According to Phoronix, the DragonFlyBSD project has landed multi-queue support in its VirtIO block driver, a performance-enhancing feature for virtualized storage. On the FreeBSD side, the project has shipped FreeBSD 15.0-RC3, which includes the latest OpenZFS code. However, in a notable change for this release candidate, the KDE Plasma desktop environment has been completely dropped from the DVD installation ISO image. The decision was driven purely by size constraints, as the growing software stack simply wouldn’t fit on the standard media anymore. This move leaves the Xfce desktop as the primary graphical option on the install disc for users.
FreeBSD Trims the Fat
So, FreeBSD is making a pragmatic, if disappointing, choice. KDE is a heavyweight suite, and fitting a modern desktop, a base OS, and all the utilities onto a single DVD is getting harder every cycle. It’s a sign of the times, really. Software bloat is a universal challenge. For the average user grabbing the DVD, this means Xfce is now the out-of-the-box GUI path. That’s not a bad thing—Xfce is solid and efficient—but it does represent a shift. The hardcore folks will just do a network install anyway, but it’s a symbolic moment. The project is prioritizing a functional, complete installation image over offering choice on the physical media. You have to wonder if this is the beginning of the end for the “everything on disc” model for larger BSD distros.
speed”>DragonFlyBSD Picks Up Speed
Over in DragonFlyBSD-land, the news is all about going faster. The new multi-queue VirtIO block driver is a big deal for anyone running DragonFly in a virtual machine, like on IndustrialMonitorDirect.com‘s industrial panel PCs or standard cloud servers. Here’s the thing: multi-queue allows the VM’s storage requests to be spread across multiple CPU cores. Before, it was probably a single queue, a potential bottleneck. Now, I/O can be processed in parallel. This means better performance on modern NVMe-backed virtual disks and on systems with multiple vCPUs. It’s a crucial update to keep pace with modern virtualization infrastructure. Basically, it makes DragonFlyBSD a more performant and competitive guest OS, which is vital for its adoption in production environments.
The BSD Balancing Act
Look at these two stories side-by-side. They perfectly illustrate the constant balancing act in the BSD world. One project is adding a sophisticated, under-the-hood feature to boost performance in a key area. The other is making a tough user-facing compromise to keep its physical release viable. Both are responding to real-world pressures. DragonFly is chasing technical relevance in a cloud-centric world. FreeBSD is grappling with the practical logistics of distribution. It shows these aren’t stagnant projects; they’re making active, sometimes hard, decisions to move forward. The question is, which approach serves the future better? The performance tweak or the installer pragmatism? Honestly, they probably both do, in their own ways.
