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Mailing lists

Mailing lists are the primary support channel for FreeBSD users, with numerous mailing lists covering different topic areas. When in doubt about what list to post a question to, post to freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG. You can search the mailing list archives at www.freebsd.org.

Several non-English mailing lists are also available:

If you create other freebsd mailing lists, let us know about them.

Newsgroups

There are a few FreeBSD specific newsgroups, along with numerous other newsgroups on topics of interest to FreeBSD users, though the mailing lists remain the most reliable way to get in touch with the FreeBSD developers. For miscellaneous FreeBSD discussion, see comp.unix.bsd.freebsd.misc. For important announcements, see comp.unix.bsd.freebsd.announce.

WEB Resources

GNATS Problem Report Database

Current FreeBSD problem reports are tracked using the GNATS database.

Problem reports may also be submitted to the development team using the send-pr(1) command on a FreeBSD system or by sending an email message to freebsd-bugs@FreeBSD.ORG. Please note that send-pr is preferred since messages sent to the mailing list are not tracked as official problem reports!

CVS Repository

CVS (the Concurrent Version System) is the tool we use for keeping our sources under control. Every change (with accompanying log message explaining its purpose) from FreeBSD 2.0 to the present is stored here, and can be easily viewed from here (click on the link). To obtain a complete copy of the FreeBSD CVS repository, please use either the cvsup or CTM tools or simply FTP it.

Mirrors of the CVS Repository cgi script are available in Germany and Japan.

User Groups

FreeBSD's widespread popularity has spawned a number of user groups around the world. If you know of a FreeBSD user group not listed here, let us know about it.

  • FreeBSD-SF (San Francisco FreeBSD User Group) meets semi-monthly at Silicon Reef. Those interested in attending should visit the web site or send mail to the mailing list

  • The Danish *BSD user group, BSD/DK, is being created. Send mail subscription request to bsd-dk-request@hotel.prosa.dk. No initial meeting planned yet.

  • BSDHH (BSD User Group Hamburg) meets on the first Wednesday of the month at 7.00pm in the Chinese restaurant Lotosbluete, Loewenstrasse 22 in Hamburg-Eppendorf/Germany. Most members are FreeBSD users, although users of all BSD flavors are welcome. Interested people should send mail to bsdhh@bsdhh.org.

  • The Brainstorm users group meets in Wuerzburg, Germany and welcomes all users of Unix, with some emphasis on helping new users of FreeBSD. They meet every Monday at 8.00pm in the "Cafe Klug", Muenzstrasse, Wuerzburg. Mail bs@rak.franken.de for more information or follow the Brainstorm link.

  • FUUNM (Free Unix Users of New Mexico) meets on the 2nd Saturday of the month from 4:30-6:00pm at the Farris Engineering Center, room 141, University of new Mexico. This is not specifically a FreeBSD user group, but if you are in the area, your presence is welcome. The group operates a mailing list (fuunm@astro.phys.unm.edu). Contact Alan Lundin for more information.

  • FreeBSD-Milwaukee Wisconsin meets occasionally and has a mailing list: freebsd-mke-l@ns.sol.net. send mail to freebsd-mke-l-request@ns.sol.net to subscribe.

  • RUUG (Reno Unix Users Group) meets monthly in Reno Nevada and discusses the use of FreeBSD and Linux. Contact Eric Blood or Todd Crenshaw for more information.

  • Washington DC (DC Metropolitan Area) FreeBSD User Group is now forming. Please contact Richard Cramer, Sytex Access Ltd. at 703-425-2515, or preferred, email at rcramer@sytex.net to be put on a member distribution list. Initial meeting to be held in May.

  • The North East of England BSD Users group will specilize in FreeBSD, and are looking for new members. For more information contact ljohnston@cyberworld.demon.co.uk. The launch date is aimed for March 1998.

General UNIX Information

The X Window System

  • The XFree86 Project provides users of a variety of Intel based Unix systems, including FreeBSD, with an excellent X Window system.
  • The WINE project is working to provide the ability to run MS-Windows software on Intel based Unix systems such as FreeBSD, NetBSD and Linux. More information is available from the WINE FAQ.

Hardware

  • The comp.answers pc-hardware-faq is a great reference for people building their own machines.
  • Laptop users looking for PCCARD (aka PCMCIA) support not already provided in the FreeBSD base distribution should see the PAO distribution page for the latest and greatest experimental laptop support.
  • Intel Secrets -- What Intel Doesn't Want You To Know - lots of information about Intel chips.
  • Aad Offerman's Chip List - reference material on chips used in PC clones.
  • ASUS makes motherboards that work well with FreeBSD.
  • The FreeBSD hardware guide makes some specific recommendations for hardware that's known to work well with FreeBSD.

FreeBSD Development Projects

In addition to the mainstream development path of FreeBSD, a number of developer groups are working on the cutting edge to expand FreeBSD's range of applications in new directions. Follow the links below to learn more about these exciting projects.

Related Operating System Projects

  • NetBSD is another free 4.4BSD-Lite based operating system which runs on several different architectures.
  • OpenBSD is another 4.4BSD derivative.
  • Linux is another free Unix-like system.
  • Lites is a 4.4 BSD Lite based server and emulation library that provides free unix functionality to a Mach based system.
  • The GNU HURD project is another effort to develop a free Unix-like operating system.
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