🌍 NetBSD

🎯 Snabbfakta om NetBSD

• Fri och öppen källkod
• Extrem portabilitet (allt från ARM och x86 till PowerPC och RISC-V)
• Stabil och säker med robust design
• Perfekt för både utvecklare och entusiaster

🛠️ Använd NetBSD när du behöver

• En stabil serverplattform med minimal attackyta
• Ett inbyggt system (embedded) med låg resursförbrukning
• En flexibel och säker plattform för programutveckling
• Ett enkelt sätt att ge gammal hårdvara ett nytt liv

🤔 Varför välja NetBSD framför Linux eller FreeBSD?

• Klar kodbas: lättläst, ren, idealisk för anpassningar
• Inbyggd säkerhet: veriexec, npf-brandvägg och integritetsskydd direkt i kärnan
• Överlägsen portabilitet: "Of course it runs NetBSD" är mottot

🖥️ Steg-för-steg guide:

🔎 Special Cases (Speciella fall):

🐧 Dual-boot med Linux eller Windows?

Inga problem!

• Installera NetBSD på en separat partition
• Använd GRUB eller NetBSD:s egen bootloader för att växla mellan systemen

💡 Helpful tips (Nyttiga tips):

• Ta alltid en backup innan du installerar
• Kör nätverksinstallationen för senaste uppdateringar direkt vid installationen
• Läs installationsguiden noggrant, men var inte rädd för att testa själv!

📱 Embedded devices och IoT:

NetBSD är idealiskt för IoT-enheter tack vare låg resursanvändning.

Exempelprojekt:

• Routrar och brandväggar: NetBSD's npf firewall är snabb och pålitlig
• Hemautomatisering: Kör NetBSD på Raspberry Pi eller BeagleBone
• Industriell automation: Stabilt OS med realtidsegenskaper

🕹️ Retrocomputing & Hobby projects:

NetBSD är legendariskt för sin breda hårdvarustöd.

Några roliga exempel:

• Amiga 1200, Sega Dreamcast, Atari Falcon
• Mac SE/30, VAX, HP Jornada 720
• "Of course it runs NetBSD" är verkligen ingen överdrift

🔧 Check your hardware:

Se den fullständiga listan över stödd hårdvara här.

Använd kommandot dmesg för att se vilka enheter NetBSD identifierar.

📌 Process Management (Processhantering)

NetBSD uses a fully preemptive scheduler optimized for responsiveness and throughput. Processes and threads are lightweight and efficiently managed.

Example commands:

🧠 Memory Management (Minneshantering)

NetBSD employs UVM (Unified Virtual Memory) for efficient page management. UVM simplifies memory allocation, sharing, and swapping, improving performance significantly.

Check memory usage:

🔍 Filesystem Internals (Filsystemets struktur)

NetBSD supports multiple filesystem types including UFS (FFS), tmpfs, LFS, and read-only file systems like cd9660. UFS2 provides reliability, journaling, and robustness for servers and workstations.

Example mounting UFS:

🌐 Networking Stack (Nätverksstacken)

The NetBSD TCP/IP stack is fully IPv4 and IPv6 compliant, mature, and fast. It includes advanced features like IPSec, MPLS, and packet filtering (NPF).

Check network interfaces:

Configure firewall with NPF:

🔒 Security Framework (Säkerhetsramverk)

NetBSD's kernel security features include securelevels, Veriexec file integrity checks, ASLR (Address Space Layout Randomization), and kernel authorization (kauth).

Check securelevel status:

Configure Veriexec:

🛠️ Kernel Customization (Anpassa kärnan)

Building a custom NetBSD kernel can optimize your system performance and security. It also reduces resource use by disabling unnecessary features.

Quick kernel build example:

🛡️ Securelevels

Securelevels protect critical system components from modification. Once raised, you cannot lower them without rebooting.

Check securelevel:

Raise securelevel in /etc/rc.conf:

🔑 Veriexec File Integrity (Filintegritet)

Veriexec ensures executable integrity. It verifies hashes before execution, preventing unauthorized binaries from running.

Activate Veriexec quickly:

🔒 Cryptographic Disk Encryption (Diskkryptering)

NetBSD offers CGD (Cryptographic Disk Driver) for transparent disk encryption. Protect your data from theft or unauthorized access.

Creating a CGD encrypted volume:

🔥 Firewall with NPF (Brandvägg med NPF)

NPF (NetBSD Packet Filter) is lightweight, secure, and efficient. Simple syntax allows powerful rules for filtering and NAT.

Sample NPF rule:

Reload configuration:

🎲 ASLR and Kernel Hardening (Kärnsäkerhet)

NetBSD includes ASLR (Address Space Layout Randomization), a critical feature preventing exploits by randomizing memory layout.

Activate ASLR:

Check status:

📖 Recommended Best Practices (Bästa praxis):

• Regularly update your NetBSD system with sysupgrade
• Minimize installed packages: fewer components mean fewer vulnerabilities
• Monitor logs actively using syslog, authlog, and npflog

🌟 Quick pkgsrc facts:

• Over 20,000 packages available
• Works seamlessly across multiple operating systems
• Supports binary and source packages
• Easy upgrades and dependency management

🔨 Installing packages (Installera paket):

Install packages easily using pkgin (binary manager):

Or compile directly from source:

🚀 Managing packages (Hantera installerade paket):

Update installed packages:

Remove packages cleanly:

List installed packages quickly:

⚙️ Advanced pkgsrc usage:

Set global build options in /etc/mk.conf:

Bulk-build customized packages using pbulk for large deployments.

🎯 Why pkgsrc rocks?

• Portability makes it great for multi-platform environments
• Strong community support ensures timely updates
• Clean, straightforward, and easy-to-manage infrastructure

💻 Tools and compilers (Verktyg och kompilatorer):

NetBSD ships with modern development tools:

• GCC and Clang (C/C++)
• GDB for debugging
• LLVM, Rust, Python, and more via pkgsrc
• Native cross-compilation support for embedded systems

Check installed tool versions quickly:

📂 Source Code Management (Versionshantering):

NetBSD uses CVS but also has official Git and Mercurial mirrors.

Clone the latest source code from Git:

Update source code easily with CVS:

🛠️ Building from Source (Bygg från källkod):

Build the NetBSD userland and kernel:

Cross-compile for ARM:

🧪 Kernel and Driver Development (Utveckla drivrutiner och kärnkod):

Writing drivers in NetBSD is straightforward thanks to its modular architecture:

• Drivers follow a clear and consistent framework
• Detailed documentation and man-pages are included
• Easy debugging with built-in tracing and diagnostic tools

Check device recognition:

📝 Contributing back (Bidra tillbaka):

• Submit patches directly via mailing lists
• File bug reports via NetBSD's GNATS system
• Participate actively in discussions on technical mailing lists

Example: Reporting a bug via send-pr:

🌐 Servers and Networking (Servrar och nätverk):

NetBSD excels in high-performance networking roles:

• Lightweight web servers (NGINX, Apache)
• Secure firewalls and routers using NPF
• File servers using Samba, NFS, ZFS

Check your web server status quickly:

📺 Embedded Systems & IoT (Inbyggda system och IoT):

NetBSD runs efficiently on limited resources, perfect for embedded:

• Home automation: Raspberry Pi, Pine64, ESP32
• Industrial controllers with real-time capabilities
• Secure IoT gateways and edge computing

Cross-compile easily for embedded ARM devices:

🖥️ Desktop Workstations (Arbetsstationer):

Although less common, NetBSD makes a capable desktop:

• Desktop environments: XFCE, Mate, LXQt
• Productivity tools: LibreOffice, Firefox, Thunderbird
• Multimedia support: VLC, MPV, GIMP

Quickly install a full desktop environment:

🕹️ Retrocomputing & Hobby Projects:

NetBSD's legacy hardware support is legendary:

• Run NetBSD on vintage Amiga, Atari, or classic Macs
• Setup a retro gaming console (Dreamcast, PlayStation 2)
• Educational OS research and experimental kernel development

Fun: Boot NetBSD on a Sega Dreamcast:

🚀 Research & Academic Use (Forskning och akademisk användning):

NetBSD's clean codebase is ideal for research:

• OS theory and experimental kernels
• Security and cryptographic research
• Networking experiments (IPv6, MPLS, IPSec)

📗 Beginner-friendly tutorials (Guider för nybörjare):

Installing NetBSD from scratch

Simple, straightforward instructions to boot your first NetBSD installation.

Basic system administration

Manage users, services, and basic configurations effortlessly.

Package installation with pkgin

Quick start: install and remove software.

Example: Quick user creation:

📘 Intermediate guides (För den mer erfarne användaren):

Set up a secure firewall with NPF

Simple and secure rulesets for everyday use.

Install and configure web servers

Step-by-step setup of NGINX, Apache, and SSL certificates.

Virtualization with Xen and NVMM

Guide to efficiently running virtual machines.

Quick firewall reload:

📙 Advanced guides (Avancerade guider):

Kernel compilation and customization

Build a tailored kernel optimized for performance and security.

Cross-compiling for embedded devices

Detailed instructions to build NetBSD for ARM, MIPS, etc.

Disk encryption using CGD

Encrypt your partitions and secure your data.

Cross-compilation quick example:

🛠️ Practical tips (Praktiska tips):

• Always keep backups before major changes
• Check logs frequently with tail -f /var/log/messages
• Join community forums and ask questions

💬 Get help and connect (Få hjälp och anslut dig):

Mailing lists

tech-userlevel, netbsd-users, port-arm

IRC Chat

#netbsd on Libera.Chat

Forums and communities

Reddit: r/NetBSD, BSD forums, Stack Overflow

Quick IRC connect:

🧑‍💻 How to contribute (Hur du kan bidra):

Report bugs

Submit clear bug reports using send-pr.

Contribute code

Submit patches, participate in code reviews.

Write documentation

Improve existing documentation or create new guides.

Advocate and promote

Share your NetBSD stories on social media.

Quick bug reporting example:

🎓 Community events (Gemenskapsevenemang):

NetBSD hackathons

Online and physical meetups to code and discuss.

BSD conferences

EuroBSDcon, BSDCan, AsiaBSDCon, and more.

Check upcoming events:

💡 Why join our community? (Varför bli medlem?)

• Friendly atmosphere, everyone is welcome
• Direct support from NetBSD developers
• Opportunities to learn, teach, and grow
• Make friends worldwide and share your passion

📌 Official releases (Officiella versioner):

• Stable release: NetBSD 10.1 (Recommended for production)
• Older stable: NetBSD 9.3 (Long-term support)
• Development version: NetBSD-current (Bleeding edge)

Visit official download page:

📀 Available formats (Tillgängliga format):

• ISO images: For CDs and DVDs
• USB images: Quick and easy booting from USB sticks
• ARM images: Ready-to-use images for Raspberry Pi and more

Quick USB write command:

🌍 Download mirrors worldwide (Globala speglar):

Fast downloads from mirrors around the globe:

• Europe (Sweden, Germany, Netherlands, UK)
• North America (USA, Canada)
• Asia (Japan, South Korea, Singapore)

Example Swedish mirror (fast download):

🔍 Verify your downloads (Verifiera dina nedladdningar):

Always check integrity:

Download signatures:

Verify checksum easily:

📰 Latest News (Senaste nytt):

NetBSD 10.1 released!

Stability improvements, hardware support, security patches.

pkgsrc-2025Q2 is here

New packages, major software updates, improved stability.

Security Advisory

OpenSSH update: critical security fixes available.

Check latest news quickly:

🚨 Security Advisories (Säkerhetsmeddelanden):

Stay secure by following advisories closely:

• Detailed vulnerability descriptions
• Clear, simple patch instructions
• Quick updates with minimal downtime

Subscribe via RSS feed or mailing list.

Example RSS feed:

🔖 Release Notes (Versionsinformation):

Understand clearly what changes with every release:

• New features introduced
• Bug fixes included
• Compatibility notes and known issues

Quick link to release notes:

🗂️ News Archives (Nyhetsarkiv):

Explore past NetBSD news and releases:

• Browse news by year or release version
• Historical security advisories
• Archived pkgsrc release notes

Quick archive example:

📅 Upcoming Events (Kommande evenemang):

EuroBSDcon 2025

Where: Stockholm, Sweden 🇸🇪
When: September 15-17, 2025
Highlights: Kernel hacking workshops, community meet-ups.

BSDCan 2025

Where: Ottawa, Canada 🇨🇦
When: May 16-18, 2025
Highlights: Developer talks, NetBSD roadmap sessions.

Quick registration links:

📺 Recorded Talks (Inspelade presentationer):

Explore NetBSD from past events:

"Modernizing the NetBSD Scheduler"

Speaker: Dr. Martin Husemann
Event: BSDCan 2024
Watch Video

"NetBSD on Embedded Devices"

Speaker: Alistair Crooks
Event: EuroBSDcon 2024
View Slides

👩‍💻 Hackathons & Workshops (Hackathons och workshops):

• Join coding sessions, online or in-person
• Collaborate directly with developers
• Improve NetBSD in real-time, hands-on

Quick hackathon details:

🌎 Local Meetups (Lokala träffar):

NetBSD user groups meet regularly worldwide:

• Sweden: Stockholm BSD Users Group
• UK: London BSD Group
• USA: Bay Area BSD User Group

Find your local group easily:

🚦 Advanced Routing & MPLS (Avancerad routing och MPLS):

NetBSD has native MPLS (MultiProtocol Label Switching) support.
Perfect for creating scalable, efficient networks.

Activate MPLS quickly:

Verify MPLS routes:

🔒 IPSec VPN Tunnels (IPSec VPN-tunnlar):

Secure network traffic easily with IPSec:

• Easy setup via racoon daemon
• Secure communications between servers or sites

Quick IPSec status check:

📡 IPv6 Networking:

NetBSD is fully IPv6 ready:

• Automatic IPv6 address assignment
• Smooth dual-stack configuration (IPv4 + IPv6)

Quick IPv6 config check:

🌩️ Network Diagnostics & Monitoring (Diagnostik och övervakning):

Essential built-in diagnostic tools:

• tcpdump: capture and analyze packets
• traceroute: identify routing issues easily
• ping6: test IPv6 connectivity quickly

Example packet capture:

🛡️ Advanced Firewalling with NPF (Avancerad brandvägg med NPF):

NPF is efficient, modern, and simple:

• Stateful firewalling
• NAT and port forwarding capabilities

Simple port forwarding:

Reload firewall:

💻 Virtualization & Containers (Virtualisering och Containers)

NetBSD provides robust virtualization options.

Xen Dom0 and DomU:

Run NetBSD as a Xen host (Dom0) or guest (DomU). Ideal for enterprise virtualization.

Quick Xen setup example:

NVMM (NetBSD Virtual Machine Monitor):

Lightweight virtualization integrated into the kernel.

Create VM quickly:

Containers & isolation:

Use chroot and sandboxing via kauth security framework for lightweight isolation.

💾 Storage & Filesystems (Lagring och filsystem)

Manage storage flexibly with advanced filesystem support.

• UFS2 with journaling: Reliable and fast for general use
• ZFS support: Manage large datasets, snapshots, and RAID-like redundancy (via pkgsrc)
• LVM (Logical Volume Management): Flexible volume handling

Quick ZFS setup example:

Monitor disk usage:

⚡ System Performance & Tuning (Systemprestanda och optimering)

Optimize NetBSD performance easily.

• Sysctl tuning: Adjust system parameters quickly
• Kernel customization: Reduce overhead by removing unused features
• Benchmarking tools: Use iperf3, bonnie++, and built-in systat

Quick performance check:

🔧 Troubleshooting & Debugging (Felsökning och avlusning)

NetBSD offers excellent built-in debugging tools.

• DTrace: Dynamic tracing for detailed kernel/user-level analysis
• Kernel debugging with KGDB: Step-by-step kernel debugging
• Crash dumps & analysis: Quickly diagnose system crashes

Quick DTrace example:

Kernel crash debugging:

🤖 Automation & Configuration Management (Automatisering och konfigurationshantering)

Simplify management tasks through automation.

• Ansible support: Manage NetBSD nodes efficiently
• Automation scripting: Powerful scripting via shell, Python, Perl
• Centralized logging: Setup syslog forwarding for easier monitoring

Quick Ansible example:

Automate with cron:

🏛️ The Early Days (2003-2004)

In the begining (2003-06-18) we offered an anoncvs and cvsweb service hosted at the University of Stockholm, on a dual Pentium 200MHz. During that time our web site was hosted on a shared server sponsored by Alphix Telecom AB.

In september that year the webpage/community page took form (2003-09-XX). About the same time as we moved our website to our own server we also moved the anoncvs service from Stockholm University to Eagle Computing Örnsköldsvik, and this time hosted on a Fujitsu Team Server (1x200MHz/256MB/10GB).

We were very productive and enthusiastic during 2003 and in november that year we wrote the first version (2003-12-XX) of pkgsrc.se over a weekend. In january 2004 (2004-01-XX) we launched archive.netbsd.se on a shared web server hosted in Fredrik's appartment.

🚀 Growth Period (2004-2006)

2004 was a intensive year for NetBSD.se and a lot of things happend, our own mascot (He has no name) was born and drawn by Viktor Svantesson. During 2004-01 to 2004-06 we started forum.netbsd.se and man.netbsd.se, Emil Hessman and Mikael Höjdh joined the team.

We also got our first dedicated database server (named Frost, a P-III/500MHz/700MB/80GB) donated as spare parts by various persons. This machine was hosted by Alphix Telecom AB, and at last a redesign of www.netbsd.se took place (2004-06-XX).

In augusti 2004 we had our first real crash on the new database server, in which we lost about 150,000 mails due to a disk failure and as a result of this we installed a raid-set on the server (2x120GB Raidframe).

🏢 Infrastructure Evolution (2005-2007)

In december 2003 our second big crisis happend, namely that our hosting provider at the time informed us that they where to shut down the co-location department... After numerous requests we finally got a positive response from the hosting provider and ISP Port80 (later Rix|Port80 AB and today Phonera AB).

During the move we replaced our old Sun SS5 with a new PC (named Nova, an AMD Tbird 800MHz/512MB/80GB) donated by friends and colleagues. We also got in touch with Inserve Technology during january 2005 and they donated a Sun Enterprise 450 (named Jorden, a 4x250MHz/2GB with looots of small disks).

The summer started with us applying for funding from the swedish foundation for internet infrastructure, IIS, with the purpose of developing the swedish NetBSD community (the funding was for 80,000 SEK, around $11,500 USD). To our big surprise the foundation liked our application and granted us the funding.

🌟 Modern Era (2007-Present)

2007-01-01, a big year for NetBSD.se, we put the orders for our new server park with Dell PowerEdge systems. 2007-03-23 was the big day when we installed the machines, and we are kind of lucky because the server Zorn crashed in february 2007 leaving us with a mail queue of several hundered thousand mails.

Leo R. Lundgren joined the team i august 2007. From the beginning of 2007 until today nothing big has happened, We have been developing our cvs services in order to be able to handle more projects, Tobias Åström left the team in january 2008 and pkgsrc.se moved from MySQL to a PostgreSQL backend in september 2008.

📊 NetBSD.se in numbers (as of 2008-10-05):

• Total Storage: 6,000GB
• Number of physical web pages: > 650
• Hosting locations: 3
• Size of databases: > 205GB
• Pages in databases: > 1,000,000,000
• Anoncvs connections: ~ 300,000

We would like to thank all the people that made NetBSD.se what is is today! Please see our sponsor page.

🔮 And the future?

We are a little older (perhaps even wiser?) today and all of us have jobs, so the spare time is not what it was back in 2003-2004, but as long as we think NetBSD.se is a fun project and people continues to use it we will continue to develop it.