FreeBSD 16 Retires The Last Of Its GPL Code From Its Base System
Summary
FreeBSD 16 has removed the last GNU GPL licensed code from its base system, retiring the dialog utility and the GNU subtree. This marks a milestone in FreeBSD's move to a fully permissively-licensed base system.
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Cached at: 07/15/26, 01:44 PM
FreeBSD 16 Retires The Last Of Its GPL Code From Its Base System
Source: https://www.phoronix.com/news/FreeBSD-16-Goes-GPL-Free
As of this past week in the FreeBSD source tree for FreeBSD 16, the last of the GNU GPL licensed code from the base system has been retired.
Thedialogimplementation was the last piece of GNU GPL licensed software in FreeBSD’s base system. The FreeBSD installer previously transitioned to usingbsddialogin place ofdialogand thendpvwas the last user of dialog but itself since turned off and now retired.
This ticketto retire dialog was opened back in February while is now merged to the FreeBSD source tree for what will become FreeBSD 16.0.
With dialog removed, the latest FreeBSD code nowretires the GNU sub-treeof the FreeBSD base system now that no more GNU code remains.
FreeBSD 16.0 is working its way toward release that is expected to happen in December 2027.
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