LUP 666 BSD Challenge
🐡 The BSD Challenge — LINUXUnplugged 666
Kicks off with episode 665 | Submit before episode 666
"This is not Linux vs BSD. This is: can a Linux user become functional on BSD?"
One fresh BSD install. Four levels to climb. No hiding behind old Linux muscle memory.
🖥️ Pick Your BSD
Choose any BSD flavor — FreeBSD, OpenBSD, NetBSD, GhostBSD, helloSystem, or something wilder. Points are the same regardless of which you pick, but your choice will be noted.
Level 1 — Survival (0–7 points)
Can you get a usable system?
| Task | Points |
|---|---|
| Successfully boot into a fresh BSD install (VM, bare metal, or... somewhere interesting) | 2 |
| Connect to the internet and confirm with a ping or curl | 2 |
| Install at least one package using the native package manager | 2 |
| Find and read a man page for something you didn't already know | 1 |
Gotcha for Linux users: The package manager isn't apt or pacman. Finding it and understanding the difference between ports and packages is part of the fun.
Level 2 — Daily Driver (8–14 points)
Can you do normal desktop human things?
| Task | Points |
|---|---|
| Get a graphical desktop environment running | 3 |
| Get a web browser open and load a webpage | 2 |
| Create a user account (not root!) and log in as that user | 1 |
| Mount and read from an external drive or USB stick | 1 |
| 🎵 Bonus: Get audio working — even a test tone counts | 1 |
Gotcha for Linux users: Display stack differences will likely humble you here. Also, doas may be your friend depending on your BSD — and it's not sudo by default.
Level 3 — Power User (15–20 points)
Can you do the kinds of things a Linux nerd actually cares about?
| Task | Points |
|---|---|
| Update all installed packages using the native tool | 1 |
Perform a full OS update (e.g., freebsd-update, syspatch, etc.) |
2 |
| Configure and enable SSH — connect from another machine | 2 |
| Stop, start, and check the status of a service using your BSD's native init system (rc.d on FreeBSD/NetBSD, rcctl on OpenBSD — no systemctl here!) | 2 |
| Edit a config file to make a service start at boot, the BSD way | 1 |
| Write a short shell script and set it executable | 1 |
Gotcha for Linux users: There is no systemctl. The rc system will feel alien. Reading rc.conf is not optional — it is the system.
Level 4 — Bonus Round 🏆 (21+ points)
Go to Jail.
| Task | Points |
|---|---|
| Create and start a BSD Jail (or container equivalent) | 3 |
| Get a service running inside the jail | 2 |
| Access that service from the host | 1 |
Unscored stretch goals (no points, but eternal glory):
- Set up pf (BSD's packet filter) with a basic ruleset
- Get Bhyve or QEMU running a Linux VM inside your BSD
- Set up ZFS snapshots and roll one back
🌀 The Twist
Tell us the craziest place you've installed your BSD. A Raspberry Pi? An old PlayStation? Your work laptop mid-meeting? A toaster-shaped NUC? We may grant instant Level 4 status — or at least immortalize you on the show.
📬 How to Submit
Share your results via boost or to the show at linuxunplugged.com/contact
Tell us:
- Which BSD you used
- Your score and which tasks you completed
- Your install location (the weirder the better)
- The one thing that surprised you most!
🎯 Scoring Summary
| Score | Rank |
|---|---|
| 0–7 | 👣 You visited BSD |
| 8–14 | 💀 You survived BSD |
| 15–20 | 🤝 You can hang |
| 21+ | 🐡 Beastie Whisperer |
Total possible score: 31 points (including the audio bonus)