RE: https://mastodon.sdf.org/@netbsd/117455748417638482

During episode 132 of Linux After Dark from @latenightlinux, the hosts talked about how they could recapture the passion they once had for computers and technology. This episode got me thinking quite a lot. I've been a Linux user for more than 30 years and, admittedly, my excitement for tech was dying. Actually, it had been dying for a few years. Shitty comments from Torvalds, many projects embracing AI, and maybe even the fact that I had been using Linux for so many years, contributed to my, well, less that excited feelings about all of it. I know that I needed a change.

I may have found something that has rekindled my love and excitement. And that something is BSD. After a few months of struggling to get a BSD installed on my hardware (laptop and desktop), with the help of many here in the Fediverse over the past month or so, I finally got NetBSD installed on my laptop and desktop. It was exciting! I'm actually feeling the way I did when I first started using Linux all those years ago. I have to work a bit to get some hardware working, I have to do a lot of reading and research, and I've even joined some IRC channels and forums. Forums. Remember those?

I'm leaving Linux behind and moving on after more than 30 years. This isn't a decision that I take lightly. Quite the contrary. It's one of the hardest decisions that I've ever had to make. I spent those 30+ years preaching about how great Linux was and even moved a lot of people away from Windows to Linux and Open Source software over the years. And for a lack of a better description, I feel betrayed by the Linux kernel project and all of the open source projects who have decided to embrace AI, even with all of terrible ethical issues.

Well, anyway, I didn't write this to bash on Linux. I wrote this because I'm starting to feel excited about tech again. I may even start writing about my move from Linux BSD and how it's all going. The good things. The struggles. And everything in between.

Okay, I've put enough people to sleep with this post. I have a long road ahead of me before I feel as comfortable with BSD as I do with Linux, but I think that is where all the excitement is.

#bsd #netbsd #freebsd #openbsd #linux #noAI

matthew green boosted

NetBSD Foundation 🚩 » 🌐 2026-10-17
@netbsd@mastodon.sdf.org

Some #NetBSD questions that keep coming up.

We don't use modules for HW drivers in the default install. All baked into the kernel. If you're curious about desktop hardware, for x86 there are lists https://wiki.netbsd.org/laptops/ https://wiki.netbsd.org/gpus/ (and the pci/usb manual pages)

x86 virtual machines. https://www.netbsd.org/docs/guide/en/chap-virt.html#chap-virt-guest

For disk encryption there's different options, such as creating a small root with the installer, then adding encrypted partitions later (see man cgdconfig). Also: cgdroot.

So… where's that #Linux kernel fork?

Or maybe better yet, how's Linux emulsion on #NetBSD? Can I run #Steam on it yet? What's the gaming situation over there?

What's the gaming situation on #HaikuOS, for that matter? Does the Steam version of Terraria run?

@nixCraft https://mastodon.social/@nixCraft/117451805824031590

#Digitalcourage⁩, Ortsgruppe #München⁩:
Linux-Installation

» Haben Sie Interesse daran, #Linux⁩ als #Betriebssystem⁩ auf Ihrem #PC⁩ zu installieren? Wissen Sie nicht genau, wie das funktioniert?

Wir geben Ihnen die Möglichkeit, in unserem Beisein Linux zu installieren.

➡️ Vorbereitung
Datensicherung u.a.: https://digitalcourage.de/treffen-vor-ort/muenchen#install⁩.

➡️ Anmeldung
✉️ bis spätestens 22.10.2026 an: ortsgruppe@muenchen.digitalcourage.de.

- Wie ist der Gerätename? (Angaben zu Arbeitsspeicher und Festplatten-Kapazität wären hilfreich)
- Bevorzugen Sie evtl. ein bestimmtes Betriebssystem (z. B. Ubuntu, Mint, Suse)?

➡️ Details
https://digitalcourage.de/termine/2026/muenchen-linux-installationsparty-2026-10

📆 Montag, 26.10.2026
🕖 19:15 bis 21:00 Uhr
📍 Jugendinformationszentrum #JIZ, Sendlinger Str. 7 (Innenhof), 80331 München

#endof10 #datenschutz⁩ #nachhaltigkeit ⁩

Alt...

Münchner Kindl, das in seiner linken Hand das gelbe Dreieck von Digitalcourage hält. Text darunter: digitalcourage Ortsgruppe München

@ParadeGrotesque

It has a ring of Debian kFreeBSD to it.

But there's more to it than APK instead of #pkgsrc. It's based around @ska's #s6 and #execline and suchlike. Of course, those are also available on actual #NetBSD too.

I suspect that it's not aimed at people who want to switch operating systems as such, but at people who use #AlphineLinux but who do not want to have #Linux as part of that any more.

#AlpineBSD #Debian

#AIslop getting closer by the day...

NetBSD, anyone?

#Linux #seekingalternatives

https://lore.kernel.org/lkml/CAHk-=whTs09_ozN+e09GU68N1wPP56MUzDjrg9rnKxQUa0A_4Q@mail.gmail.com/

Alt...

Professor Farnsworth's "I don't want to live on this planet anymore" frame but it goes "I don't want to use this OS anymore" with a hint of Linux from an image of Tux flipped over as though Farnsworth has chucked it away.

zerobrew : une alternative à Homebrew qui accélère l'installation de vos packages sur macOS et Linux. Même Brewfile, commandes proches (zb install, zb bundle, zb upgrade).

Sur 100 packages, le benchmark donne 6,6x plus vite à froid et 68x avec le cache. ⬇️
https://github.com/zerobrewhq/zerobrew

#Linux #macOS #Programming #WebDev

📬 Ma veille dev, chaque vendredi par email → https://l.camilleroux.com/sig-wFE

Alt...

Une créature orange avec des pics hérissés et deux yeux expressifs émerge d'un tas de sable jaune sur fond beige clair.

48 links this week, from decompilation to local inference.

🧩 PS2 games in the browser through static recompilation to WebAssembly
⚡ Magnitude: open source inference engine, about 2.2x faster decode than Ollama
🐧 NetBSD as the AI-free FOSS OS, with record donations to match
📡 A Wi-Fi 7 router turned wideband SDR receiver
🔧 An MCP server that runs on your OpenWrt router

https://www.underkube.com/2026-10-17-what-edu-is-reading-this-week-oct-11-17-2026/

#tech #linux #ai

Working on some vector artwork - And I'm again amazed how well the #Affinity tools work on #Linux with #Lutris.

Yes, there are some annoyances (Like wine forgets the DPI settings sometimes or the tools do not see my second HDD), but it works well enough for the little tasks I need.

Alt...

Screenshot of Affinity Designer. There is a document open that only shows templat text in Pink and Grey.

I leave getting a login.conf(5) patch into util-linux login(1) as an exercise for those who actually use util-linux login(1). I don't use it.

https://github.com/jdebp/slashpackage/blob/trunk/sysutils/util-linux-2.42.4/package/patches/login_conf.patch

I have instead stepped boldly into the new 1973 world of cursor-addressable video terminals. I log-in full-screen. (-:

@argv_minus_one
#utillinux #login #VirtualTerminals #Linux #login_conf

i will stay on lenuks because i still like it and well, i work on stuff that runs on linux. however, i am very curious how peoples adventures in smaller OS' go, and i hope they get more love from enthusiastic people.

more operating systems is always a great thing. i might try netbsd on some of my older devices, see if i can get it to work on ancient netbook for example.

let the cycle of people tinkering with their computers continue :)

#linux #netbsd

Time to figure out how to cram NetBSD onto those fancy VPSes whose providers proudly support everything under the sun, as long as it's Linux 😉

#bsd #netbsd #linux

We also completed porting our audio support layer to the iPhone so we now have fully operational audio in Linux on the iPhone 11.

https://youtube.com/shorts/QbfWi6KvmRk

#PWNie #Linux #cyberdeck #apple #iPhone #MindIsBorn #Chiptune #demoscene

X11 on iPhone 11? Don't mind if I do...

#PWNie #Linux #Apple #iPhone #cybersecurity

Alt...

X11, xclock, xeys and xterm running in Linux on an iPhone 11

Ich suche einen Job:
Braucht irgendjemand einen tüchtigen und motivierten Linux- und #Windows-Spezialisten, der Euer Unternehmen auf freie Software umstellt?
Das wäre ein ganzheitlicher Ansatz: sowohl client-, als auch serverseitig und immer mit der Userperspektive, Sicherheit und Datenschutz im Blick.
Bin kurzfristig verfügbar. Gesucht wird eine Anstellung in #Berlin.

#fedijobs #fedijobs_de #FLOSS #FOSS #digitalesouveranitat #Migration #IT #Systemintegration #Linux #Datenschutz #itsicherheit

I need to get Retiled to be much more usable so that there's a real anti-slop Windows Phone-style shell for phones. Inspired by this post, going to try adding support for NetBSD too because of the slop in Linux:

https://tech.lgbt/@nina_kali_nina/117446489378996438

I don't know what to do about the slop in Qt as I said before. Not dropping support for Linux due to the efforts of anti-slop distros like Nura, doing that would also be pointless since that's the main phone distro.

#Retiled #WindowsPhone #Linux #NetBSD #AISlop

Fellow Fediverse citizens and concerned Linux users.
How about going for TUI life.
Take for example this tiny Linux compatible kernel

👉 https://github.com/vvaltchev/tilck 👈

and make it grow as a serious project for anyone who is fine with using only console applications ?

Real retro.

#linux #noai #opensource #netbsd #runbsd

This mockup is the design touchstone for Agora -- it's the visual design language it's pursuing.

#programming #linux #freeBSD #openBSD #wayland #opensource #floss

@stefano I wouldn't be concerned too much for #Linux . The project has gone through much worse, but it's possible for this AI drama to end in a rollback or a fork war.

Linus is clearly going through a midlife crisis ATM. I don't blame him, he's never been perfectly stable, and this AI crap is driving many of us insane already..

This #AI stuff will likely calm down once the bubble bursts, AI companies backtrack/go broke, AI becomes unaffordable, and Linus is forced to touch grass once again.

shared by a friend of mine, after the recent Linus Torvalds news. although I wouldn't know if strictly speaking intended to be related

#noai #noslop #slop #ai #llm #antiai #freesoftware #opensource #foss #floss #linux #kernel #dev #ensloppification #slopnation

Alt...

a picture with the overall caption "open source in 2026" in the footer, showing two photos of a woman. the first photo shows her visibly and intensely disgusted next to the text "low-quality contributors from new developers". the second photo shows her with a suddenly curious inquiring and almost excited look, next to the text "low-quality AI contributions from long-time developers". the picture plays with the absurdity with how suddenly the woman's mood changes, the two pictures being implied to have been taken just seconds apart since they share the same lighting and background.

No, it's not just a screenshot render, it really works! Here's video proof, a screencast I took today.

#programming
#linux
#freebsd
#bsd
#openbsd
#netbsd
#ai

Currently, libagora-core, -text, and -drawing work well, and -app is in progress. The Window Server works, but is unaccelerated just now; full acceleration will be implemented later on.

#programming
#linux
#freebsd
#bsd
#openbsd
#netbsd
#ai

Agora is composed of several sub-projects:

- libagora-core, equivalent to Core Foundation
- libagora-drawing, equivalent to Core Graphics
- libagora-text, equivalent to Core Text
- libagora-app, equivalent to Application Kit
- WindowServer, a Wayland-based window server specifically for Agora
- Agora Workspace, a to-be-designed file manager
- Agora Dock, a to-be-designed Dock

More will be added as Agora grows.

#programming
#linux
#freebsd
#bsd
#openbsd
#netbsd
#ai

Hello, Mastodon!

Agora Desktop is a project to produce a Mac-like desktop environment and UI toolkit, based on the Cocoa API, for Linux and the BSDs.

Up front disclosure: This project makes use of agentic coding in the hands of a 30+ year programming veteran, so if that's a dealbreaker, feel free to ignore it entirely, flames go to /dev/null. Positive interactions only!

#programming #linux #freebsd #bsd #openbsd #netbsd #ai

The creator of Paint.NET is trying to get it to work on Wine, and at the same time, someone has created an open-source Linux clone of it.

https://github.com/Univers4craft/paint.software

#gnulinux #linux #foss #paintnet #paintnetalternative

No dear #linux users none of the #bsd s is a drop in replacement for your favorite #distribution . Not every hardware under the sun is 100% supported.

Look at the hardware compatibility lists of the given projects before you set yourself up for frustrations.

#FreeBSD has the broadest mainstream hardware support.

Especially for #NetBSD read this first

https://www.unitedbsd.com/d/1158-netbsd-hardware-compatibility-thread

Thinking about switching to #NetBSD to avoid #Linux #AI tainted kernel, and the thing that is worrying me most is package managers. I've been using #Debian and derivatives for about twenty years mainly because of its excellent package manager. Is there anything which does similar dependency tracking in the #BSD world?

Non l'ho ancora iniziato ma sembra molto interessante!

"Advanced Programming in the UNIX Environment

In this course, students will learn to develop complex system-level software in the C programming language while gaining an intimate understanding of the Unix operating system (and all OS that belong to this family, such as Linux, the BSDs, and even Mac OS X) and its programming environment. "

#unix #unixITA #linux #linuxITA #bsd #bsdITA #netbsd #guufxmmp #guufITA

https://stevens.netmeister.org/631/

TBF, my biggest concern about this whole #linux/#LLM meltdown thing finally reaching public visibility is actually that FreeBSD got a *mammoth* 250k grant from the Linux Foundation and suddenly FreeBSD decided AI was cool.

I run @netbsd and macOS/Darwin and I worry that the @FreeBSDFoundation I long have supported will suddenly go the way of Linux.

Bro, no. Cloud LLMs are a disaster waiting to happen. I didn't migrate to a solar DC just to watch my land become uninhabitable for your FOMO.

🎰 Linux kernel devs drop obligatory confession of AI tool usage

"The Maintainers Summit reached consensus to deprecate the Assisted-by Tag," said Sasha Levin, a Linux kernel developer and engineer at Nvidia, in a message to the Linux kernel mailing list last week. "Remove the documentation requiring it."

https://www.theregister.com/ai-and-ml/2026/10/14/linux-kernel-devs-drop-obligatory-confession-of-ai-tool-usage/5303140

#linux #kernel #ai #vibecoding #opensource

AntiX #Linux > AntiX #NetBSD

With #KDE

"Gigabyte recently announced new motherboards that use DDR4 RAM, a standard that launched in 2014, and other vendors support even older standards in brand-new kit."

The Register: DDR4 makes a comeback as component costs rise, while Linux offers an escape from forced upgrades https://www.theregister.com/systems/2026/10/14/new-motherboards-old-ram-plenty-of-life-left-in-yesterdays-pcs/5303018 @theregister @lproven #Linux

This.

« #NetBSD seems to be thriving of late : as the #Linux world goes pro-AI, some of the AI-averse are turning to this explicitly AI-free project. »

› https://www.theregister.com/os-platforms/2026/10/13/netbsd-may-have-found-a-new-role-the-ai-free-foss-os/5302818

#OS #AI #SlopAI #ALifeWithoutSlop

RE: https://circumstances.run/@davidgerard/117438485935098528

this is a shame, I had wanted to move off Windows 10 to Linux but now I'm not so sure.

I wonder how many other laypeople like me are thinking the same?

#Linux

Jay 🚩 boosted

David Gerard [he/him] » 🌐 2026-10-14
@davidgerard@circumstances.run

How much slop is in Linux now? Ehh we decided not to tell you

https://lore.kernel.org/lkml/20261009083137.3-1-sashal@kernel.org/

I'm sure there are non-AI versions on Linux, but which ones are they?
And when laypeople like me see the head Linux guy go all in on AI despite everyone's reservations, what are we to think?

#Linux #AI

@Lazarou well, fwiw, some of us, already long on linux, are now so despondent at the wholesale slopbot invasion here, apparently welcomed with open arms, that the possibility of jumping to #FreeBSD or #NetBSD, or even a bespoke little curio like #Haiku, is now being seriously investigated. i fled windoze for linux in 2014, only first discovering it in december 2013, & it's been magical. i never imagined a day would come where it would be necessary to flee from linux 🥺😭

#DropbearPooterising #Linux #LinuxWomen #FOSS
#FuckGenerativeAI #FuckSlopbots #AntiAI #NoAI

I've started the #HardenedBSD release engineering process to account for the #FreeBSD security advisories announced today.

I'll be including some other fixes, including the DNSSEC certificate pinning issue with hbsd-update and the mitigation for the #inotify vulnerability in #Linux that also is applicable to FreeBSD.

FreeBSD implemented a mitigation on 07 Oct 2026 with commit c2ac0db7150c53d3902dbe1c507d96cbacfcadc6 (devfs: Explicitly disable inotify).

I should have new builds published by the end of this weekend.

#infosec

I'm thinking of replacing an old laptop's Windows 10 system with a #BSD system instead of #Linux.

Most of the articles I see on the BSDs tend to downplay user interface. I'm very comfortable with the command line, but I want my GUI too.

Has anyone had any daily experience with this sort of setup? I am leaning towards #FreeBSD or #DragonflyBSD but I don't know about the available desktops.

#NetBSD #OpenBSD

Cyclic (graph) history: I used to tinker and enjoying #Linux whilst having Windows 98 and then 2000 as my "last resort" system for gaming and tasks that weren't easy to do on Slackware. Proprietary software just felt weird to use, honestly, on a personal level.

25 years later I have a #NetBSD box that I'm getting used to while having Linux as a reserve/occasional gaming OS. Slopware just feels weird to use, honestly, on a personal level :)

RE: https://mastodon.bsd.cafe/@Larvitz/117439985621962261

Absolutely! I daily-drive FreeBSD as my desktop OS, and it’s genuinely fantastic.

FreeBSD is more than capable of being a full-fledged desktop OS. People really need to move past the “servers only” stereotype.

The performance, stability, power efficiency, and ZFS integration make it a fantastic desktop experience! ❤

#FreeBSD #OpenBSD #Linux #Unix #BSD

Jason Bowen 🇺🇦 boosted

Larvitz » 🌐 2026-10-14
@Larvitz@mastodon.bsd.cafe

"FreeBSD is only for servers" needs to be permanently retired.

Running FreeBSD 15.1 on the trusty ThinkPad T480, and the desktop experience is outright sublime:

- Idle power draw: hovering at an absurd ~2.0W package power
- Wi-Fi: 802.11ax rock-solid
- Hardware video acceleration: fully working in both Firefox and Chrome
- Webcam and audio: working flawlessly
- Productivity: Xfce 4.20 on X11 flying along on ZFS
- Yes, even Factorio runs like a dream

Between the battery efficiency, sane base system, and native ZFS, this machine feels faster and quieter than it has in years.

2026 really is the year of the BSD desktop.

#FreeBSD #ThinkPad #T480 #Unix #BSD #OpenSource #Xfce #Factorio

I know zero Linux.

There is praise of NetBSD, I’ve been wanting to shift an old laptop to Mint (still a long time before I can do this).
Linux has gone AI, but isn’t that all sorts of distributions, are all of them affected?
Does NetBSD have pretty options? The website suggests it is very utilitarian.

#linux #netbsd

RedGem : un moteur de jeu 3D et son éditeur qui vous laissent écrire votre gameplay en Ruby, avec Blender pour construire vos niveaux.

Les builds partent en un clic vers Linux, Windows et Android. Physique Jolt, interpréteur mruby, multiplayer via relay inclus ⬇️
https://github.com/carlosdanielpohlod/redgem

#Ruby #Linux #Android #Gaming #GameDev

📬 Ma veille dev, chaque vendredi par email → https://l.camilleroux.com/sig-kxg

I made a meme, totally unrelated to the #Linux kernel going full SLOP

#NetBSD #AI #NeverSlop

Alt...

Old Swedish Chef meme from a decade or two ago, chasing orc and a few animals, captioned "NetBSD" chasing "AI maintainers" "AI SLOP" "EXPLOITS"

Sometimes I joke about this timeline being a dumpster fire, but then I see that an official Fortnite client is coming to Linux. Which ALSO means pigs HAVE learned how to fly. And I smile a bit...

(No, I don't play Fortnite, but the biggest game in the world finally getting official Linux support is a massive thing, and it WILL start a positive snowball effect.)

#Gaming #Linux

🚀 #Gitte 0.11.0 is out!

* Search the commit graph by message, author or commit ID
* Filter branches, tags & remotes in the sidebar (Ctrl+K)
* Commit trailers with templates & sign-off
* Amend the previous commit, including unstaging changes to remove them
* Choose your initial repository view
* Custom repository logos

Plus UI improvements & lots of fixes.

Flathub: https://flathub.org/apps/de.wwwtech.gitte
macOS: https://gitlab.com/dehesselle/gitte_macos/-/releases/v0.11.0-180
Repo: https://codeberg.org/ckruse/Gitte

#git #gnome #linux #macos

So, how's BSD for people who are more in the "general demographic" end of the spectrum? Games (including Proton-like compatibility tools)? Browsing? Office tools?

Think someone who currently uses Linux Mint, Ubuntu, etc.

#Linux #BSD #OpenBSD #NetBSD #FreeBSD

Linus "left behind" Torvalds

https://lore.kernel.org/lkml/CAHk-=whTs09_ozN+e09GU68N1wPP56MUzDjrg9rnKxQUa0A_4Q@mail.gmail.com/

#linux #kernel #aislop #vibecoding

I started filling my new OS with my files and projects.
I connected an external drive… There is no lsblk on FreeBSD? Well, I decided to setup syncthing first. Installed it. There is no ss to list open ports? Ah, found sockstat - very similar. Okay, it’s running on its weird 8384 port. Next, decided to create separate ZFS datasets for folders I was going to sync. zfs create and zfs allow. Seems easy but two folders always mount as root:wheel and only the third as my user. Is this because I ran zfs create without sudo, strange…
#linux #freebsd #syncthing

My favorite #Linux distro is #NetBSD

*runs*

#FlagLinux #shitpost