FreeBSD 15.1 released with updated Wi-Fi drivers, improved C23 support, and Unicode 17.0

FreeBSD 15.1 has been released as the latest version of this free and open-source Unix-like operating system. The update includes several notable advancements aimed at developers and system administrators.

Among the most prominent changes, the iwlwifi and other Linux Kernel Programming Interface (LinuxKPI) wireless networking drivers are now based on Linux 7.0. This change expands wireless hardware compatibility and delivers newer technology to FreeBSD users. Meanwhile, FreeBSD cloud images using packaged base systems now come with pkg, the FreeBSD package manager, and support automatic base system package updates on the first boot. This streamlines automated deployments and ensures cloud instances are up to date immediately after launch.

Following these core upgrades, FreeBSD 15.1 introduces a new kern.sched.name tunable that allows the system's kernel scheduler to be selected at boot time. Developers and software maintainers gain further flexibility as significant progress has been made towards complete support for the C23 version of the C programming language. Unicode support has also been updated to version 17.0, with CLDR 48 included, adding 4,803 new characters and improving internationalization features. FreeBSD 15.1 also features numerous enhancements, bug fixes, and compatibility updates, which are detailed in the official release notes.