Just to expand on this a bit more: src/doc/NetBSD-6 has the headline items which will be in the next release. In particular, support for kernel modules needs a little more work, Xen suspend/resume will also need some more testing, and we'd also like to have Cherry's Xen MP branch merged. From a personal PoV, I'd like to see the kernel-based iSCSI initiator contributed by Wasabi move from othersrc to src, and riz and I have been working on that for a while now.
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Regards, Alistair
Speaking as a relative newcomer to NetBSD and indeed to *nix generally I can say that I have grown accustomed to the pace at which NetBSD proceeds. I like the way there is never any drama about deadlines. I do my best to follow the posts to the mailing lists and I like the way work is done quietly, without any of the fuss that goes with other OSes. Even significant changes are implemented and announced without drama. NetBSD is of course a small team which means it takes longer to bring things to a conclusion, but I appreciate the fact that there is never a sense of pressure or excessive haste. I've always had the impression code quality matters, no matter how long it takes, and this is a breath of fresh air in a world where other OSes are piling one release schedule upon another, with all the attendant problems that undue haste brings.
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Gerard Lally
Quality matters very much, but I disagree in general. As proof I offer two examples: Hurd/Linux and Debian/Ubuntu. Not all haste is excessive.
All things being relative I am also a newcomer to NetBSD, but I was around in 2006 and I can't help but think of ole' Charlie while reading above...
Anyway, thanks very much for the info, that's what I was looking for. The Xen developments are exciting. I think Xen support is NetBSD's shining jewel at the moment. The modular kernel is going to take some getting used to but if that's the way of the future I'm on board.
-d