January 1, 2026
Open-source or open-casket?
DENT: A network operating system (NOS) for everyone else
Built to simplify network gear, but commenters say it flatlined
TLDR: DENT aimed to be a simple, Linux-based “brain” for network gear so different hardware could work together. The crowd calls it dead and asks what a “network operating system” even is, turning the thread into an explainer with a side of skepticism about open-source promises and real-world adoption.
DENT pitched itself as an “everyone else” network brain: a Linux Foundation-backed effort to run the software inside network boxes using old Linux, strip out bloat, and make different chips play nicely together. Think mix‑and‑match routers and switches instead of one brand to rule them all — a disaggregated network. Built on the Linux kernel and tools like Switchdev, the promise was equal treatment for all hardware, simpler drivers, and fewer layers. The big tent: unite silicon makers, device builders, and users to standardize the guts of networking. See the pitch on the Linux Foundation site.
Then the comments rolled in. “Is it alive?” User wmf drops the cold splash: “Looks like it died in 2023,” sparking a mini autopsy. nhumrich asks what everyone’s thinking: “What is a ‘network operating system’?” Cue memes: NOS = “No Operating Status,” and “DENT made a dent… then vanished.” Some hopefuls say the idea still matters for cutting costs and avoiding vendor lock-in. Cynics call it another open-source announcement that never shipped. Between puzzled newcomers and battle-scarred admins, the vibe is half obituary, half explain‑it‑like‑I’m‑five. Big promises, tiny pulse — and a thread that turned into a class on what this project even was.
Key Points
- •DENT is a Linux Foundation project to build a standardized, open network operating system.
- •It leverages the Linux Kernel, Switchdev, and other Linux-based projects as its foundation.
- •The NOS seeks to minimize abstractions and overhead, simplifying APIs, drivers, and related software layers.
- •All networking hardware, including ASICs and silicon for datapath, is treated equally to promote hardware-agnostic operation.
- •The project brings together vendors and users to support the shift toward disaggregated networks.