November 21, 2024
The Fall 2024 FreeBSD Summit brought together developers, contributors, and enthusiasts for two days of dynamic discussions, technical deep dives, and community collaboration. Hosted at NetApp’s San Jose Campus, this event highlighted FreeBSD’s adaptability and impact across industries. With a focus on connectivity, security, and innovation, the summit set the stage for exciting advancements in FreeBSD’s ecosystem.
Explore the session recordings
The Fall 2024 FreeBSD Summit showcased the innovation, collaboration, and resilience defining the community. Each session offered actionable insights and highlighted FreeBSD’s versatility in addressing complex industry challenges.
Whether you’re a long-time contributor or new to FreeBSD, we invite you to explore the session recordings and join the conversation. Together, we can shape the future of open source technology.
Day 1 Highlights
FreeBSD Foundation Update
Speaker: Deb Goodkin, FreeBSD Foundation
Deb Goodkin provided an inspiring overview of the FreeBSD Foundation’s accomplishments and future goals. She emphasized the Foundation’s role in funding development, supporting infrastructure improvements, and promoting FreeBSD within education and industry. Key initiatives included security audits, cloud compatibility projects, and outreach programs aimed at expanding FreeBSD’s reach.
“FreeBSD thrives because of its community. By working together, we’re not just building an operating system; we’re shaping the future of open source technology,” Deb remarked.
Expanding Connectivity in Rural America with FreeBSD-Powered Photon ISP Platform
Speaker: Ian Evans, Metify
Ian Evans presented Photon ISP, a FreeBSD-based solution aimed at improving broadband connectivity in rural areas. He explained how FreeBSD enables Photon ISP to deploy affordable, high-performance routers tailored for these regions. By utilizing tools such as WireGuard and Starlink, Photon ISP offers scalable solutions for locations with challenging terrain and limited infrastructure. Ian also discussed the difficulties involved in bridging the digital divide.
“FreeBSD’s flexibility allows us to innovate without being constrained by proprietary solutions. We’re not just providing internet access; we’re empowering communities to connect and thrive,” Ian emphasized.
Cybersecurity Essentials: Vendor Transparency
Speaker: Pawel Dawidek, Fudo Security
Pawel Dawidek emphasized the increasing importance of transparency in cybersecurity. He addressed risks such as supply chain attacks and explained how FreeBSD’s open-source nature contributes to enhanced security. Pawel discussed Capsicum, FreeBSD’s framework for sandboxing, and highlighted the necessity of reproducible builds to ensure software integrity. His appeal for greater accountability and openness strongly resonated with the audience.
“Transparency is more than a feature—it’s a guarantee of trust. With FreeBSD, we can set the standard for secure and accountable development,” Pawel declared.
FreeBSD Kernel Synchronization
Speaker: Chris Miller, NetApp
Chris Miller presented an in-depth examination of kernel synchronization, which is essential for maintaining system stability. Using NetApp’s FreeBSD-based systems as case studies, he illustrated how optimized locking mechanisms can enhance performance. Additionally, he discussed debugging techniques and the collaboration between NetApp and the FreeBSD community, emphasizing solutions to common synchronization challenges.
“Synchronization isn’t just a technical requirement—it’s the backbone of a system’s reliability and performance,” Chris noted.
History of BSD Daemon
Speaker: Dr. Marshall Kirk McKusick
Dr. McKusick engaged the audience with a captivating presentation on the history of the BSD Daemon. He traced the mascot’s origins and evolution using archival images and humorous anecdotes. Beyond its iconic design, Dr. McKusick explained how the Daemon embodies FreeBSD’s spirit of collaboration and technical excellence.
“The BSD Daemon is more than a logo—it’s a reflection of our shared heritage and the ingenuity of the FreeBSD community,” he stated.
Day 2 Highlights
Empowering FreeBSD with Azure DevOps: CI Pipeline Automation for OS Image Building and Testing
Speaker: Colin Su, Microsoft
Colin Su demonstrated Microsoft’s use of Azure DevOps to streamline FreeBSD image creation. He outlined the pipeline architecture, showcasing how FreeBSD-compatible VSTS agents enable automated building, testing, and publishing of OS images. By integrating these workflows into the Azure Community Gallery, FreeBSD’s accessibility to Azure users has been significantly enhanced.
“With Azure DevOps, we’re not just improving workflows—we’re empowering developers to innovate with FreeBSD at scale,” Colin emphasized.
OSDB: Turning the Tables on Kernel Data
Speaker: George V. Neville-Neil, Yale University
George V. Neville-Neil introduced OSDB, which provides structured, queryable access to kernel data. He explained how OSDB improves debugging and diagnostics by enabling developers to extract meaningful insights from kernel operations. George shared real-world applications of OSDB, emphasizing its potential to streamline kernel development and research.
“OSDB bridges the gap between kernel complexity and developer accessibility, making data more actionable,” George highlighted.
Rescue Kernel and Direct Dumper in FreeBSD
Speaker: Shrikanth R Kamath, Juniper Networks
Shrikanth Kamath explored the development of FreeBSD’s rescue kernel and direct dumper, tools designed for disaster recovery. He detailed how these features enable rapid diagnostics and troubleshooting during critical system failures and provided practical tips for deploying these tools in enterprise environments.
“Disaster recovery starts with preparedness, and FreeBSD’s tools give us the confidence to face the unexpected,” Shrikanth explained.
How Axcient Uses FreeBSD
Speaker: Alan Somers, Axcient
Alan Somers presented a case study on Axcient’s adoption of FreeBSD for backup and disaster recovery. He highlighted FreeBSD’s stability, scalability, and advanced networking capabilities, which form the foundation of Axcient’s solutions. Alan shared lessons from their journey, including performance tuning and cost-efficient scaling.
“FreeBSD’s robustness and flexibility have been instrumental in building reliable, high-performance platforms,” Alan shared.
Using FreeBSD in NetScaler
Speaker: Dorr Clark, Netscaler
Dorr Clark from NetScaler presented on integrating FreeBSD into NetScaler’s application delivery solutions. He highlighted key milestones, starting with FreeBSD 2.2.5 for packet processing, followed by FreeBSD 4.4 for asymmetric multiprocessing, and 4.9 for improved packaging. The integration progressed with FreeBSD 6.3 addressing the Giant Lock, 8.4 focusing on CPU affinity, and 11.4 utilizing hardware performance counters. Clark noted that FreeBSD’s features have been vital for developing NetScaler’s high-performance application delivery products.
Lightning Talks
Speakers: Various
The Fall 2024 FreeBSD Summit featured lightning talks that highlighted FreeBSD’s adaptability and innovation across various domains. Key topics included advancements in the networking stack aimed at high-speed data transmission, the application of FreeBSD in embedded systems and IoT, and improvements to filesystems, particularly enhanced ZFS integration. Speakers also discussed new security features in FreeBSD 14, such as access control and vulnerability mitigation, along with its scalability and performance in cloud environments. The talks concluded with reflections on community contributions and future goals, fostering a spirit of collaboration. These rapid presentations showcased FreeBSD’s robust versatility and the vibrant, forward-thinking community that is driving open-source innovation.
Contribute to the FreeBSD Project
Whether you’re mentoring, promoting FreeBSD, or participating in forums and mailing lists, your efforts drive innovation and growth of the Project. Support the FreeBSD project today by joining our vibrant community and helping build our long-standing and growing open source ecosystem! Enhance FreeBSD by improving documentation, addressing bug reports, submitting code, and engaging in discussions. Every contribution, big or small, helps evolve FreeBSD into a more stable, secure, and performant open source operating system.
About the FreeBSD Foundation
The FreeBSD Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to supporting the FreeBSD Project and community. Accepting donations from individuals and businesses, the Foundation uses funds to develop features, employ software engineers, improve build and test infrastructure, advocate for FreeBSD through in-person and online events, and provide training and educational material. Representing the FreeBSD Project in legal affairs, the Foundation stands as the recognized entity for contracts, licenses, and other legal arrangements and is entirely donation supported. Learn more at freebsdfoundation.org.