cbsd/cbsd

Free

Yet one more wrapper around jail, bhyve, QEMU and XEN

FreeFree tier

Type

Open Source

Founded

2013

Visit Website GitHub (38 stars)

About cbsd/cbsd

CBSD is a cross-platform wrapper for fast deployment of virtual machines and containers. The project provides a unique framework for building hybrid, vendor-lock-free cloud infrastructures. By offering a unified interface across FreeBSD, Linux, DragonFlyBSD, and NetBSD, CBSD allows orchestration of heterogeneous environments powered by bhyve, XEN, QEMU/KVM, QEMU-NVMM, and jail. It is tested on multiple platforms including FreeBSD, HardenedBSD, NetBSD, DragonFlyBSD, Linux (experimental), and XigmaNAS. Originating in 2013 to showcase FreeBSD as a robust hosting platform, CBSD has evolved to support a wide range of operating systems and hypervisors, enabling users to design cloud solutions resilient to vendor lock-in with a strategic mix of technologies.

Key Features

Cross-platform support for FreeBSD, Linux, DragonFlyBSD, NetBSD, HardenedBSD, and XigmaNAS

Supports multiple hypervisors and container engines: bhyve, jail, QEMU/KVM, QEMU-NVMM, XEN

Unified command interface for orchestration across diverse platforms

Framework for building hybrid, vendor-lock-free cloud infrastructures

Fast deployment of virtual machines and containers

Active community via Telegram channels (English and Russian) and GitHub Discussions

Pros & Cons

Pros

Truly cross-platform with support for multiple BSDs and Linux
Wide range of hypervisor options (bhyve, jail, QEMU/KVM, XEN)
Open source with a permissive license (BSD)
Active development since 2013 with a dedicated community
Designed to avoid vendor lock-in, allowing technology mix from pure BSD to GPL solutions

Cons

Linux support is experimental and not yet fully stable
Requires familiarity with command-line and system administration
Documentation may be limited for newcomers (mainly quick start and full guide)
Less mainstream compared to Docker/Kubernetes for container management

Best For

Building private or hybrid clouds without vendor lock-inDeploying and managing containers and VMs across mixed BSD/Linux environmentsOrchestrating heterogeneous infrastructure powered by different hypervisorsShowcasing FreeBSD as a viable hosting and cloud platformCreating custom, flexible cloud solutions for evaluation or production

FAQ

What is CBSD?

CBSD is a cross-platform wrapper for fast deployment of virtual machines and containers. It provides a unified interface across multiple operating systems (FreeBSD, Linux, DragonFlyBSD, NetBSD, etc.) and supports hypervisors like bhyve, jail, QEMU/KVM, QEMU-NVMM, and XEN.

Which operating systems does CBSD support?

CBSD is tested and supported on FreeBSD, HardenedBSD, NetBSD, DragonFlyBSD, and XigmaNAS. Linux support is experimental and has been successfully tested on Debian, Ubuntu, and Manjaro.