OpenBSD 7.1 Released With Apple Silicon Support "Ready", AMD RDNA2 Graphics

[dreich]

Nice to see the work by the Asahi Linux project find uses elsewhere in the open source world. Given that Apple use Linux to power their datacenters instead of their own, now discontinued, macOS server, Linux on apple silicon will be an option even for Apple should they ever choose to run Linux on their own (ARM based) hardware in their datacenters.

[Developer12]

Doesn't work that way.

When so much code in the kernel is dual-licenced, yes it actually does. A good portion of the driver code in the BSDs, particularly mundane stuff, is lifted from linux.

[Danielsan]

When FreeBSD 13.1 comes out at the end of the month it would be nice to see some FreeBSD 13.1 vs OpenBSD 7.1 benchmarks. Even better if it is on the same hardware as the last *BSD vs Linux article at the beginning of the year to see the percent improvements in the new versions.

OpenBSD is not meant for performances... Unless Michael can measure reliability, simplicity etc...

[curfew]

OpenBSD is not meant for performances... Unless Michael can measure reliability, simplicity etc...

Given how overly complicated all of his articles are as well as full of absolutely mind-bending linguistical choices, I'm sure simplicity (or clarity) isn't one of the themes he gives a toss about.

[brad0]

When so much code in the kernel is dual-licenced, yes it actually does. A good portion of the driver code in the BSDs, particularly mundane stuff, is lifted from linux.

That's only true for the DRM graphics driver bits from Linux and nothing else.

[kylew77]

And yet they still don't have TRIM support.

That is in fact by design, someone, not me, asked the developers why not trim support for SSDs in FFS2 and they said it is possible to leak encryption keys and modern SSDs don't need it.

[kylew77]

I'd like less hype [by fanbois] around OpenBSD every release cycle and more routine audits by reputable security researchers instead. Not to deflate or spite the fanboism, but to figure out what actually works for security in OpenBSD, and what's theater. That way the people that would like to use it in a secure manner know how to do so safely. You can bet the national intelligence agencies know the holes already and are sitting on them. The rest of us would like to know them as well.

Security audits go with the money, understandably so. Have to feed the kids and keep the lights on. Not likely many groups are going to bother because of that.

It is hard for me to read between the lines but it sounds like you are thinking there are some remote code execution bugs in OpenBSD that people like the NSA, CIA, etc know about and are sitting on them? I too would really like to know. There are local privilege escalation bugs found from time to time. Personally I worry if the PSP and ME in AMD and Intel processors make us on AMD64 a sitting duck for the security agencies to begin with. Not everyone can afford a TALOS II Raptor POWER 9 system and RISC V isn't there yet. I for one am not knowledgeable enough in electrical and computer engineering to be 100% a bug isn't present in those supposedly secure systems anyways.

[kylew77]

Correct me if I am wrong but OpenBSD is the first *BSD to have wireless AC support, beating FreeBSD to it if my following of the projects is correct.

[anarki2]

That's the beauty of a simple, clean, robust code base. They can move crazy fast.

[kylew77]

That's only true for the DRM graphics driver bits from Linux and nothing else.

Is this why graphics support in the *BSDs is top notch just a few releases behind Linux, but we are only just now starting to see wireless AC support and AX is over the horizon?