Microsoft launches FreeBSD 10.3 as a ready-made VM image on Azure Marketplace

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Microsoft changed its stance in regards to open-source software over the years. In the beginning, the software giant felt threatened by the open-source movement and opposed it with all its might, only to change its mind in recent years. The company now publicly supports open-source platforms, and even encourages Microsoft-Linux cooperation.

Redmond is taking another step towards perfecting its open-source ambitions by rolling out FreeBSD 10.3 as a ready-made VM image directly onto the Azure Marketplace. In this manner, developers can access a fast FreeBSD VM in Azure, and benefit from technical support from Microsoft’s engineers.

Users should expect to see other FreeDSD improvements in the future as Microsoft confirms it will continue to make further investments in FreeBSD on Hyper-V and in Azure. The tech giant also explains what’s different about its FreeBSD 10.3 Image version:

The majority of the investments we make at the kernel level to enable network and storage performance were up-streamed into the FreeBSD 10.3 release, so anyone who downloads a FreeBSD 10.3 image from the FreeBSD Foundation will get those investments from Microsoft built in to the OS. There are some exceptions where we included some important fixes that weren’t complete in time to make the FreeBSD 10.3 release.

Microsoft is also adding the Azure VM Guest Agent to its FreeBSD 10.3, which is responsible for communication between the FreeBSD VM and the Azure Fabric for various operations, like provisioning the VM on first use and enabling functionality for selective VM Extensions.

Developers are welcoming Microsoft’s FreeBSD 10.3 but add that the company should add IPv6 support to Azure. However, some users are not very optimistic and don’t really believe Microsoft will bring IPv6 support to Azure.

Now if only you would FINALLY add IPv6 support to Azure, FreeBSD would be able to to use it. FreeBSD was the FIRST OS ever to have IPv6 (in the Kame project under WIDE). Azure may be the last place that IPv6 is ever implemented. Just kidding. I know that Cloud depends heavily on NAT, which doesn’t exist in IPv6. So Azure will probably NEVER have IPv6.

Forward! Into the Past!

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More about the topics: Microsoft Azure