The development team of FreeBSD announced the release of the newest version of the operating system – FreeBSD 13.4-Release, marking the fifth release of the Stable/13 branch. With a strong focus on stability and error elimination, this update is crucial in the later stages of stable branch releases. The release date was September 17, 2024.
The main changes
FreeBSD 13.4-Release includes updated drivers and new versions of third-party software components. Key updates in this release consist of:
- llvm 18.1.5, a prominent compiler and development tool
- sqlite 3.46.0, a relational database extensively used in applications
- Openssh 9.7p1, enhancing secure remote access
Furthermore, this release addresses issues identified in previous versions and implements network stack modifications to enhance system performance. Notably, improvements in supporting the SCTP protocol and enhancements in network adapter drivers contribute to the system’s overall efficiency.
Extended support for equipment
FreeBSD 13.4-Release introduces support for new AMD Ryzen 7 “Phoenix” processors in AMDSMN and AMDTEMP drivers, enabling temperature monitoring through system utilities. Updates to Intel network adapter drivers and the addition of SIM7600G LTE modem support are also included. Additionally, adjustments to wireless device drivers enhance system compatibility with new hardware.
A wide range of architectures
The operating system accommodates various hardware platforms, including amd64, i386, powerpc, powerpc64, powerpc64le, powerpcspe, armv6, armv7, aarch64, and riscv64. Installation images in ISO formats and images for USB devices are available for these architectures. Moreover, assemblies for virtual machines and cloud environments like Amazon EC2 and Google Compute Engine are accessible, making the system adaptable for different server and cloud setups.
Virtualization and cloud Platforms
FreeBSD 13.4-Release provides pre-configured images for cloud services such as Amazon EC2, Google Compute Engine, and Microsoft Azure, simplifying virtual machine deployment on these platforms. Users can easily download these images and deploy the operating system swiftly onto their servers. Amazon EC2 offers images for both AMD64 and Aarch64 architectures, allowing flexibility in