NYCBUG / The New York City BSD Users Group.

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NYCBUG / The New York City BSD Users Group.

We are a BSD user group. Simple: this is a BSD user group called NYCBUG (pronounced "nice bug"). Everyone is welcome.

NYCBUG / The New York City BSD Users Group
NYC*BUG (pronounced "nice bug") was launched at a small meeting in December 2003, and officially announced at the birds-of-a-feather meeting at LinuxWorld Expo in NYC in January 2004. This is like-minded people getting together under a single interest. There is no official membership, no dues, and no requirements. We meet periodically to listen to present

ations and discuss issues affecting users today. We also sponsor local install fests and assist the BSD family in various ways. If you are interested, please join our MAILING LISTS and check out our next meeting. Some of these like-minded folks hang out on on freenode - it's a nice place for people to hang out and waste time getting to know each other. Aside from all the obvious things a User Group does, we hope to provide a "forum for discussion and a bridge to learning". You will find BSD advocates here at NYCBUG, and some may even be evangelical. While our opinions may be strong, this does NOT mean to the exclusion of others or others` opinions. We hope you agree that sharing knowledge and occasionally teaching someone who does not know, is good for all. We hope you agree that all open source is a good thing... regardless of mascot or license. We do not find the words free|open offensive.

* Discussion is encouraged, BASHING is not.
* Bridging is encouraged, RTFM is not

NYCBUG should be a BSD success story spreading more BSD success stories.

07/31/2026

Next NYC*BUG: 2026-08-05 @ 18:45 local (22:45 UTC)

VIDAR - Server Protection for Internet facing FreeBSD Servers, by Jim Brown - Backroom of Brass Monkey 55 Little West 12th St

Vidar is a combination of programs, a PostgreSQL database, and the SEC correlator engine that reads logfiles from authentication, email (postfix), and web server (nginx), (and potentially any other logs) and takes action based on SEC rules to add entries to an IPFW firewall. In concept it is similar to fail2ban and has some features in common with blocklistd.

SEC reads the logs in real time and based on its rules and correlations, outputs metadata that is piped to a process that inserts the events into a PostgreSQL database and further pipes the offending IP address to a script that updates a table named “BAD” in IPFW. This table is read by IPFW rules to block offending external systems from wreaking havoc on a FreeBSD host.

A corresponding table named GOOD contains whitelisted IP addresses so you don’t accidentally lock yourself out.

For more information, please visit: https://www.nycbug.org/

05/20/2026

NYC*BUG Meeting June 3rd:
Let's review some OpenBSD mitigations, with Brian Callahan
2026-06-03 @ 18:45 local (22:45 UTC) - Backroom of Brass Monkey 55 Little West 12th St

How do we know that security mitigations actually work? How often should we review code to ensure they are continuing to provide?

Following two recent publications, let’s explore some of OpenBSD’s anti-ROP mitigations. We will explore what they do, how to test they work, how to port them to other operating systems, and how to understand larger questions about security mitigations. You’ll leave having a deeper appreciation for OpenBSD’s sustained security track record.

Brian is a long-time face in the *BSD world. While he claims semi-retirement from OpenBSD development, in reality he probably spends even more time on it getting students excited about the BSDs. He is the Director of the Monmouth University Cybersecurity Research Center, where here leads quantum cybers ecurity and other security research.

Nearest NYC Subway is the 14th Street/Eighth Avenue station L, A, C, E.

To get to the backroom, you must enter the front door, follow the long bar on your left, and walk all the way to the back. At the rear of the BrassMonkey, you will see an alcove for the 3 bathrooms our room is off to your right.

Remote participation: Plans are to stream via NYC*BUG website. Q&A will be via IRC on libera.chat channel - please preface your questions with '[Q]'.

05/06/2026

Reminder: The Next NYC*BUG is Wednesday May 13th
The Design of Unix Shell, with Stephen R. Bourne
- Yes, *that Stephen R. Bourne*
2026-05-13 @ 18:45 local (22:45 UTC) - Backroom of Brass Monkey 55 Little West 12th St
For more information, please visit:
https://www.nycbug.org/

04/28/2026

For anyone planning to go to BSDCan 2026, please remember early registration period ends this Thursday April 30th. Early registration comes with free ticket to the Saturday reception. Don't miss out! Register today!
https://www.bsdcan.org/2026/registration.html

Address

New York, NY
10001

Website

http://www.nycbug.org/, http://www.nycbsdcon.org/, http://www.fetissov.org/public/nycbug/

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