FreeBSD 15.0 Released: Root‑less Builds, Updated ZFS, and Major Kernel Enhancements

FreeBSD 15.0 was officially released on December 1, marking a major milestone for the BSD operating system family with a collection of significant updates and new features.

The release includes a large set of software upgrades, most notably the latest OpenZFS file‑system code, as well as refreshed versions of OpenSSL and OpenSSH, providing improved security and performance.

One of the headline changes is that the FreeBSD 15.0‑RELEASE can be built without requiring root privileges, and the build process is fully reproducible, enhancing both security and transparency for developers.

The base system now supports the pkg package manager for installation and management of core components, simplifying system maintenance.

Kernel improvements are extensive, featuring a native inotify implementation and numerous driver updates, such as:

ICE driver now supports Intel E800 series NICs

Various drivers added support for Intel Tiger Lake through Meteor Lake CPUs

BNXT driver supports Thor2 and 400 Gbps modules

Intel IWX driver adds Wi‑Fi 6 hardware support

At the same time, some legacy drivers have been removed; the AGP bus driver is deprecated and slated for removal in FreeBSD 16.

For full release notes, download links, and additional details, visit the official FreeBSD website at https://www.freebsd.org.