pfSense 2.8.0 full iso/img
-
@stephenw10 said in pfSense 2.8.0 full iso/img:
@ryan87 said in pfSense 2.8.0 full iso/img:
Is the online installer going to work in a scenario like that if I need to install a specific older version
Yes. Currently the installer will install 2.7.2, 2.8.0 and 2.8.1-Beta. As well as Plus if eligible.
Is there some reason you can't use the Net Installer at those sites?
Consider adding the config during the install to save time.
That's great we'll be able to get a previous version from the online installer. Adding the config to the installer to save some time will help.
There's no show-stopping reason we can't use the online installer, but we'll have to change how we do things a bit to accommodate.
As an example, the config I'll prep for the weekend is a job that will require some rack cleanup. Normally with a couple of people one of them can update the firewall in the amount of time it takes to clean up things around ISP equipment. We usually just shut the whole thing down for a short time and it's nice to do that work in parallel.
To be honest, I'm more frustrated than I should be about it because I like setting things up to be as efficient as possible and working through a new process to get things running smoothly again is going to mean a little bit more time onsite for the next couple of installs.
I took a break and, now that I've thought about it more, I think a USB-C to ethernet adapter plugged into a phone resolves most of the scenarios that are an annoyance for us; disconnected ISP equipment, slow internet, static WAN IPs, etc..
Thank you for replying and my apologies for replying to this thread without taking a break to think things though a bit better before complaining. I supposed I could use a nap today.
-
@revengineer Personally I don't care whether the source code is open source. I think it is a bad idea to give it away.
-
@coxhaus I no longer care either because the source code does not seem compilable for the average use. I used to have fun with compiling many years ago as a former smoothwall user.
While it may be preferable not to give the source away, the fact that pfsense if forked from an open source project (monowall) two decades ago may still require this. (I am not a legal expert on open source licensing.)
To bring this back to the title of the topic, this is solely about the release of an iso of the full compiled v2.8.0 for direct installs, not asking for anything more.
-
Scenario is someone has an appliance that fails. Hypothetically, said appliance fails from excessive flash writes. Now internet access is down, and likely local LAN since DHCP/DNS is also running on said appliance.
So how in gods name is someone able to:
- Download said net installer?
- Retrieve a backup config to put on the installer USB thumb drive?
- Run said net installer to get internet back up and running?
This applies to both Netgate and third party appliances.
-
So how in gods name is someone able to:
- Download said net installer?
- Retrieve a backup config to put on the installer USB thumb drive?
- Run said net installer to get internet back up and running?
This applies to both Netgate and third party appliances.
So then also applies to-
So how in gods name is someone able to:
- Download the Full ISO?
- Retrieve a backup config to put on the installer USB thumb drive?
- Run ISO to get internet back up and running?
If you are the IT guy for a business then if you are competent you would already have a copy of the Net Installer in your desk drawer. You would already have copies of your backups on your company laptop/desktop ect.. but could go get those from the backup service anyways.. If you are not a business then this is just good practice to learn.
Keeping up with the Net Installer seems easier than updating your copy of the ISO every time a new release comes out as the installer will see less updates IMHO.
The Net Installer will always download the latest files for an install.
You do not need the backup to be on the thumb drive when installing. It is helpful but not necessary.
The only real argument for a full installer I can see so far is that if the target servers go down at the time someone is trying to do an install then they would be SOL for the time it takes for those servers to come back up. Id tell my family to read a book meanwhile if this was for the home.
-
You didn’t answer how the net installer will install the packages when the internet is down because said appliance is failed.
-
@elvisimprsntr I believe it is intended the net installer will be able to load a pfsense configuration file and use it’s wan interface definition.
-
Which still does not address my scenario.
My ATT gateway is in passthrough mode and forwarding my WAN IP to a fixed MAC.
So if my pfsense firewall appliance breaks, while I can connect the WAN port of the replacement appliance to the ATT gateway, I do not believe I will have internet access until I can log into the gateway and updated the fixed MAC.
-
That's true. Currently the installer is only configurable to a subset of WAN connection types. The new installer version will support more types but there will always be some edge cases that it can't support.
One thing we are looking at though is using the WAN config from an imported config. That should allow more obscure config scenarios.
-
@elvisimprsntr said in pfSense 2.8.0 full iso/img:
while I can connect the WAN port of the replacement appliance to the ATT gateway, I do not believe I will have internet access until I can log into the gateway and updated the fixed MAC.My guess is that you would still have some kind of access to the configuration page of the AT&T device to make changes.. (I could be wrong) Ive never seen an ISP supplied device that did not at least give you that if it had any kind of GUI.
I see no reason that you have to have a specific package installed before you get online. But I could be wrong.. just ask my wife.. ; Post what package that is if you do... it might be able to be defaulted into the installer should Netgate decide to. They wont know unless it is brought up with them.
But assuming you do need that- Your phone most likely has a hot spot mode. Amazon sells an Ethernet bridge that will let you utilize that or even your neighbors WIFI (with their permission of coarse) to build your system. Great tool just to have in the drawer.. just in case.
I'm not choosing sides pro or con on this installer decision.. but I seen no compelling argument as of yet as to fully support doing a full installer with what is available now.
Again this is just my observation and opinion.
The last box I set up was for a friend and was done at his house via my cell router I took with me. Kinda case in point..
-
@chpalmer said in pfSense 2.8.0 full iso/img:
My guess is that you would still have some kind of access to the configuration page of the AT&T device to make changes..
I have already run into no internet access when upgrading my appliance. No internet access until I update the fixed MAC in the gateway.
@chpalmer said in pfSense 2.8.0 full iso/img:
The last box I set up was for a friend and was done at his house via my cell router I took with me. Kinda case in point..
Exactly my point. Because there is no longer an off line installer, I now have to jump through multiple hoops to get my internet back up and running.
I would likely have to use my cell phone hot spot, connect a wired LAN connect to a USB Ethernet adapter, configure the the wired LAN to route through the hotspot in order to download and run the latest net installer.
Or my other option is to use my already prepared 2.7.2 off line installer with a recent config backup on it, then upgrade in place after placing it in service. Once I upgrade to 2.8.0+, I will no longer be able to use a config backup form 2.8.0+ on 2.7.2.
While I can plan for all the scenarios and options for my home network, I feel bad for the people running pfSense in an enterprise or at remote sites who now have no off line installer.
-
@elvisimprsntr said in pfSense 2.8.0 full iso/img:
I feel bad for the people running pfSense in an enterprise or at remote sites who now have no off line installer.
LOL.. I'm both. I am a remote site radio tech for a corporation and go up to those red lights up on top of the hill similar to what you might have seen before.. I posted that scenario some weeks ago up above. Sometimes there is no cellular coverage up at those sites and sometimes there is. I just have to prepare a little differently. Those are the kind of place that you pack lunch and dinner.. just in case.
This is all definitely good input for the Netgate team.
-
Imo the optimal outcome is for Netgate installer for plus and CE to fall back to a local installer image if the online image isn’t available. That would help paying customers as well as free user.
I’m not sure how practical this would be for Netgate wider goals (insight into who is using software they provide, limiting piracy of their software). Ongoing implementation of the wider goals would probably require installation to regularly check registration status so negatively impact run time offline installations.
-
@Patch Or sort of the other way round, i.e. free version to use net-installer, but paid version to have the option of ISO or Net Install.
Most home users don't have remote sites with the appliance issue above & WAN device is generally local & easy to access.
Corporations should be able to afford the paid & supported product, or there's something wrong with their business.
Charities should get a decent discounts & most would be happy for Netgate to use "supporting charity X" on their website.
Pete
-
There are considerations for both. In comercial paid install there is no question a full install is beneficial. This can have a huge impact where a business using the comercial paid version has a failure and no network connectivity. Certain other CE installs there may be a reason particularly in nonprofit/not for profit.
-
I decided to check out the repo to see what build looks like for CE. I noticed that 2.8.0-RELEASE is still not an available branch in the repo. The master branch version is currently 2.9.0-DEVELOPMENT. Is netgate going to post the 2.8.0-RELEASE branch for the main package and FreeBSD-src?
