Slurm updates
Finished upgrading
sysutils/slurm-wlmto the current 25.11.0 release and verified it on my small test setup – PRReworked Slurm’s
rc.dscripts to usedaemon(8)for process supervision and added configurable knobs for config, PID, and log file locations. This should make service management more robust and better aligned with FreeBSD conventions – PR
New ports
- Added
sysutils/py-clustershell, providing a flexible Python-based framework for cluster-wide command execution and administration. This is a foundational tool for managing HPC-style environments more comfortably on FreeBSD – sysutils/py-clustershell
Work in progress
Submitted new ports
devel/lwgrp,devel/dtcmpanddevel/libcircle, which are required dependencies forsysutils/mpifileutils. Both are pending review and commit – devel/lwgrp, devel/dtcmp, devel/libcircle- Submitted new ports
devel/spack(HPC package manager) andbenchmarks/py-reframe(regression testing framework for HPC systems); both are pending review and fit into the broader HPC toolchain on FreeBSD – devel/spack, benchmarks/py-reframe - Started work on a new port for
sysutils/mpifileutils. The port is roughly 50% complete: it currently builds with FreeBSD-specific adjustments, and the remaining work is to replace interim stubs with proper FreeBSD implementations and finish testing before submission.
Coordination and outreach
- Sent a few coordination emails to align future HPC work and gather feedback on the roadmap. Responses are still pending, which is totally understandable given people’s schedules; for now I’m treating these as open threads and will follow up later if appropriate.
Generic Rikka is a software developer and FreeBSD enthusiast with a focus on high-performance computing and system engineering.
She primarily programs in C and C++, but also works comfortably with C#, Python, Java, PHP + MySQL, and various shell scripting environments.
Rikka maintains several virtualized servers—both FreeBSD and Linux—and began contributing to the FreeBSD Ports Collection in summer 2025. Her first major work involved modernizing and eventually maintaining the sysutils/slurm-wlm port.
Today she is actively engaged in expanding FreeBSD’s HPC ecosystem, improving upstream collaboration, and promoting FreeBSD as a modern platform for scientific and research computing.