[[PageOutline(1-3,"Table of Content")]] This guide will tell you how-to put FreeBSD 9.x on an (ALIX) embedded device. For FreeBSD 8.x see the archived guide for hints [[wiki:Archive/FreeBSDOnEmbeddedDevice]] TODO: This is NOT complete yet. Tip: I set the prompt on various location such that the output reflects the terminal output. build# set prompt = "build# " = Initial disk configuration = Please do mind I create a 6G image to be used at a 8G CF disk as making it exactly fit, causes issues if sectors are wearing out. I create 2 x 2G partitions for the OS (and backup OS) and 1 x 1G partition for various configuration files and other shared stuff. Hack to reload the usb card reader to reread partition tables: build# usbconfig -d `usbconfig | awk -F : '/Mass/ {print $1}'` reset build# truncate -s 6GB embedded.img build# MD=`mdconfig embedded.img` build# gpart create -s MBR md0 build# gpart add -t freebsd -s 2G build# gpart add -t freebsd -s 2G build# gpart add -t freebsd -s 1G build# newfs md0s1 md0s2 md0s3 = Disk population = build# setenv RELEASE 9.0-RELEASE build# mkdir -p /usr/data/$RELEASE build# cd /usr/data/$RELEASE build# fetch ftp://ftp.nl.freebsd.org/pub/FreeBSD/releases/i386/$RELEASE/base.txz build# fetch ftp://ftp.nl.freebsd.org/pub/FreeBSD/releases/i386/$RELEASE/kernel.txz build# fetch ftp://ftp.nl.freebsd.org/pub/FreeBSD/releases/i386/$RELEASE/docs.txz More sophisticated approach (rsync not in base): build# rsync -vaz ftp.nl.freebsd.org::FreeBSD/releases/i386/$RELEASE/ . build# setenv DESTDIR /mnt build# xzcat base.txz | tar --unlink -xpzf - -C $DESTDIR build# xzcat kernel.txz | tar --unlink -xpzf - -C $DESTDIR build# xzcat docs.txz | tar --unlink -xpzf - -C $DESTDIR Tip: Soekris 2521 requires CPU_ELAN which is not included into the kernel by default. For optimal performance compile the kernel yourself = Disk configuration = Need resolving power at later stage inside chroot: build# cp /etc/resolv.conf /mnt/etc/ Need ssh-keygen to work, so need access to /dev/urandom build# mount -t devfs devfs /mnt/dev build# chroot /mnt Important: if you FAIL to chroot and continue you will now start destroying your build system build# set prompt = "chroot# " Tip: Having your flash living in read-only gives you added security and increases the live-time of your (older) Flash cards. read-write is more convenient But you will need to do some tricks as some programs need rw on first boot for ssh keys and such. chroot# echo "/dev/ada0s1 / ufs ro,noatime 0 1" > /etc/fstab Make sure to continue to check the disks on reboot, instead of waiting for user input: chroot# echo "fsck_y_enable=YES" >> /etc/rc.conf {{{ #!sh chroot# cat < /boot/loader.conf console=comconsole autoboot_delay=3 hw.ata.ata_dma=0 # Soekris boot failure EOF }}} Serial console boot only: chroot# echo "-h" > /boot.config Enable serial console: chroot# sed -I '' '/ttyu0/ s/off/on /' /etc/ttys Cosmetic: disable all vidconsoles as a soekris embedded device does not have any: chroot# sed -I '' '/ttyv[0-7]/ s/on /off/g' /etc/ttys == Accounting & access control == chroot# echo "sshd_enable=YES" >> /etc/rc.conf chroot# service sshd keygen chroot# pw usermod root -w random Administive user (admin for example): chroot# pkg_add -r sudo chroot# pw useradd admin -G wheel -c 'Admin User' -s /bin/csh -m -w random chroot# echo '%wheel ALL=(ALL) ALL' >> /usr/local/etc/sudoers == Networking == chroot# hostname riff.vanderzwet.net chroot# echo hostname=`hostname` >> /etc/rc.conf == Package install == === Package Install Pre-Req === {{{ chroot# cat << EOF >> /etc/csh.cshrc setenv FTP_PASSIVE_MODE yes setenv PACKAGEROOT ftp://ftp.nl.FreeBSD.org EOF }}} === dnsmasq === dnsmasq used for local network dns and dhcp: chroot# pkg_add -r dnsmasq chroot# echo "dnsmasq_enable=YES" >> /etc/rc.conf chroot# setenv DOMAIN `hostname | sed 's/^[^.]*.//'` {{{ #!sh node# cat < /usr/local/etc/dnsmasq.conf interface=bridge0 no-dhcp-interface=vr1 cache-size=10000 localise-queries domain=${DOMAIN}. dhcp-range=bridge0,192.168.42.100,192.168.42.200 dhcp-host=00:00:24:c1:1d:d0,192.168.42.130 dhcp-host=00:13:d3:a7:24:51,192.168.42.165 dhcp-option=option:router,192.168.42.1 server=/wleiden.net/172.20.145.129 `jot 16 16 | xargs -n 1 -I % echo server=/%.172.in-addr.arpa/172.20.145.129` EOF }}} === ntp === node# echo "ntpd_enable=YES" >> /etc/rc.conf {{{ node# cat < /etc/ntp.conf server 0.nl.pool.ntp.org server 1.nl.pool.ntp.org server 2.nl.pool.ntp.org driftfile /var/db/ntp.drift EOF }}} === motd === node# (sed '3,$ d' /etc/motd; echo "WWW: riff.vanderzwet.net - http://rickvanderzwet.nl" ) > /etc/motd.new; mv /etc/motd.new /etc/motd === Flash disk protection === chroot# echo "update_motd=NO" >> /etc/rc.conf chroot# echo "tmpmfs=YES" >> /etc/rc.conf chroot# echo "varmfs=YES" >> /etc/rc.conf Tip: I hate the details like package management details getting lost. Flash cards these days are cheap anyways, mine lived for 1 year after extensive use. Of course with read-only this will be _much_ longer. chroot# sed '/1a/ s/rw/ro/' /etc/fstab > /etc/fstab.new; mv /etc/fstab.new /etc/fstab === various === node# pkg_add -r tinyproxy sudo vim-lite = Initial boot = Note: NOT READY YET: Insert card into your embedded device and get yourself a prompt, using serial of ssh login. = Production Maintenance = == Adding packages == Tip: As space is limited unpacking packages can result in I/O errors due to (memory) disks which run out of space. Installing for example the package apache22 goes as follows: node# mkdir /usr/local/tmp node# setenv PKG_TMPDIR /usr/local/tmp node# pkg_add -r -t /usr/local/tmp/instmp.XXXXXX apache22 Make any other optional changes before first boot inside chroot(8): chroot# vi /etc/rc.conf chroot# exit build# umount /mnt