NOFETCH), type (integer), format (I), handler (Defined), and current value (1). A [Close] button is shown at the bottom.

Alt...

SysctlTUI displaying a prompt to change the value of the kern.securelevel sysctl variable. The current value is -1, and an editable input field with the value "-1" is focused. Buttons for [Set Value] and [Cancel] are available below the input. The background shows part of the sysctl variable tree.

The number of the beast. (OpenBSD snapshot)

#openbsd #bsd #unix

Sudo what thou wilt shall be the whole of the command #Sudo #UNIX

Alt...

A sudo sticker depicting a smiling sandwich

#TIL; #Solaris has a very sophisticated defence mechanism which forced my hand to install #OpenBSD on the installation media USB, rather than the hard drive. #UNIX #RUNBSD #PosixMindTricks

This retro-computing project restores support for x87 floating-point unit (FPU) emulation in the NetBSD kernel, targeting legacy 486SX-class processors without hardware FPUs https://github.com/mezantrop/i486SX_soft_FPU?tab=readme-ov-file

#unix #netbsd #opensource

Celebrating NetBSD's 32nd birthday today! Marked the occasion by donating $32 to the @netbsd Foundation. So much respect for a project that truly lives up to "Of course it runs NetBSD". 💪 Consider donating too! https://www.netbsd.org/donations/
#NetBSD #RunBSD #unix #Linux #pkgsrc

Office of Obsolete Men. The Floppy Museum was the only site that didn’t require HTTPS. #Solaris #RetroComputing #UNIX #CDE #Firefox

Alt...

Screen displaying Solaris 10 and CDE desktop, with a Firefox browser pointing to the Floppy Museum

I wonder if the reason why I never got a NES when I was a kid, was not about money but rather the fact that the old man was a IBM mainframe/AS400 guy that never even gave UNIX a chance as a serious computer system. #Nintendo #IBM #UNIX

Welcome to NOSTROMO, a Data General AViiON mc88110 running DG/UX R4.11

This is our first m88k machine online provided by Josh Dersch

Available under the UNIX submenu a 'ssh menu@tty.sdf.org'

#vintagecomputing #retrocomputing #retrogaming #unix

Alt...

An image of a Data General AViiON and Sun 3/160 UNIX systems

Did you know? The largest package repository for Unix-like systems (Linux, macOS {certified Unix}, *BSD and friends packages) award goes to Nix, AUR (Arch & co), Debian & co, and FreeBSD. Here is the ranking. https://repology.org/

#linux #unix #freebsd #macos #opensource

Alt...

This image provides top repositories by total number of packaged projects for Unix, *BSD,, macOS and Linux systems. The ranking is as follows with number of packages: 1. nix (nixpkgs unstable) - 102721 2. AUR - 76329 3. Debian+derivs (Raspbian Testing) - 42425 4. FreeBSD Ports - 31548 5. GNU Guix - 29966 6. Fedora (Fedora 40) - 24210 7. Rosa (Rosa 2021.1) - 19632 8. ALT Sisyphus - 19434 9. Gentoo (LiGurOS develop) - 19278 10. MacPorts - 19209 Source https://repology.org/

I’ve talked before about how I think NetBSD is “boring”, and that it’s among the highest forms of praise I can give tech as a sysadmin and architect. But I’ve never elaborated why that is. Boring tech is mature, not old https://rubenerd.com/boring-tech-is-mature-not-old/

#unix #netbsd #opensource

M-NET (1982) , the world first and longest running Public Access UNIX System is now under the stewardship of SDF Vintage Systems.

Please come enjoy living INTERNET history either with your existing M-NET user account or as a 'ssh guest@m-net.arbornet.org' (alternatively, on https://connect.sdf.org)

#unix #pubnix #retrocomputing #community #vintagecomputing

Thanks to Dan and Tony for allowing SDF Vintage Systems to preserve M-NET!

Alt...

A list of games available to play on m-net.arbornet.org

Alt...

The guest user menu interface system on m-net.arbornet.org

Alt...

Who is currently logged into m-net.arbornet.org

Alt...

An introduction to M-NET YAPP (Yet Another PicoSpan Program) bulletin board conferencing system

All of those things are absolutely wonderful and make many of todays software developers look ... spoiled? What I want, however - and what I love doing - is making this old hardware do stuff its makers never dreamt of, things that are as far removed from their time as possible. That's why I will, if #NetBSD permits, run bleeding edge BSD on a 286-on-486steroids, and why I run web+ftp+irc servers (yes, multitaskign) on one 286 and multiple BBS nodes on a 386 - like one used to do, of course.

I cannot state often enough how amazing it is that there's still software developed today that will work under such constraints.

#RunBSD #EndOfRant

https://github.com/ltning/sshbench

#unix #ssh #benchmark #shellscript #bourne #runbsd

#unix #NetBSD

Alt...

Picture of NetBSD X11 desktop with htop(1) and hot-babe CPU monitor.