FreeCORE TrueNAS Core – Continued
A new project, FreeCORE, steps up to continue the FreeBSD-based TrueNAS CORE, offering a vital alternative after TrueNAS made it harder to build their open-source code. This community fork resonates with users seeking to maintain their FreeBSD setups and those concerned about the evolving nature of open-source projects. The discussion highlights the tension between commercial interests and open-source principles.
The Lowdown
FreeCORE is a community-driven initiative aiming to continue the legacy of TrueNAS CORE, specifically the FreeBSD-based version. This project emerges as a direct response to recent actions by TrueNAS (iXsystems) that made it more challenging for the community to build their open-source code.
- FreeCORE maintains and develops TrueNAS CORE 13.3 as an independent operating system on FreeBSD.
- It offers its own update trains, including a stable 15.0-U1 release and a 'next' version (15.1).
- Users of TrueNAS CORE 13.3 can perform an in-place upgrade directly to FreeCORE 15.0.
- The project provides ISO downloads and hosts its source code on Codeberg, with a mirror on GitHub, ensuring continued accessibility and community involvement.
FreeCORE offers a crucial lifeline for users who prefer the FreeBSD foundation of TrueNAS CORE and ensures its continued development and availability amidst shifts in the original project's approach to open-source contributions.
The Gossip
Open Source Original Sins
Many commenters express frustration and disappointment regarding TrueNAS's decision to stop publishing their build scripts, effectively making it harder for the community to compile the open-source code. This sparked a broader discussion about the trend of 'open source in name only' and the challenges of relying on projects that may eventually restrict community contributions or become closed-source in practice. Users lament the need to migrate from what they perceived as truly open software.
FreeBSD Fidelity vs. Linux Leap
A significant thread discusses the preference for FreeBSD and the choice between sticking with it (now possible through FreeCORE) or migrating to a Linux-based system like TrueNAS SCALE. Some users, having already migrated, expressed regret at not discovering FreeCORE sooner, highlighting their enjoyment of the 'more interesting' FreeBSD environment. Others shared their positive experiences with the 'painless' migration to Linux, acknowledging FreeCORE as a valuable option for FreeBSD enthusiasts.
Linux's AI-Assisted Future
A brief but curious tangent emerged, speculating on the future of Linux development, particularly in the context of Artificial Intelligence. One commenter humorously suggested Linux might soon be 'developed by LLMs and Torvalds is vibe-coding.' This led to a clarification that while Linus Torvalds is not 'vibe coding' new modules, he has expressed openness to AI-generated improvements to the Linux kernel, pointing to external articles on his stance.