As you may know, I have been deeply involved in the OpenBSD project, especially between 2000 and 2015, and as such, I have a good insider view of how the project runs, and have witnessed, or participated to, many behind-the-scenes events, in addition to a large contribution of code and documentation over these years.

Now that I'm old and what's left of my hair is fading fast, I think some stories are worth telling.

I have started to write down some, and will extend this page as time permits (writer's block notwithstanding), which currently amounts to a new story every wednesday (around 8am CEST).

The stories appear in the order I published them, which is not necessarily the order in which I wrote them, and does not try to be a chronological order.

I hope you'll like these stories! Do not hesitate to let me know what you think of it.

1. The story of Propolice (2002)
   The story of Propolice, the gcc stack-smashing protection.
2. The scariest boot loader code (2002)
   Modifying the boot loader code is sometimes not for the faint of the heart.
3. When a driver challenges the kernel's assumptions (2009)
   A new device driver sets up new constraints against some parts of the kernel code, which need to be addressed.
4. Copying memory is an art (2008)
   Explaining the story of a one-line change in sparc assembly leads to a BSD history lesson, looking at how a particular routine was implemented over the years.
5. Taming dragons (2006)
   An unsupported device looks very close to another device, for which code used to be available long ago. How easy can it be to get it running?
6. Where should portability stop? (2008)
   When improving a driver comes with a high cost, unless it becomes non-portable, what should be done?
7. Kernel stack hygiene (2002-2004, 2006)
   Kernel stack overflows are among the most difficult bugs to make sense of. What can be done to reduce the risk of such overflows?
8. Audio on hp300 (2011)
   The oldest BSD architectures do not have any audio capabilities. Or do they?
9. OpenBSD on SGI: a rollercoaster story (1988-2021)
   This is a six-part story, spanning more than 30 years, also covering (with fewer details) Linux and NetBSD on these machines.
   1. A missed opportunity, 1988-1998
   2. Individual efforts, 2000-2004
   3. The blowfish awakens, 2004-2006
   4. Tinkering on big iron, 2007-2008
   5. Hardware galore, 2009
   6. The last challenges, 2010-2021
   Or you can read it all in one (big) page.
10. Device configuration (2005, 2007)
    A discussion of how the kernel discovers devices and initializes their drivers, with some old code explanation, and a subtle bug causing some devices not to be seen by the kernel.
11. OpenBSD on Motorola 88000 processors (1995-today)
    This is another long story, which will be serialized over the next five weeks, with new content released every week.
    1. The Forsaken RISC Architecture
    2. A New Hope
    3. First Compiler on the Moon
    4. A Failed Promise
    5. Good Times Bad Times
    6. The Museum Strikes Back (to be published 20260408)
    7. A Trip to the 21st Century (to be published 20260408)
    8. Take Offs and Landings (to be published 20260408)
    9. New Pastures, New Pastries (to be published 20260415)