October 1995

Theo de Raadt forks OpenBSD

Theo de Raadt forked OpenBSD from NetBSD in October 1995 — pioneering proactive security auditing and code correctness.

What it was for

Theo de RaadtOpenBSD's 'only two remote holes in the default install' slogan and innovations like OpenSSH, LibreSSL, and W^X memory protection influenced secure systems design across the industry.

People

  • Theo de Raadtfounder

Why it's here

OpenBSD set the standard for security-first UnixAn influential multitasking OS from the 1970s — files, pipes, and C shaped Linux, macOS, and BSD. development.

Why it mattered

OpenSSH alone secured remote administration for the entire internet.

What it solved

General-purpose BSDs did not prioritize continuous security review.

Media

  • Theo de Raadt
    ImageTheo de Raadt

    FAndrey, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons