Installer pfSense sur Soekris

1 Introduction

I spent too much time to find how to install pfSense on a Soekris net5501. Why ? Because no PXE versions exist or is easily installable, because of the configuration and connection. So for those who want to win time and for me to not forgot, I've decided to write this article.

2 Installation

Well, let's say I've a hard drive to install pfSense on. I connected it on my Ubuntu Desktop laptop through a USB external 2,5' box and used KVM/QEMU. Here are the required packages :

aptitude

aptitude install kvm virt-manager

Do not forget to add your user to 'kvm' group.

Now use virt-manager to create a VM with :

• CDROM : the pfSense ISO
• HDD : the direct USB box

Then boot the VM and perform the installation.

3 Configuration

3.1 1st boot

For the first configuration part, you should install the hard drive in the Soekris box and boot it. I'm using minicom and I've set those serial parameters as : 9600 7E1

Then you certainly had this issue :

Trying to mount root from ufs:/dev/ad0s1a
Trying to mount root from ufs:/dev/ad0s1a
Trying to mount root from ufs:/dev/ad0s1a
 
Manual root filesystem specification:
  <fstype>:<device>  Mount <device> using filesystem <fstype>
                       eg. ufs:da0s1a
  ?                  List valid disk boot devices
  <empty line>       Abort manual input

This is because the device during the installation didn't get the same device name on the Soekris. Anyway, there is a way to do it. You should try something like this :

mountroot> ?
List of GEOM managed disk devices:
  ufsid/4cf95e52836e2e4f ad1s1c ad1s1b ad1s1a ad1s1 ad1

Manual root filesystem specification:
  <fstype>:<device>  Mount <device> using filesystem <fstype>
                       eg. ufs:da0s1a
  ?                  List valid disk boot devices
  <empty line>       Abort manual input

So now we're going to boot on the good root slice :

ufs:ad1s1a

3.2 Web interface

Now the web interface is available through port 0 on IP 192.168.1.1. The default credentials are :

• Login : admin
• Password : pfsense

Proceed to your wished configuration.

3.3 Remote connection

Now you're able to set default connections. I mean correct default serial parameters and no exotic ones, also the SSH server. Go in System -> Advanced to enable it.$

3.4 Fstab

To avoid to manually mount the root filesystem at next boot, we'll change the fstab file through our new SSH connection, Change the devices values to the good one. For me, I had to change from ad0 to ad1 :

/etc/fstab

# Device Mountpoint FStype Options Dump Pass# /dev/ad1s1a / ufs rw 1 1 /dev/ad1s1b none swap sw 0 0

3.5 Soekris

Now reboot and set the connection parameters to 9600 to get the hardware and OS at the same configuration level.

That's all :-)