FreeBSD facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
FreeBSD

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FreeBSD 13.0 bootloader with ASCII art logo
Company / developer	The FreeBSD Project
OS family	Unix-like (BSD)
Working state	Current
Source model	Open source
Initial release	1 November 1993; 31 years ago (1993-11-01)
Marketing target	Servers, workstations, embedded systems, network firewalls
Package manager	pkg
Supported platforms	x86-64, ARM64, ARM32, IA-32, PowerPC, RISC-V
Kernel type	Monolithic with dynamically loadable modules
Userland	BSD
Default user interface	Unix shells: sh or tcsh (user-selectable)
License	FreeBSD License, FreeBSD Documentation License

FreeBSD is a powerful operating system that is free and open-source. Think of an operating system as the main program that makes your computer work, like the brain of a robot. FreeBSD is similar to Unix, a very old and important operating system. It comes from something called the Berkeley Software Distribution (BSD).

The first version of FreeBSD came out in 1993. It was built from an earlier system called 386BSD. Today, FreeBSD works on many different types of computer processors, like those found in your phone or gaming console. The FreeBSD Foundation helps support and promote the project.

Unlike some other operating systems, FreeBSD provides a complete system. This means it includes the main part (the kernel), programs that help hardware work (like device drivers), and all the basic tools you need. It's different from Linux, which only provides the kernel and drivers, relying on other groups for the rest of the software.

FreeBSD is known for its strong security. It has a special team that checks all the software it provides. You can also install many other programs on FreeBSD. You can get these programs using a tool called pkg, or by building them from their original code.

FreeBSD is very popular among open-source BSD systems. Many other operating systems use parts of FreeBSD's code. For example, macOS (what Apple computers use), iOS (for iPhones), and even the software for PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4 game consoles use parts of FreeBSD. Other BSD systems like OpenBSD and NetBSD also share a lot of code with FreeBSD.

History of FreeBSD

How it Started

Back in 1974, a professor at the University of California, Berkeley, got permission to use the code for an early operating system called Unix. With help from DARPA, a research group started making changes and improvements to Unix. They called their new version "Berkeley Unix" or "Berkeley Software Distribution" (BSD). They added important features like TCP/IP (which helps computers talk to each other over networks) and virtual memory.

The BSD project began in 1976. However, because BSD used some code from the original AT&T Unix, anyone who wanted to use BSD had to get a license from AT&T first.

In 1989, the first public version of BSD, called Net-1, was released. A developer named Keith Bostic wanted to replace all the AT&T code with free code. After a lot of work, most of the AT&T code was replaced. In 1991, they released Net-2, which had almost no AT&T code left.

The Birth of FreeBSD

In 1992, after Net-2 came out, a couple named William and Lynne Jolitz created the missing pieces of code. They made BSD work on Intel 80386 processors and called their system 386BSD. They shared 386BSD online for free.

However, 386BSD wasn't updated very often. So, a group of users decided to create their own version to keep it current. On June 19, 1993, they chose the name FreeBSD for their project. The very first version of FreeBSD was released in November 1993.

Early on, a company called Walnut Creek CDROM helped FreeBSD by selling it on CD-ROMs. They also hired some FreeBSD developers and used FreeBSD on their own servers. This helped FreeBSD become very popular. Today, many big companies like IBM, Nokia, Netflix, and WhatsApp use FreeBSD to build their products or run their services.

A Legal Challenge

Because 386BSD and FreeBSD were based on earlier BSD versions, there was a lawsuit in 1992. A company called BSDi was sued by AT&T, who claimed some AT&T code was being used without permission. Even though FreeBSD wasn't directly involved, it was suggested that FreeBSD also update its code to a newer, "cleaner" version. So, FreeBSD 2.0, released in November 1994, was the first version of FreeBSD that had no code from AT&T.

Key Features

FreeBSD 14 console after login

What You Can Do with FreeBSD

FreeBSD comes with lots of software that makes it great for servers. You can use it to set up a mail server, a web server, a firewall (which protects your network), or even a router to direct internet traffic.

You can also install FreeBSD on your regular desktop or laptop computer. It doesn't come with a graphical desktop like Windows or macOS by default. But you can easily add popular desktop environments like GNOME, KDE, or Xfce. You can also install web browsers like Firefox and Chromium. FreeBSD works with many different types of hardware, including wireless internet adapters.

FreeBSD is designed to work on many different types of computer processors. The main ones it supports are x86-64 (like most modern desktop computers) and ARM64 (like in many smartphones and newer servers).

Networking Power

FreeBSD has a very strong networking system. Its TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol) stack, which handles how computers communicate, helped make these protocols widely used. FreeBSD also supports newer networking technologies like IPv6 and Wi-Fi. It can even use a feature called CARP, which lets multiple computers share the same internet address. If one computer goes down, another can take over without anyone noticing.

Storage Solutions

FreeBSD has special features for managing data storage. For example, "Soft updates" help keep your files safe even if the computer crashes. "Filesystem snapshots" let you take a quick picture of your files at a certain moment, which is great for backups.

FreeBSD also has a system called GEOM. This helps you combine multiple hard drives into a single, larger, or more reliable storage system, like RAID. It also allows for full disk encryption, which scrambles your data so only you can read it.

Since version 7.0, FreeBSD supports the ZFS filesystem. ZFS is a very advanced way to store data. It was first made by Sun Microsystems. Even though Oracle later made ZFS proprietary, the FreeBSD project continues to improve its own version of ZFS through the OpenZFS project.

Keeping Things Secure

FreeBSD has many features to keep your computer safe. These include access-control lists (ACLs), which control who can access files, and mandatory access controls (MAC), which add extra layers of security. These features were developed by the TrustedBSD project. This project aims to make FreeBSD very secure.

FreeBSD also includes three different firewall programs: IPFW, pf, and IPFilter. These act like a security guard for your computer, blocking unwanted network traffic.

The OpenSSH program is also included. OpenSSH is a secure way to connect to other computers over a network. Unlike older methods, OpenSSH encrypts all your information, including your username and password, keeping it safe from snoopers.

In 2012, the FreeBSD Security Team found that hackers had gotten into two of their servers. The hackers got in by stealing SSH keys from a developer, not by finding a flaw in FreeBSD itself. The team quickly shut down the servers and checked everything. They found that no bad changes were made to the software packages that users download.

Working on Different Computers

FreeBSD can run on many different types of computer hardware. The project sorts these into "tiers" based on how much support they get. Tier 1 means they are fully supported, while Tier 2 means they are still being worked on.

As of December 2023, FreeBSD works on:

FreeBSD also runs on small computers like the Raspberry Pi.

Third-Party Software

FreeBSD has a huge collection of over 30,000 programs from other developers. These include web browsers, email clients, and office suites. The FreeBSD project doesn't create these programs itself. Instead, it provides a system called the Ports collection that makes it easy to install them.

You can either build these programs from their original code (called "ports") or download them as ready-to-use packages. Building from code takes longer but gives you more control. Downloading packages is faster but offers fewer choices.

FreeBSD uses a tool called pkg to manage these programs. It's similar to tools used in Linux, letting you easily install, update, or remove software.

Jails for Security

FreeBSD has a cool feature called "jails." Introduced in FreeBSD 4, jails are like secure, separate mini-computers running inside your main FreeBSD system. A program running in a jail can't access things outside its jail. Each jail has its own name and internet address. This is great for running different services or testing new software safely.

Virtualization with bhyve

FreeBSD 10.0 introduced a new feature called bhyve. This allows you to run other operating systems, like Linux or Microsoft Windows, inside FreeBSD. It's like having multiple computers running on one machine. This is different from jails because bhyve can run completely different operating systems, not just other FreeBSD systems.

Running Other Programs

FreeBSD has a special "compatibility layer" that lets you run most programs made for Linux. This means many Linux programs, even some that are only available as ready-to-use files, can work on FreeBSD. This isn't an emulator; FreeBSD's kernel understands Linux commands directly. Often, Linux programs run just as fast on FreeBSD as they do on Linux.

FreeBSD can also run some Microsoft Windows network drivers. And you can use Wine on FreeBSD to run many Windows applications, especially games, without needing a copy of Windows itself.

The Kernel

The kernel is the core of FreeBSD. It handles important tasks like managing programs, communication, and files. FreeBSD's kernel is "monolithic," meaning it's mostly one big program. But it's also modular, so different parts, like drivers, can be loaded or unloaded as needed.

Help and Information

FreeBSD has excellent documentation, including handbooks, manual pages, and articles. This information is translated into many languages. All official documentation is free to use and share.

The FreeBSD project also has many mailing lists where users and developers can ask questions and discuss technical topics.

Installation

Older versions of FreeBSD used an installer called sysinstall. Since FreeBSD 9.0, a newer, more flexible installer called bsdinstall is used. It helps you set up FreeBSD on your computer.

Shell

The "shell" is a program that lets you type commands to control the computer. In FreeBSD 14.0 and newer, the default shell for both regular users and the administrator (root) is the Almquist shell (sh).

How FreeBSD is Developed

FreeBSD is created by a team of volunteers from all over the world. They communicate online, and many have never met in person. There are also annual conferences where developers and users meet.

Who Runs the Project

The FreeBSD Project is run by about 500 "committers." These are developers who can make changes to the main source code. Most are volunteers, but some are paid by companies. Every two years, the committers choose a 9-member "FreeBSD Core Team." This team guides the project, sets rules, and approves new committers.

Besides committers, thousands of "contributors" help out. These are volunteers who send in suggestions and code changes. If a contributor sends in high-quality work, they might be asked to become a committer.

Development Branches

FreeBSD developers work on at least two main versions at the same time. The -CURRENT branch is where all the newest, experimental changes happen. A -STABLE branch is created for each major version. New releases of FreeBSD are made from the -STABLE branch about every 4–6 months. If a new feature in -CURRENT becomes very stable, it might be added to the -STABLE branch.

The FreeBSD Foundation

The FreeBSD Foundation is a non-profit organization that helps support FreeBSD development. They accept donations to fund developers, buy hardware, and provide legal help. In 2014 and 2016, Jan Koum, the co-founder of WhatsApp, donated a lot of money to the Foundation. WhatsApp uses FreeBSD on its servers.

Licenses and Rules

FreeBSD uses several open-source licenses. Most of the core code uses the two-clause BSD license. This license is very flexible. It lets anyone use and share FreeBSD as they wish. It's approved as a free and open-source license. Some parts of FreeBSD use other licenses, like the GPL. Code under these different licenses is kept separate. This makes it easier for companies to use only the most flexible parts of FreeBSD if they need to.

Logo and Name

For many years, FreeBSD's mascot was the BSD Daemon, also called Beastie. This friendly-looking devil first appeared in 1976. Famous animator John Lasseter (who directed movies like Toy Story) drew some popular versions of Beastie.

However, Beastie wasn't just for FreeBSD. Also, it was hard to use Beastie as a simple logo because of its detailed design and many colors. So, in 2005, a competition was held, and a new logo was designed. But the FreeBSD project decided to keep Beastie as its mascot, even with the new logo.

The name "FreeBSD" was chosen on June 19, 1993, by David Greenman. FreeBSD's slogan, "The Power to Serve," is a trademark of The FreeBSD Foundation.

Other Systems Based on FreeBSD

PC-BSD version 10, later known as TrueOS

Many other software systems are built using FreeBSD as their base.

Active Projects

Abandoned Projects

Other Uses of FreeBSD Code

• Juniper uses FreeBSD in its JUNOS router operating system.
• The PlayStation 4 system software (called Orbis OS) is based on FreeBSD.
• Netflix uses FreeBSD in its Open Connect Appliance to deliver movies and shows.
• WhatsApp uses FreeBSD on its servers to handle millions of connections.

These systems often have only small changes from the original FreeBSD. They mainly add pre-installed software for specific uses. This is similar to how different Linux distributions work.

There are also some completely separate operating systems based on FreeBSD. DragonFly BSD is a "fork" (a separate project) from FreeBSD 4.8. It has big differences in its kernel. MidnightBSD is another fork, based on FreeBSD 6.1, which takes ideas from NeXTSTEP for its user interface.

Darwin, which is the core of Apple's macOS, uses parts of FreeBSD's file system and network code.

FreeBSD Version History

See also

In Spanish: FreeBSD para niños

• Comparison of BSD operating systems
• Comparison of operating systems
• Computer Systems Research Group
• Marshall Kirk McKusick

Images for kids

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  FreeBSD logo

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  FreeBSD 13.0 bootloader with ASCII art logo

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  FreeBSD 14 console after login

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  PC-BSD version 10, the operating system that was later known as TrueOS