Create PfSense.md #13

pkubaj · 2017-08-30T15:25:47Z

This PR adds the configuration necessary to boot the PfSense install ISO.

pietrushnic · 2017-08-30T20:21:15Z

docs/PfSense.md

+In order to boot PfSense via PXE and use unattended install,
+you need the following:
+
+1. Extracted PfSense installation ISO exported via NFS.


@pkubaj please provide link to PfSense image you tested, so there will be no confusion in future. Please provide method of extracting or link to relevant documentation in the web.

pietrushnic · 2017-08-30T20:22:03Z

docs/PfSense.md

+label PfSense
+ menu label PfSense
+ pxe images/pfsense/boot/pxeboot
+```


@pkubaj why don't you add this entry to our configuation of PXE server ?

pietrushnic · 2017-08-30T20:22:47Z

docs/PfSense.md

+The path `images/pfsense/boot/pxeboot` is relative to TFTP root directory.
+It's a path to the PXE loader in the extracted PfSense installation image.
+
+Unfortunately, there's no mechanism for unattended installation of PfSense.


@pkubaj any reference about that ?

There's just no reference to unattended installation in the docs or in the official forum. It's possible though too install with Foreman.
https://doc.pfsense.org/index.php/Installing_pfSense - nothing here
Other people also ask about it:
https://forum.pfsense.org/index.php?topic=87212.0
https://forum.pfsense.org/index.php?topic=61112.0
https://forum.pfsense.org/index.php?topic=66024.0

Also, OPNSense, which forked from PfSense, also doesn't support it.

@pkubaj please add this information as note to documentation. It would be very helpful for future developers.

pkubaj

I removed a comment promising that this how to documents unattended installation.

pkubaj

Changed the FS to the real one.

pkubaj

Add info about SHA256.

miczyg1 · 2017-09-01T10:45:53Z

docs/PfSense.md

+
+   In order to extract the contents, you need to mount
+   the ISO with following commands (example from FreeBSD):
+   `mount_cd9660 /dev/$(mdconfig -a -t vnode -f pfSense-CE-2.3.4-RELEASE-amd64.iso) /mnt`


@pkubaj on Debian like systems it would be easier to use this:
mount -o loop pfSense-CE-2.3.4-RELEASE-amd64.iso /mnt and then rsync.
It also mounts an ISO image to target directory and creates a device node with name loopX.
I do not have mount_cd9660 command.
I got some errors when running rsync:

rsync error: some files/attrs were not transferred (see previous errors) (code 23) at main.c(1183) [sender=3.1.1]

Considering that most of our target audience (and our validation team) use Linux, please provide examples using some modern, popular distro (e.g. Debian). FreeBSD examples are also welcome, but shouldn't be the only one - sorry :)

@miczyg1 it looks that rsync couldn't transfer some files attributes exactly (like read/write/execute permissions).

@mek-x is right and this shouldn't really matter.

miczyg1 · 2017-09-01T10:49:05Z

docs/PfSense.md

+   You need to have `rsync` installed.
+
+2. Relevant entry in DHCP server config:
+    `option root-path /srv/tftp/images/pfsense;`


@pkubaj I would appreciate to prepare a solution for a network without running DHCP server on linux machine. Please provide necessary kernel command line with nfs options if possible. I will be able then to reproduce it

Sorry, this time you must adjust to the standard :)
https://www.freebsd.org/doc/handbook/network-diskless.html
"In order to provide the files needed for an operating system to boot over the network, a PXE setup also requires properly configured DHCP, TFTP, and NFS servers"

mek-x · 2017-09-01T11:20:37Z

docs/PfSense.md

+
+   In order to extract the contents, you need to mount
+   the ISO with following commands (example from FreeBSD):
+   `mount_cd9660 /dev/$(mdconfig -a -t vnode -f pfSense-CE-2.3.4-RELEASE-amd64.iso) /mnt`


Considering that most of our target audience (and our validation team) use Linux, please provide examples using some modern, popular distro (e.g. Debian). FreeBSD examples are also welcome, but shouldn't be the only one - sorry :)

mek-x · 2017-09-01T11:23:46Z

docs/PfSense.md

+1. Download ISO from https://nyifiles.pfsense.org/mirror/downloads/pfSense-CE-2.3.4-RELEASE-amd64.iso.gz
+
+   You should also check the SHA256 hash:
+   `sha256 -c 610b2a8c696e1d1854845d553ce8540debaab9d78ed6c15ce83872eaeac9d05f pfSense-CE-2.3.4-RELEASE-amd64.iso.gz`


I believe this is redundant. Please choose between providing the hash in command to execute or asking people to check it using the site. IMHO, I'm not a huge fan of putting such "harcoded" values in documentation (it's doing redundancy with the image owner's site).

I have removed the info about website. SHA256 is hardcoded, because the command uses it.

mek-x · 2017-09-01T11:24:20Z

docs/PfSense.md

@@ -0,0 +1,35 @@
+In order to boot PfSense via PXE,


PXE or iPXE? They're not exactly the same

mek-x · 2017-09-01T11:25:56Z

docs/PfSense.md

+
+   In order to extract the contents, you need to mount
+   the ISO with following commands (example from FreeBSD):
+   `mount_cd9660 /dev/$(mdconfig -a -t vnode -f pfSense-CE-2.3.4-RELEASE-amd64.iso) /mnt`


@miczyg1 it looks that rsync couldn't transfer some files attributes exactly (like read/write/execute permissions).

pkubaj

Please check now.

miczyg1 · 2017-10-10T06:37:17Z

First thing: the iso mentioned in this paper is not appropiate. There is an image for memstick with serial console enabled: pfSense-CE-memstick-serial-2.3.4-RELEASE-amd64.img and this one should be downloaded.
The image can be mounted only with command: mount -t ufs -o loop,ufstype=5xbsd pfSense-CE-memstick-serial-2.3.4-RELEASE-amd64.img /path/.
I have prepared a DHCP server with correct root-path option, because it seems to be impossible to boot the installer without DHCP (when loading pxeboot, platform sends DHCP discover and request, like it is hardcoded; if no response with correct root-path received, the booting process hangs).
After placing pxeboot in TFTPROOT and whole filesystem in NFSROOT, I am able to boot installer and menu shows up. But nothing else happens, APU2 hangs on displaying menu. I found out that installer is calling for menu.rc.local file via NFS, but it is not present anywhere (neither in NFSROT nor in image file). However I was able to boot the installer system by burning the img to USB drive. It looks like USB booting and PXE booting have different boot paths.

pietrushnic · 2017-10-10T08:43:10Z

@miczyg1 please update documentation.

Create PfSense.md

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pkubaj added 2 commits August 30, 2017 23:18

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PfSense ISO is cd9660

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Add info about SHA256

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pkubaj added 2 commits September 1, 2017 19:52

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Create PfSense.md #13

Create PfSense.md #13

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miczyg1 commented Oct 10, 2017 • edited Loading

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