OpenBSD has issued errata patches for the rpki-client utility affecting versions 7.7 and 7.8, addressing unspecified vulnerabilities or bugs. Binary updates are available for amd64, arm64, and i386 architectures through the syspatch tool, while source code patches can be obtained from the official errata pages for each release.

The OpenBSD project has deprecated LACP (Link Aggregation Control Protocol) functionality in the trunk(4) network driver, as announced by developer David Gwynne. The decision stems from the availability of a more robust implementation in aggr(4), which already handles LACP with improved performance and maintainability. The removal also addresses technical debt, as trunk(4)'s LACP code relied on the outdated netlock mechanism in the Ethernet stack, complicating future optimizations. While other trunking protocols like failover and load balancing remain in trunk(4), the project encourages users to migrate to aggr(4), with migration guidance provided in the FAQ. The change reflects ongoing efforts to modernize OpenBSD’s networking infrastructure.

The Valuable News weekly roundup curates notable updates, articles, and resources primarily focused on UNIX/BSD/Linux ecosystems, with occasional broader tech and life topics. This edition highlights FreeBSD advancements, including guides on NFSv4 with Linux clients, Restic backups, and Mandatory Access Control (MAC) frameworks like portacl and biba, alongside tools such as the ZFS management GUI ZfDash and the lightweight Dovecot brute-force blocker doveguard.

The wc command in FreeBSD is used to count lines, words, characters, and bytes in a file or from input you provide. Whether you're analysing logs, reading large datasets, or just checking the size of your scripts, wc gives a quick summary.

This guide outlines the process of adding new software to the FreeBSD Ports collection, replacing the deprecated shar(1) tool with a git(1)-based workflow. It begins with creating a port directory containing essential files like Makefile, distinfo, and pkg-descr, then demonstrates how to test the port locally before submission. Common issues such as checksum and size mismatches are addressed, along with troubleshooting steps. The guide also covers generating a git diff for submission via the FreeBSD Bugzilla system, including screenshots of the submission form. Additionally, it briefly discusses updating existing ports and critiques the trend of vendor-specific variables in port configurations. The author notes past frustrations with contributing to official documentation but emphasizes the practicality of sharing knowledge through personal platforms.

This episode of BSD Now highlights the release of Oracle Solaris 11.4 SRU 87, detailing its latest updates and improvements. It also examines the cultural factors behind Perl's decline, contrasting them with technical limitations. Additional topics include a user's transition from Linux to FreeBSD for simplicity, a 2025 overview of mixed DNS server deployments, and updates from HardenedBSD. The episode further explores FreeBSD's integration of JSON support in its base system, ongoing development efforts, and community feedback on projects like Flua.

CheriBSD is a modified version of FreeBSD designed to leverage CHERI (Capability Hardware Enhanced RISC Instructions) architectures, such as Arm’s Morello and CHERI-RISC-V platforms. Developed by SRI International and the University of Cambridge, it integrates memory protection and software compartmentalization features through CHERI’s capability-based security model. This model extends traditional hardware architectures with 128-bit capabilities that enforce fine-grained memory access control, reducing vulnerabilities like buffer overflows and use-after-free errors. CheriBSD supports a mix of over 10000 pre-built memory-safe packages and 260000 memory-unsafe packages, allowing compatibility with existing software while offering enhanced security for new applications. However, adoption is currently limited by the requirement for specialized CHERI-enabled hardware, and some features like DTrace and optional kernel modules are not supported.

This article details configuring FreeBSD and Poudriere to function in high-security environments with restricted internet access, relying on a dedicated proxy server. It begins by explaining how to set up a FreeBSD host to use a proxy for package management with pkg(8), including modifying repository configurations to remove the pkg+ prefix and changing the mirror_type to none. The guide also covers fetching and updating the FreeBSD Ports tree using gitup and configuring system-wide proxy settings. For Poudriere, the article outlines the necessary configurations in /usr/local/etc/poudriere.conf, including proxy environment variables and package fetch settings, to ensure successful package building. The process involves troubleshooting with tools like ktrace and kdump to identify and resolve issues related to proxy usage, ultimately achieving a fully functional Poudriere setup in a restricted network environment.

The Valuable News weekly roundup curates notable updates, articles, and resources primarily focused on UNIX/BSD/Linux ecosystems while occasionally covering broader tech topics. This edition highlights FreeBSD 15.0's composable design, OpenBSD's kernel driver challenges, and a security analysis of FreeBSD jails presented at 39C3. Additional coverage spans FFmpeg's DMCA filing against Rockchip, Wayland adoption in 2026, and tools like WebZFS for ZFS management.

A detailed account outlines the non-standard process of upgrading a Slimbook Base 14 laptop with Intel i5-10210U and Comet Lake GPU from FreeBSD 14 to 15, emphasizing unconventional methods due to ZFS feature incompatibilities and outdated system files. The upgrade involved manually replacing kernel and base components, forcing system file overwrites, and handling missing libraries by copying from a pre-built 15.0 environment. Post-upgrade steps included package management updates, KDE Plasma Wayland installation, and Intel graphics driver configuration, all while noting the instability of such an approach. The process contrasts with a prior AMD-based upgrade, highlighting hardware-specific hurdles and the necessity of manual intervention when automated tools fail. The end result achieved the goal of a functional KDE Plasma Wayland session on FreeBSD 15.