Messages

If your coding style is ok, you can contribute here. New code must be compliant to PEP8 (Python), PSR 2 (PHP) and consistent spacing in XML etc. The variable names should be useful. If the quality is good, your code is welcome here.

I have reviewed the coding standards on the website. I don't agree with all of them (I'm sure no one does) but I understand the need for standards. When I decided to submit a PR for my package, I carefully made all the changes necessary to comply with the pfSense Developer Style Guide. I very much appreciated the extensive documentation on the OPNSense site on both the required standards and the path to creating plugins.

Thank you all for your input. I look forward to contributing.

Hi kraileth,

I too have been a devoted user of pfSense. I've worked with router/firewall software for many years. Three years ago, tired of the terrible service from Watchguard, I went looking for an open-source router solution for my IT department. Found pfSense and been using it ever since.

However, over time, I have looked at the pfSense code and have found a lot of it to be stream of consciousness hacking and often wondered that it worked at all. Having a vast experience in software engineering, I have found it an axiom that good, clean coding results in a good, reliable product, and that the reverse is true, as well. That being said, pfSense has always worked well for me.

The latest version of pfSense did not port a package that I was using so I set out to do the port myself. It works well and I use it for my company routers. I put in a pull request to have the package included in the official source and got into an argument with one of the gatekeepers who appears to be a tyrant. Don't get me wrong, he had some points in his criticism, and I made several of the changes he requested. But we argued about one change, that I would have made, useless as it was, until he became insulting and hit me with a "do it my way or get out" attitude. They appear to not be interested in my contributions, now. It's just as well as I have no wish to improve their product, anymore.

I discovered OPNSense a couple of months ago, by accident, when I learned it's implementation of Suricata is superior. Didn't consider switching but I am considering it now.

I am an extremely good developer and love open source. But I have found that OS developers do not tend to take argument well. I love the debate of ideas and consider arguments over coding styles and approaches conducive to the very best results. But all parties must be willing to listen, consider, and above all, treat each other with civility and respect.

I have two questions or you, and anyone else reading this:

One, your article seems to describe both OPNSense and pfSense as good router software for a home router. Is it your contention that a different choice should be made for commercial use?

Two, I would very much like to contribute to a good OS product as highly useful as a UI router package like pf/OPNSense. Will I find the contributors here are just as inflexible and petulant as I have found with pfSense?