# FreeBSD as a white box switch OS



## PacketMan (Dec 30, 2016)

I can't help but wonder if this new emerging technology and market would be a perfect environment for FreeBSD to grow into.  I believe it would, since Juniper Junos has proven FreeBSD can beautifully run routers and switches with rock solid stability and provide a variety of network services.

Looks like Linux has gotten into the arena:
https://cumulusnetworks.com/cumulus-linux/overview/

Would be nice to see FreeBSD tackling a list like this:
https://cumulusnetworks.com/support/linux-hardware-compatibility-list/

In case you are wondering what white box networking is,this page taken from an SDN website does a decent job:
https://www.sdxcentral.com/cloud/co...box/definitions/what-is-white-box-networking/
https://www.sdxcentral.com/cloud/co...box/definitions/what-is-white-box-networking/
What do you think? Does white box switch running FreeBSD OS make sense?

And not to derail the very discussion I created but I think there is a big opportunity for FreeBSD in the growing Software Defined Networking (SDN) market. Not just in white box network devices like I mentioned above, but in the various SDN 'servers' that are coming to being.

Thanks.


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## gofer_touch (Dec 30, 2016)

Pretty interesting stuff. I would imagine any one of the BSDs could fit the role well.


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## PacketMan (Jan 7, 2017)

Hmmm, I'll have to give this a whirl soon and see what its all about:  net/openvswitch

http://openvswitch.org/


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## bcomputerguy (Jan 8, 2017)

PacketMan said:


> I can't help but wonder if this new emerging technology and market would be a perfect environment for FreeBSD to grow into.  I believe it would, since Juniper Junos has proven FreeBSD can beautifully run routers and switches with rock solid stability and provide a variety of network services.
> 
> Looks like Linux has gotten into the arena:
> https://cumulusnetworks.com/cumulus-linux/overview/
> ...



I think most people don't even consider *BSD because Linux IS open source; very few people even know BSD exist.

I didn't until I got so fed up with decisions made by Linux I was willing to go to anything else.

To me it seems Linux kernel is growing out of control.


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## It_Is_Not_the_Network (Jun 27, 2017)

You can install PicOS (http://www.pica8.com/) on a White Box and the NOS is Debian based. It is JunOS like but also offers OpenFlow. It isn't free but super inexpensive. They also have a CrossFlow Mode so you don't need a controller, but I use it with Ansible playbooks. Cumulus is more Linux based L2/L3, but PicOS does true SDN. Pick one and try it using an ONIE install. I like Pica8 support.


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