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Week of 2026-10-12

This update covers two weeks. Many settings that Ze used to accept and then silently ignore are now…

Regression prevention

Tests help catch changes that break existing behavior. Go tests, end-to-end scenarios, protocol checks, fuzzing and interoperability tests cover different failure modes. The figures describe the test suite and its coverage. Each card explains what is checked and links to how those checks work. Ze is written with AI agents working under a quality process based on ISO management systems; how Ze is developed with AI explains it.

See completion by use case Read the evidence map Watch product demos
44.4% RFC MUSTs tested
  • 2,102 of 4,737 MUSTs Ze and the OS owe, in walked RFCs Ze implements
  • Across 195 RFCs, 0 not walked yet
  • Until 2026-10-31 the figure counted every MUST row but rollups, annotated rows included
  • Tests tied to requirements
RFC requirement ledger. 40,600+ Go tests
  • Check encoded bytes and parsed values.
  • Verify config, state transitions and plugins.
  • gomu checks whether tests catch code changes.
Go tests and mutation checks. 2,600+ end-to-end tests
  • Start sessions and exchange route updates.
  • Run editor commands, commits and reloads.
  • Check output, errors and saved state.
Scenarios and expected results. 95 fuzz targets
  • Generate inputs for parsers and decoders.
  • Probe packets and config text for crashes.
  • Replay saved failures as regression cases.
Fuzz inputs and regression cases. 13 interop test images
  • Peer CLIs check sessions and route exchange.
  • BGP, OSPF, IS-IS, BFD, BMP, RPKI, VRRP.
  • Separate labs: IPsec, L2TP, PPPoE, RADIUS.
Docker scenarios and peer checks.
Tested against
BGPFRRBIRDGoBGPOpenBGPdFreeRtrRustyBGPrustbgpdExaBGP BGP supportStayRTRpmacct VPNstrongSwan Accessaccel-pppxl2tpdFreeRADIUS Redundancykeepalived

Why Ze?

Ze brings BGP, Linux interfaces and FIB programming together with network services and plugins in one open-source platform. Use the same configuration model and tools in a lab, as a daemon or as an appliance, with policy data, generated references and test evidence available alongside them.

Manage Ze directly.

Ze runs its own SSH server, CLI and configuration editor. Connect directly to configure and operate it, without a host SSH service or shell. The web interface, REST, gRPC, gNMI and MCP expose the same YANG-modeled configuration.

Ze SSH + CLIWebAPIs + MCP
YANG-modeled configuration Routing · Interfaces · Network services

From connection to configuration

Change a setting through Ze’s SSH editor, review the diff, commit it and check the result.

  1. Connect
  2. Edit
  3. Review
  4. Commit

Playback starts at the SSH introduction (0:36) in the full recorded session. Use full screen for a closer look.

Decision

Reasons to consider Ze

Start here for the selling points: powerful CLI, operator protocols, in-engine IRR filtering, PeeringDB data, looking glass APIs, one YANG model, and when to choose another NOS instead.

Runtime

Small core, registered subsystems

The core holds the supervisor, message bus, config provider, and plugin manager. BGP and interface management register into it.

Routing

Network OS built on the engine

The shipped daemon speaks BGP, manages Linux interfaces, programs the FIB, and serves its configuration through SSH and the web UI.

Modular

Plugins keep their own contract

Plugins can be compiled Go modules or external processes. Compiled modules load their YANG into the daemon validator; external plugins can expose their model through ze schema.

Documentation that matches the code.

Read the generated references before you run Ze.

The same YANG schema and command definitions drive Ze and its references. Each website build brings changes into the documentation, including configuration supplied by plugins.

Configuration

The full YANG tree

Browse every configuration setting in the documented build, including the settings supplied by plugins.

Configuration reference
Commands

Command syntax and help

Find commands, arguments and pipe operators from the same definitions that supply Ze's built-in help.

CLI reference
Plugins

Plugins and dependencies

Explore registered plugins, their dependencies, configuration roots and the source that implements them.

Plugin catalogue

Explore features by category

Operate (6) Routing (9) Services (9) Automate (7) Observe (9) Secure (6) Setup (6)

Open a feature for its behavior and limitations, and check its maturity before choosing a deployment.

Run it as a lab,
daemon, or appliance.

The same binary and configuration support each path, from a netlab topology or BGP interop lab to spare hardware.

Lab

Run reproducible labs

The netlab integration brings up a three-node Ze topology under containerlab. The BGP interop lab also runs Ze beside FRR, BIRD, and GoBGP and checks routes through each peer's own CLI.

netlab containerlab Docker FRR BIRD GoBGP
Run BGP lab BGP interop
Daemon

Run as a daemon

Ze runs on any existing Linux distro, managed by systemd or your chosen process manager. This is the easiest route when Ze has to fit into infrastructure you already run.

Existing Linux systemd-ready
Quickstart two BGP peers
Appliance

Run as an appliance

A bootable gokrazy image for appliance hardware: read-only root filesystem, no shell, no package manager, and automatic process supervision. The current amd64 installation ISO is under 150 MB.

gokrazy image Read-only root filesystem
Install guide PXE, ISO, or Ventoy

Safe ways to try Ze before the first release.

Ze is early enough that routing feedback can still change the system. These cards give each reader a low-risk starting point.

Lab

Lab router

Network builders can bring up two BGP peers, inspect routes, and check whether Ze's operator tools fit their workflow.

Quickstart BGP peers
Quickstart two peer lab
Migration

ExaBGP replacement

ExaBGP users can try the migrator against an existing config and see which process scripts still translate cleanly.

Migration Plugins
Migration path config and process scripts
Appliance

White-box appliance

People with spare x86 hardware can boot the appliance image and test the same configuration model without a general-purpose shell.

ISO PXE gokrazy
Appliance guide spare hardware
Operate

Looking glass

Operators who need read-only BGP visibility can publish a looking glass and inspect routes without giving shell access.

Read-only BGP visibility
Looking glass read-only BGP
Interop

Protocol testbed

Protocol implementers can run Docker interop scenarios against FRR, BIRD, and GoBGP, then turn a failure into a test case.

Interop Docker
Interop lab real peer daemons
MCP

AI-assisted operations

MCP exposes Ze commands and structured output to AI tools without a separate command set.

MCP CLI catalogue
AI via MCP same command catalogue

First paths for routing feedback.

The BGP lab, ExaBGP migration, and appliance install are good starting points.

quickstart.sh 
# build from source
$ git clone https://github.com/ze-software/ze.git
$ cd ze && make build

# set up credentials and configure
$ bin/ze init
$ bin/ze config import router.conf

# start
$ bin/ze start

# from another terminal
$ bin/ze cli -c "show bgp peer list"
$ bin/ze cli -c "monitor event"
Good starting points

A lab peer, a migrated ExaBGP config, or a looking-glass instance can produce useful reports from people who know routing operations.

BGP interop lab FRR, BIRD, and GoBGP in Docker ExaBGP migration try an existing config and process script Appliance install ISO media, PXE provisioning, spare hardware Looking glass publish read-only BGP visibility AI-assisted operations MCP exposes Ze commands to tools

Recent engineering notes.

Weekly updates come from git history and Discord's ze-news. They stay specific and technical.

See all updates
Try safely

Try Ze before the first release.

Start where a mistake cannot affect a live network.

Run a BGP lab Read the quickstart
Release Expected Q4 2026. No stable release has shipped yet, and configuration may change.
BGP lab Exercise Ze against FRR, BIRD, and GoBGP without touching a production router.
Migration Try the ExaBGP migration path against an existing config before changing automation.
Appliance Boot Ze on spare hardware with the same binary and configuration model as daemon mode.
Source Read the code, generated docs, RFC gate, and test evidence before deciding where Ze belongs.