Community Edition will be renewed or cancelled ?

[skacem]

Hello

before discovering PfSense, I was using OpenSource with iptables and I was absolutely delighted to discover PfSense when it first came out and I've been using it ever since.

over time, we've also bought Netgate appliances with the Plus version
but in all honesty, we didn't feel any difference with the CE version, apart from probably having a hardware warranty that was never activated.

so, we prefer to reuse our old servers or buy suitable hardware, of which there's an abundant choice on the Internet where you can choose processor, RAM, disk capacity, so a wide choice and not a limited number of appliances.

I'm terribly sorry if it seems that I'm being ungrateful to Netgate, but that's not the case. I've been delighted with their commitment to OpenSource and the maintenance of PfSense for many years.

lately, we've noticed that the download of the CE version has disappeared. In my experience, this is a prelude to its disappearance, but I hope I'm wrong.
we know very well that during this phase we'll be talking about a transition and the CE version hasn't disappeared yet, but the install will be shared with the plus version and ....

now, we have a project, our initial wish is to use PfSense on multi-sites, but with what we've seen, we'd like to have some assurance on the continuity of the CE version or not, there are several PfSense forks that we've never used, but it seems more plausible now given the uncertainty that hangs over the CE version, and we can't commit to the PfSense CE version if it no longer has a future

we'd be grateful if someone could shed some light on this point before we make our final decision.

many thanks

[stephenw10]

You can still download the legacy CE installers. And you can install CE using the Net Installer.

Steve

[skacem]

@stephenw10
Thanks a lot for your reply

i know this repository

but the question is whether the CE version will remain active and maintained or not.
also, if it does, will we be able to install it on hardware other than Netgate's or not ?

Offline installers are very useful for greater flexibility in the event of problems, but if I understand correctly, Netgate will only offer the CE version via the Net installer, is this the case?

Thanks a lot

[stephenw10]

Yup, the Net Installer is in beta we are finding issues and use cases still.

[SteveITS]

@skacem said in Community Edition will be renewed or cancelled ?:

whether the CE version will remain active and maintained

https://forum.netgate.com/topic/189034/whats-happed-with-pfsense-ce-edition/9

[Patch]

@skacem said in Community Edition will be renewed or cancelled ?:

CE version has disappeared. In my experience, this is a prelude to its disappearance ....

now, we have a project, our initial wish is to use PfSense on multi-sites, but with what we've seen, we'd like to have some assurance on the continuity of the CE version or not, ... , and we can't commit to the PfSense CE version if it no longer has a future

imo the CE edition as we have known it is in the process of being eliminated

• Development version public access has been removed for a long time now

• Off line install of the CE version is in the process of being eliminated

• Negate is exercising their absolute control of the CE version

Which leaves, what is the threat Netgate is addressing?

• Chinese hardware retailers/manufactures disregarding copyright and selling hardware with pfsense installed

• Home / lab free use of pfsense CE (current actively maintained version)

• Micro business use of pfsense CE (current actively maintained version)

• Commercial installs of pfsense CE (current actively maintained version)

Time will confirm what Netgate's goals actually are however I would NOT invest significant resources in a future system based on pfsense CE at this time.

[planedrop]

@skacem said in Community Edition will be renewed or cancelled ?:

and we can't commit to the PfSense CE version if it no longer has a future

While I think it DOES have a future, you shouldn't bet on it, it's community edition for a reason, it's not meant for production use cases.

You're better off buying real hardware from Netgate, or getting pfSense Plus as a subscription for your own hardware.

There are a number of important differences between CE and Plus anyway which you should take into account for a business application, things like cryptographic acceleration and ZFS boot environments, both of which have great business applications.

I don't mean to be rude, but it is a community edition, so there isn't going to be some guarantee from Netgate about it, they don't make money off of it.

[coxhaus]

@Patch
I think people should respect copyright laws and I am going with whatever they come up with to protect themselves.

[slu]

@planedrop said in Community Edition will be renewed or cancelled ?:

it's not meant for production use cases.

That's completely new to me, where are you got this information?