FreeBSD

FreeBSD is an open source operating system for computers based on x86 architecture, Intel 80386, Intel 80486 (versions SX and DX) and Pentium CPUs. It currently runs on eleven different architectures, such as Alpha, AMD64, IA-64, MIPS, PowerPC, and UltraSPARC.

FreeBSD is based on BSD-Lite version 4.4 from the Computer Systems Research Group (CSRG) at the University of California at Berkeley in the tradition that has distinguished the development of BSD systems. In addition to the work done by the CSRG, the FreeBSD project has spent thousands of hours tuning the system to deliver maximum performance under real load situations.

It is a free and open source derivative of the BSD (Berkeley Software Distribution) with a focus on speed, stability, security, and consistency, among other features. It has been developed and maintained by a large community since its initial release on November 1, 1993.

BSD is the version of UNIX developed at the University of California at Berkeley, and "Free" is the suffix for BSD, being a free and open source version.

FreeBSD offers a lot of advanced features and even features not available on some commercial operating systems. It is an excellent Internet and Intranet server thanks to its robust network services that allow it to maximize memory and work under heavy loads to deliver and maintain good response times for thousands of concurrent user processes.

Run a large number of applications with ease. Currently, it has over 24,000 ported applications and libraries with support for desktop, server, and embedded environments. FreeBSD is excellent for working with advanced embedded platforms, it's available to install in a number of ways, and there are instructions to follow for any method you want to use, whether it's via CD-ROM, over a network using NFS or FTP, or DVD..

It's easy to contribute and all you have to do is locate the FreeBSD codebase section to modify and do a neat job. Potential contributors are also free to improve their illustrations and documentation, among other aspects of the project, FreeBSD is a non-profit organization to which you can contribute financially.

The FreeBSD license allows users to incorporate the use of proprietary software which is ideal for businesses interested in generating revenue. Netflix, for example, might cite this as one of the reasons for using FreeBSD servers.

The operating system mascot is Beastie.

Features

FreeBSD is a multiuser operating system, capable of preemptive and multithreaded multitasking on multiprocessor-compatible platforms; FreeBSD's operation is inspired, as already said, by the BSD-Lite 4.4 variant of UNIX. Although FreeBSD cannot properly be called UNIX, having not been properly licensed by The Open Group, FreeBSD is made to be POSIX compatible, as are several other "UNIX clones" systems.

The FreeBSD system includes the kernel, the system file structure, C API libraries, and some basic utilities. Version 6.1 It brought important improvements such as greater support for Bluetooth devices and drivers for sound and network cards.

Version 7.0, released on February 27, 2008, includes support for Sun's ZFS file system and ARM architecture, among other new features.

Distribution

FreeBSD Terminal: Welcome screen.

The installers, source code and packages of the FreeBSD operating system are freely distributed to the public, in the form of files and ISO images available on FTP servers and via the WWW. It is also possible to buy them in the form of CD-ROM or DVD.

Installation

The installation of the FreeBSD system can be started in several ways. The most common is using a bootable CD-ROM or DVD, or using a set of 2 or 3 floppy disks (depending on the version you want to install), or even over the network using the PXE standard.

They all boot the computer with a shortened FreeBSD system, and lead to the same sysinstall utility. The sysinstall utility is in charge of actually installing the operating system, and it has several alternatives. Namely, installing the system using the data available on a local storage device (CD-ROM, DVD, directory on a FAT file system, etc.), or by obtaining it from a remote site via a file transfer protocol (HTTP, FTP, NFS, etc.).

Program Management

FreeBSD, like several other BSD-inspired systems, provides semi-automated handling of distributed packages in compressed format (in tar.bz or.tbz format). Besides that, and like NetBSD and OpenBSD, FreeBSD provides for user convenience an efficient package management system called ports. Ports are a set of batch commands, which specify exactly what is required, what needs to be done to compile the source code, and what is needed to install the executable version of a certain software package on the system. There are thousands of free and commercial programs made for systems like GNU/Linux, which also have FreeBSD versions. Since many of the packages are already compiled and prepared by FreeBSD project participants, they can be installed simply by selecting them in an interface provided by the operating system, and copied directly from an HTTP or FTP server.

Compatibility with GNU/Linux

FreeBSD is compatible with binaries of several Unix-like operating systems, including GNU/Linux. The reason for this is the need to run some applications developed to run on Linux kernel systems where the source code is not publicly distributed and therefore cannot be ported to FreeBSD.

Some of the applications used under this compatibility are the GNU/Linux version of Adobe Flash Player, Linux-Opera, Netscape, Adobe Acrobat, RealPlayer, VMware, Oracle, WordPerfect, Skype, Doom 3, Quake 4, Unreal Tournament and several more.

While some applications work perfectly, others are limited because the compatibility layer only includes the system calls of the Linux 2.4.2 kernel, an old version. An incomplete emulation of the Linux 2.6 kernel is included in FreeBSD 7.x, although it is not yet enabled by default. FreeBSD 8.x implements compatibility with the native calls of the Linux 2.6 kernel and the Fedora 10 base set of libraries.

Versions