NetBSD is going through an unexpected phase. In the last month the project received, according to its Mastodon account, $120,282 in donations, which completely filled its bar for a $50,000 target. The project says the funds will support new projects. It is a contrast with many open source initiatives, often short of resources.
What sets it apart is also a clear position on artificial intelligence. NetBSD banned AI-generated code back in 2024, just a month after the Gentoo project made a similar decision. While the Linux world increasingly moves toward integrating AI, a growing number of developers opposed to these tools see the project as a reference point. The Register reports a rise in questions about NetBSD in Unix forums starting in July, when Linus Torvalds said that those who dislike AI should fork the kernel.
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The difference is also visible at the Open Source Summit, where The Register observed that Linux is effectively the only general-purpose OS on show, while no talk mentioned the BSDs. Some attendees did not even recognise the name NetBSD. The dominant theme of the event was AI, present in every talk, stand and even on the T-shirts.
NetBSD also stands out for its technical philosophy: it is minimal, highly portable and has a community described as especially welcoming. The project recently released version 11.0, with 64-bit RISC-V support and a MicroVM kernel that can boot a virtual machine in about 10 milliseconds.
The contrast with OpenBSD is sharp. OpenBSD also has rules against AI-generated code: its lead Theo de Raadt argues that submitters cannot guarantee a license, because it is impossible to trace the human authors behind material produced by models. However, according to The Register, this line appears permeable, since some components already in the system show signs of AI use.
It remains to be seen whether NetBSD's choice will become a stable niche or a real alternative for those seeking an AI-free system. For now the most concrete data point is the donations, which the project will have to turn into technical results.
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