FreeBSD

FreeBSD is a free and open-source Unix-like operating system descended from BSD. It comprises a complete OS, including the kernel and userland, distributed under a permissive BSD license. The project emphasizes performance, reliability, security, and a clean codebase, and it is used on servers, desktops, and embedded devices.

FreeBSD originated from the BSD family developed at the University of California, Berkeley. The FreeBSD Project was established in the early 1990s to continue development of the BSD line after significant changes in commercial BSD offerings. The FreeBSD Foundation supports fundraising, legal defense, and outreach.

Key features include the Ports Collection, a framework for building and installing third-party software; and the pkg tool for binary package management. It has robust networking, support for ZFS with boot environments, and advanced virtualization through bhyve and OS-level jails. FreeBSD runs on multiple architectures, including x86-64, ARM, AArch64, PowerPC, and more.

Release and governance: FreeBSD uses a release engineering process with stable, current, and release branches. Official releases are designated with -RELEASE versions, while ongoing work tracks -CURRENT and -STABLE. Governance is provided by the FreeBSD Project's Core Team and Project Leadership, with coordination by the FreeBSD Foundation.

Usage: FreeBSD is widely used in servers, data centers, and network infrastructure, as well as on desktops and embedded devices. It is praised for security, reliability, and long-term support, and it remains a reference platform for BSD-related research and deployments.