New stable version based on FreeBSD 9.1 includes re-implemented Warden jail management utility and TrueOS server installation option.
iXsystems® is pleased to announce the arrival of PC-BSD® 9.1 Isotope Edition, the latest release of the secure and user-friendly operating system based on FreeBSD 9.1. Several new components are introduced in PC-BSD 9.1 Isotope including a revamped Warden jail management tool, improved ZFS support, user interface enhancements, and the new server edition of PC-BSD named “TrueOS”.
The biggest change to come from this update is a complete overhaul of PC-BSD’s Warden jail management utility with support for multiple ports jails, meta-packages, Linux jails, and ZFS snapshot management. Advanced users can now enjoy unlimited FreeBSD ports sandboxes thanks to the integration of the Ports Jail utility with the Warden UI. In addition, the integration of the update manager into Warden and support for meta-packages allow users to install the complex programs available on the PC-BSD installation media, e.g., Samba and Apache, in jails. The ability to install Linux distributions, including Debian and Gentoo, in jails opens up new options for virtualization on PC-BSD. All of these functions are available from both the graphical and command line interfaces.
PC-BSD 9.1 improves ZFS support in the installer and throughout the system, adding many new features. The installer simplifies the task of disk layout, including support for ZFS mirror and up to triple-parity software RAID. ZFS users can now use the ‘beadm’ utility to back up the boot environment before an upgrade or major system change and restore it if necessary. In Warden on ZFS, entire jails (including Linux jails) may be cloned and rolled back. These advanced administrative tools help PC-BSD live up to its reputation as a powerful and versatile desktop operating system.
PC-BSD has made stunning progress and is rapidly becoming the Unix workstation OS we have all been waiting for,” says Michael Dexter, the editor of CallForTesting.org and a long-time BSD lecturer and advocate. “From including ZFS and elegant management tools to being completely GUI-agnostic, PC-BSD embraces and extends FreeBSD in dramatic yet respectful ways and the result is a great desktop experience for not only end users but also administrators and developers.
Several other improvements continue to ensure that PC-BSD 9.1 remains user-friendly and accessible to everyone. Set-up is easier than ever with the new, simplified installer that requires as few as four clicks for the default installation. The new installer also separates pre-installation and post-installation tasks, allowing OEMs to install the system and leaving final configuration to the end user. An “About” icon has been added to the Control Panel, making it easy to determine the PC-BSD version and which desktops and version of X Window System have been installed. The new release supports KDE 4.9.3 and improves support for wifi and Intel video.
One of PC-BSD 9.1’s most exciting and anticipated new features is the new server installation option. The regular installer now presents the option to install TrueOS, a custom server edition of PC-BSD. TrueOS provides command line versions of PC-BSD utilities (including Warden, Meta-package Manager, and PBI Manager tools) in addition to the base FreeBSD install. It’s an excellent choice for users who want to avoid the overhead of even the lightest-weight window manager but want to take advantage of the powerful tools available in PC-BSD. iXsystems offers Professional Software Support for TrueOS and PC-BSD.
“With the new TrueOS server option, system administrators and enterprise users of Linux will immediately feel more at home being able to install a system with packages such as Bash, Apache, or Samba available out of box,” says Kris Moore, founder and lead developer of the PC-BSD project. “This, coupled with command-line versions of the ‘Warden’ jail management tool, meta-package manager, update manager and others, makes running a BSD-based server easier than ever.”
For more information on PC-BSD or to download the new PC-BSD 9.1, please visithttp://pcbsd.org. PC-BSD is also available for retail sale at http://www.freebsdmall.com in DVD form.
About PC-BSD®
PC-BSD is a fully functional, user-friendly desktop operating system based on FreeBSD. It runs on the latest FreeBSD version 9.1 with a desktop interface of the user’s choice and graphical system installer. Its PBI system, developed for PC-BSD and also available on FreeBSD, allows users to download and install their applications in a self-extracting and self-installing format.
About iXsystems®
iXsystems is the all-around FreeBSD company that builds FreeBSD-certified servers and storage solutions, oversees FreeNAS development, and is the corporate sponsor of the PC-BSD Project. iXsystems is an employee-owned and operated, open source-centric, customer focused organization dedicated to providing the highest-quality built-to-order enterprise rackmount server solutions, pre-configured server appliances, and scalable storage solutions to our customers around the globe.
