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diff --git a/docs/introducing/about.rst b/docs/introducing/about.rst index 944ff0a1..a791dcd0 100644 --- a/docs/introducing/about.rst +++ b/docs/introducing/about.rst @@ -4,24 +4,20 @@ About ##### -VyOS is an open source network operating system based on Debian GNU/Linux. +VyOS is an open-source network operating system that provides a single unified +CLI and API to manage routing protocols, firewall and NAT, QoS, load balancing, +DHCP and DNS servers, and many other features. -VyOS provides a free routing platform that competes directly with other -commercially available solutions from well known network providers. Because -VyOS runs on standard amd64, i586 and ARM systems, it is able to be used -as a router and firewall platform for cloud deployments. +VyOS runs on a wide variety of commodity hardware, virtual machines, and +multiple cloud environments. -We use multiple live versions of our manual, hosted thankfully by -https://readthedocs.org. We will provide one version of the manual for every -VyOS major version starting with VyOS 1.2 which will receive Long-term support -(LTS). +We provide a dedicated user guide for each major +VyOS release that receives long-term support (LTS). We maintain multiple user +guide versions, all hosted at https://docs.vyos.io. +To switch between versions, select the appropriate version in the bottom-right +corner. -The manual version is selected/specified by it's Git branch name. You can -switch between versions of the documentation by selecting the appropriate -branch on the bottom left corner. - -VyOS CLI syntax may change between major (and sometimes minor) versions. Please -always refer to the documentation matching your current, running installation. -If a change in the CLI is required, VyOS will ship a so called migration script -which will take care of adjusting the syntax. No action needs to be taken by -you. +VyOS CLI syntax may vary between major and sometimes minor releases. Always +refer to the documentation matching your current running installation. If +a change in the CLI is required, VyOS provides a migration script to handle +the syntax adjustments. No user action is required. diff --git a/docs/introducing/history.rst b/docs/introducing/history.rst index a81674f2..2e258b52 100644 --- a/docs/introducing/history.rst +++ b/docs/introducing/history.rst @@ -7,127 +7,116 @@ History In the beginning... =================== -There once was a network operating system based on Debian GNU/Linux, -called Vyatta. [*]_ 2006 onwards, it was a great free software -alternative to Cisco IOS and Jupiter JUNOS. It came in two editions: -Vyatta Core (previously Vyatta Community Edition) that was completely -free software, and Vyatta Subscription Edition that had proprietary -features and was only available to paying customers. - -Vyatta was acquired by Brocade Communication Systems in 2012. Shortly -after, Brocade renamed Vyatta Subscription Edition to Brocade vRouter, -discontinued Vyatta Core and shut down the community forum without a -notice. The bug tracker and Git repositories followed next year. - -It's worth noting that by the time Brocade acquired Vyatta, -development of Vyatta Core was already stagnated. Vyatta Subscription -Edition (and thus, Vyatta development as a whole) had been replacing -core components with proprietary software, meaning few features made -it to Vyatta Core, and those that did were bug-ridden and hamstrung. - -In 2013, soon after Vyatta Core was abandoned, the community forked -the last Vyatta Core version (6.6R1) and VyOS Project came into being. -`Sentrium SL <https://blog.vyos.io/sentrium-what-sentrium>`_ was -established by VyOS maintainers in 2014 to fund VyOS development by -selling support, consulting services and prebuilt long-term support -images. The company was later reorganized under the VyOS brand. - -Brocade was acquired by Broadcom in 2016 and sold what remains of -erstwhile Vyatta to AT&T in 2017, who in turn sold it to Ciena in 2021. +There was a network operating system based on Debian GNU/Linux, called +Vyatta. [*]_ Introduced in 2006, it served as a great free-software alternative +to proprietary products. Vyatta came in two editions: Vyatta Core +(formerly known as Vyatta Community Edition), which was free software, and +Vyatta Subscription Edition, which included proprietary features and was +available only to paying customers. + +Brocade Communications Systems acquired Vyatta in 2012. Shortly after, Brocade +renamed Vyatta Subscription Edition to Brocade vRouter, discontinued Vyatta +Core, and shut down the community forum without notice. The bug tracker and Git +repositories were closed the following year. + +By the time Brocade acquired Vyatta, the development of Vyatta Core had +already stagnated. The focus had shifted to Vyatta Subscription Edition, +where core components were replaced with proprietary software. As a result, +Vyatta Core received fewer new features, and some of those added faced issues. + +In 2013, shortly after Vyatta Core was discontinued, the community forked its +final version (6.6R1) to create the VyOS project. In 2014, the maintainers +established a company to fund VyOS development through technical support, +consulting services, and LTS release access subscriptions. The company was +originally named Sentrium and was later reorganized under the VyOS brand. Major releases ============== - -VyOS major versions used to be named after elements in order of atomic -numbers. With 1.2, this naming scheme was replaced with the much -cooler scheme of Latin names of `IAU -<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IAU_designated_constellations_by_area>`_ -designated constellations by solid angle area, starting from the smallest. +VyOS originally named its major versions after elements by atomic number. +Beginning with version 1.2, this naming scheme was changed. It now uses the +Latin names of constellations recognized by the International Astronomical +Union (`IAU +<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IAU_designated_constellations_by_area>`_), +ordered by their solid angle area, beginning with the smallest. Hydrogen (1.0) -------------- -Released just in time for holidays on 22 December 2013, Hydrogen was +Released just in time for the holidays on 22 December 2013, Hydrogen was the first major VyOS release. It fixed features that were broken in -Vyatta Core 6.6 (such as IPv4 BGP peer groups and DHCPv6 relay) and -introduced command scripting, a task scheduler and web proxy LDAP +Vyatta Core 6.6, such as IPv4 BGP peer groups and DHCPv6 relay, and +introduced command scripting, a task scheduler, and web proxy LDAP authentication. Helium (1.1) ------------ +Helium, released on 9 October 2014, marked the first anniversary of the +VyOS Project. The release introduced an event handler, L2TPv3 support, +802.1ad (QinQ), and IGMP proxy, as well as experimental support for VXLAN +and DMVPN. Notably, DMVPN remained non-functional in Vyatta Core due to its +reliance on a proprietary NHRP implementation. -Helium was released on 9 October 2014, exactly on the day VyOS Project -first came into being in the previous year. Helium came with a lot of -new features, including an event handler and support for L2TPv3, -802.1ad QinQ and IGMP proxy, as well as experimental support for VXLAN -and DMVPN (the latter of which was also broken in Vyatta Core due to -its reliance on a proprietary NHRP implementation). Crux (1.2) ---------- +Crux (the Southern Cross) was released on 28 January 2019 and marked a +departure from legacy Vyatta codebase and the start of the migration from +Perl to Python as the primary language. The underlying base system was +upgraded from Debian 6 (Squeeze) to Debian 8 (Jessie). -Crux (the Southern Cross) came out on 28 January 2019 and was the -first major release of VyOS as we know it today. The underlying -Debian base was upgraded from Squeeze (6) to Jessie (8). - -Although Crux came with too many new features to mention here, some -noteworthy ones are: an mDNS repeater, a broadcast relay, -a high-performance PPPoE server, an HFSC scheduler, as well as support -for Wireguard, unicast VRRP, RPKI for BGP and fully 802.1ad-compliant -QinQ ethertype. The telnet server and support for P2P filtering were -removed. +Crux introduced many new features, some of the most noteworthy are: +an mDNS repeater, a broadcast relay, a high-performance PPPoE server, +an HFSC scheduler, and support for Wireguard, unicast VRRP, RPKI for BGP, +and fully 802.1ad-compliant QinQ ethertype. The telnet server and support +for P2P filtering were removed. -Crux is the first version to feature the modular image build system. -CLI definitions began to be written in the modern, verifiable XML -templates. Python APIs were introduced for command scripting and -configuration migration. Introduction of new Perl and shell code was -proscribed and the rewriting of legacy Perl code in pure Python began -with Crux. +Crux was the first VyOS release to feature a modular image build system. +CLI definitions were written using an XML syntax automatically checked +against a schema at build time. Python APIs were introduced for command +scripting and configuration migration. New Perl code and old-style (non-XML) +command definition were no longer accepted from that point. -Crux reached end of support in 2023.. +Crux reached the end of support in 2023. Equuleus (1.3) -------------- -The current long-term support version of VyOS, Equuleus (the Pony) -came out on 21 December 2021, once again in time for the winter -holidays. +Equuleus (the Little Horse) was a long-term support version released +on 21 December 2021, just in time for the winter holidays. -Equuleus brought many long-desired features with it, most notably -an SSTP VPN server, an IPoE server, an OpenConnect VPN server and -a serial console server, in addition to reworked support for WWAN -interfaces, support for GENEVE and MACSec interfaces, VRF, IS-IS -routing, preliminary support for MPLS and LDP, and many other -initialisms. +Equuleus brought many long-awaited features, most notably an SSTP VPN +server, an IPoE server, an OpenConnect VPN server, and a serial console +server. It also introduced reworked support for WWAN interfaces, support +for GENEVE and MACSec interfaces, VRF, IS-IS routing, and preliminary support +for MPLS and LDP. -Equuleus reached end of support in 2025. +Equuleus reached the end of support in 2025. Sagitta (1.4) ------------- -Sagitta (the Arrow) was released in 2024 and is currently a supported LTS release. +Sagitta (the Arrow), released in 2024, is currently a supported LTS release. Circinus (1.5) -------------- -Circinus (the Compass) is the codename of the upcoming development -branch, so there's no VyOS 1.5 yet. +Circinus (the Drawing Compass) is the codename for the upcoming development +branch. VyOS 1.5 Circinus has not been released yet. A note on copyright =================== -Unlike Vyatta, VyOS never had (nor will ever have) proprietary code. +Unlike Vyatta, VyOS has never had closed-source code and never will. The only proprietary material in VyOS is non-code assets, such as -graphics and the trademark "VyOS". [*]_ This means you can build your -own long-term support images (as the entire toolchain we use is free -software) and even distribute them, given you rename it and remove -such assets before building. Although note that we do not provide -support for images distributed by a third-party. See the +graphics and the trademark "VyOS". [*]_ + +Note that we do not provide support for images distributed by a third party. +See the `artwork license <https://github.com/vyos/vyos-build/blob/current/LICENSE.artwork>`_ and the end-user license agreement at ``/usr/share/vyos/EULA`` in -any pre-built image for more precise information. +any pre-built image for more information. .. [*] From the Sanskrit adjective "Vyātta" (व्यात्त), meaning opened. -.. [*] This is not unlike how Linus Torvalds owns the trademark "Linux". +.. [*] This is similar to how Linus Torvalds owns the Linux trademark. |