AlpineBSD: NetBSD Kernel + Alpine Userland, Zero Generative AI Policy

AlpineBSD is a new operating system that pairs the NetBSD kernel with an Alpine Linux-inspired userland. Its defining policy prohibits any generative AI output — such as code, documentation, or binaries produced by large language models — from the project's codebase, documentation, and binary artifacts. The project considers any software containing such output "contaminated" and requires all assets to be built, reviewed, and maintained through verified human sources.

The policy mirrors NetBSD's 2024 commit guidelines, which explicitly state that code generated by large language models is considered "contaminated code." This stance contrasts with Linux kernel maintainer Linus Torvalds' July 2024 remark that Linux is not an anti-AI project, drawing a line between the Linux and BSD ecosystems on AI-generated contributions. Following NetBSD's position, the project reported a surge in donations and attention.

Installing AlpineBSD currently requires manual bootstrapping, as no installation media exists yet. The author notes that installing NetBSD feels like traveling back 30 years, recalling a personal failed attempt to install Slackware 3.0 in 1996 during Slackware's 30th anniversary.

AlpineBSD's ports repository and source code are hosted on Sourcehut under the account sircmpwn (Drew DeVault): https://sr.ht/~sircmpwn/alpinebsd/sources and https://sr.ht/~sircmpwn/. The APK package manager from Alpine is also used in other non-GNU distributions such as Chimera Linux (which incorporates FreeBSD userland) and Adélie Linux.

The combination of a mature, non-AI Unix kernel (NetBSD) with one of the smallest and cleanest Linux userlands (Alpine) positions AlpineBSD as a potentially prominent option for users who wish to avoid AI-generated software entirely.