FreeBSD Kernel Modules Pkg(8) Repositories | Hacker News Reader

FreeBSD Kernel Modules Pkg(8) Repositories

vermaden.wordpress.com

32 pointstodsacerdoti12 comments

Never played with kernel mods via packages but very tempted to start.

I have hopes of a path to a radically smaller kernel and loadables for the things not integrated by default. The end would be a path to a kernel Makefile specifying the minimum set, so a path from loadable to static, but with smaller state than generic and smaller critical dependency size.

I believe you already played with /usr/src/sys/amd64/conf/MINIMAL kernel?

Yes. Some time ago. Circumstances took me to TrueNAS Core BSD flavour which is regrettably retrograde, and I am about to rejoin the cleaner experience but the transition is .. scary. Making a smaller kernel is off to one side of my main intent which is to NOT lose my existing ZFS state!

After TrueNAS CORE went dead and iXsystems focused on Linux based SCALE version the free and open source 'zVault' fork of TrueNAS CORE happened - https://zvault.io - its page here.

One of my buddies switched from TrueNAS SCALE to FreeBSD based zVault and is more then happy:

- https://vermaden.wordpress.com/2024/04/20/truenas-core-versu...

He does not have really high expectations - besides having about 2TB of data he runs one Bhyve VM with Linux 'Home Assistant' and one FreeBSD Jail with 'Plex Media Server'.

I've considered Sylve might get where I need to be, but now you have offered me another choice. Interesting!

I also watch Sylve development and progress with curiosity :)

> While FreeBSD team fights really hard to keep ABI and kernel interfaces stable across ‘point’ releases – its sometimes not possible due to the nature of Linux DRM

yaw, didn't know Linux influence is so high on FreeBSD.

though, it may be a good sign - as it sorta base system becoming split in packages, may be on day LTS version FreeBSD will be born and it'll become usable

TIL: "as with broken ABI the drm-kmod related kernel modules just panic and reboot each such system instantly … and this problem persists for whole 3 months...I have spoken about that problem for years"

Indeed, stable and solid system, I wouldn't be part of CorpIT team who needs to support such setups.

Oh good, it does tie to the actual installed minor version. For a moment, I worried we would hit a situation where it would break the other way, with pkg immediately trying to install modules for the next minor version before it was installed.

Anything FreeBSD related gets my attention. My most favoured operating system.

I often do not have enough luck to get to the HN front page so if You are interested in more such FreeBSD content - https://vermaden.wordpress.com/ - then its right here.

Rock solid and plenty of ports. I use it for multiple ZFS file servers, which subsequently led me to utilizing Linux regularly, which then led to dropping Windows altogether. It sounds corny to say but FreeBSD changed my life is a measurable way.

> It sounds corny to say but FreeBSD changed my life is a measurable way.

Mine too.

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