Dear readers,
Over the past few months, I’ve shared regular updates with my GitHub supporters through the Shut Up and Hack newsletter. For those who might have missed them, here’s a consolidated recap of the key developments from November 2024 to March 2025. Of course, this does not include all content that can be found in the newsletter. It is intended to give a small insight into my work.
November 2024 #
Laying the Groundwork
November marked the beginning of a focused effort to enhance OpenBSD’s desktop environment. Thanks to your generous support, I was able to secure a dedicated root server (RS 2000 G11 at NetCup), facilitating continuous amd64 bulk builds for OpenBSD ports. This infrastructure investment significantly improved the stability and reproducibility of our development processes.
Milestones Achieved:
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FFmpeg 6 Integration: After years of stagnation on version 4, we successfully updated FFmpeg to version 6, revitalizing OpenBSD’s multimedia capabilities. The thanks go to Brad (maintainer) who has done the most work here.
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Kmix with sndio(7) Support: I implemented sndio(7) support for Kmix, providing functional volume control for OpenBSD desktops. This enhancement was upstreamed and is now available in -current as
kmix-24.08.3p1.
With these fundamental improvements, we have set the course for a better multimedia experience under OpenBSD and KDE/OpenBSD.
December 2024 #
Building Momentum
December was a month of integration and stabilization. The previously mentioned
sndio(7) support for Kmix was successfully merged, offering users seamless
audio management across various window managers.
Key Updates:
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FFmpeg 6: Now stable and an integral part of -current.
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Qt5 / QtWebEngine: Synchronized with the latest KDE patches, ensuring compatibility and performance.
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Qt Creator: Updated to version 15, providing developers with enhanced tools and features.
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DigiKam: Upgraded to 8.5.0, bringing new functionalities and improvements.
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CMake: Bumped to 3.31.1, aligning with upstream developments.
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Qt5: Updated to 5.15.16, incorporating essential KDE patches.
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Pulseaudio: Enabled GSettings module, enhancing integration with KDE Plasma.
Additionally, I began work on Qt 6.8, aiming to pave the way for the upcoming KDE Gear 24.12 update. At this stage, QtWebEngine remained a significant challenge.
As the year drew to a close, these advancements positioned us well for the tasks awaiting in the new year.
January 2025 #
Overcoming Challenges
The new year commenced with renewed vigor and a clear focus on addressing existing hurdles. The KDE 6 upgrade was a primary objective, and I prepared updates encompassing KDE Frameworks 6.10.0 and KDE Gear 24.12.1. Following successful testing, these were slated for integration in the subsequent month.
Additional Progress:
- Intel VA-API (libva): Updated drivers to enhance hardware acceleration support, improving performance on modern systems.
However, the journey wasn’t without obstacles. QtWebEngine 6.8 continued to be a formidable challenge. Despite over 100 build attempts—each consuming approximately four hours—a stable version for OpenBSD remained elusive, significantly impeding development progress.
Nonetheless, the shrinking to-do list for OpenBSD 7.7 and the stabilization of the KDE/Qt stack provided a sense of accomplishment and direction.
February 2025 #
Breaking Through
February brought the long-awaited breakthrough. Qt 6.8.2 was successfully built and committed, resolving many of the issues that had previously hindered progress.
A special acknowledgment to jtt@, our new OpenBSD ports maintainer, for updating PySide. Together, we also brought the entire PyQt6 stack up to date.
Notable Achievements:
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FreeCAD integration: The PySide integration paved the way for the integration of FreeCAD into OpenBSD, fulfilling a long-standing wish of the community.
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KDE Updates: Final integrations included KDE Plasma Desktop 6.3.1, KDE Frameworks 6.11.0, and KDE Gear 24.12.2.
Remarkably, OpenBSD now boasts more up-to-date KDE desktop support than many mainstream Linux distributions, marking a significant leap forward for OpenBSD as a modern desktop environment.
With these successes, we looked forward to the imminent release of OpenBSD 7.7 with optimism and confidence.
March 2025 #
Final Preparations and Future Directions
As the ports tree entered a soft-lock in anticipation of the OpenBSD 7.7 release, the focus shifted to testing and final stabilization.
Highlights:
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KiCAD 9.0 Integration: Successfully added to the ports tree, expanding OpenBSD’s suite of CAD tools.
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Qt/KDE Stack: Maintained stability and readiness for the 7.7 release.
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Qt 6.8.3 LTS: Unfortunately, this release came too late for inclusion in OpenBSD 7.7.
Acknowledgments
I extend my heartfelt gratitude to all who have supported these developments, especially my GitHub sponsors. Your contributions have been instrumental in achieving these milestones.
To stay updated on the latest changes, projects, and ports updates, feel free to follow the GitHub sponsors newsletter or reach out directly.
Thank you for your continued support and engagement.
Mind the gap! Which photo fits London better than this one? I am writing this blog post after an exciting “KubeCon + CloudNativeCon Europe 2025”. After KubeCon, my wife and I took part in the Chiltern Ridge Classic 50K race.
If you have the opportunity and want to get out of the busy city, the Chiltern is a perfect place and not far from London.