Parallel port
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This is a home environment so I don't have too many boxes just sitting around and that is also the reason I am not so concerned with the security. I started to do it on another machine, but I was missing some files associated with the parallel port that I guess is only present if you have a parallel port installed or something.
I am going to build a power strip that I can control via the Parallel port. On the other end of that cable I will connect a transistor that controls a relay that control the power strip. In that way I could powercycle anything I want by using the program I am trying to create.
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is it possible to add the required build tools to pfsense?
No. ;)
Technically it may be possible but by the time you have added all the required tools and dependencies you will almost certainly have broken pfSense. Even if you did manage to do it the resulting system could not be upgraded without breaking I suspect.
You can do this by booting from a USB stick or live CD (I think PC-BSD 8.1 has a live CD). Even if your spare box doesn't have a parallel port you can compile code and transfer it to test. That's what I did for my own hardware coding challenge.Steve
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Okey, but is it possible to make the program on another distribution or would that not work? Does it have to be FreeBSD 8.1?
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If you use another distro, you run the risk of missing libraries.
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Okey. I guess I will try to boot up some computer with FreeBSD 8.1 or use another Distro and make sure I have got all libs.
Thanks for the help! -
There aren't that many FreeBSD based distros to choose from. BSD is not Linux. ;)
If your program is sufficiently basic then it will probably work across FreeBSD versions. The various lcdproc drivers that connect via the parallel port continued to function between pfSense 1.2.3 (FreeBSD 7.3) and 2.0 (FreeBSD 8.1).Steve
Edit: you could try this: http://forum.pfsense.org/index.php/topic,52691.0.html
You might want to use 32bit sources, whatever is appropriate for you. -
Are there any restrictions to execute programs aswell? I tried to execute a program as root that I compiled on another distro but it returns Permission Denied.
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I'd just install a virtual machine of FreeBSD 8.1 (assuming you're running 2.0.1, you can get the 8.1 iso from ftp-archive.freebsd.org), compile it there, copy it over. The only thing you'll have to do after copying over a binary is make it executable, chmod +x filename.
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I tried the thing with chroot, but it seems like I don't have the rsync-command supported.
I installed FreeBSD 8.1 on another computer in VirtualBox. I compiled my program there and copied it to my pfsense router, made it executable and tried to run it. It seems like somthing else is missing because I got the following error: /libexec/ld-elf.so.1: /root/program/a.out: Shared object has no run-time symbol tableWhen I tried to run it on my Virtual machine with FreeBSD it worked just fine except that I could write anything to the parallel port due to segfault. I suspect that it might be because it's in a Virtual machine.
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Hmm, you have probably included a library that isn't present in pfSense. Which you probably don't need anyway.
I included code in my arm/disarm LED program to switch a single pin on the parallel port, in this case it switches the LCD backlight in the Firebox. Have a look at the code I used and try not to laugh too hard at my terrible coding style. ;)
http://forum.pfsense.org/index.php/topic,32013.msg270534.html#msg270534Steve
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Can't say that I am good at programming, so I am not in a position to laugh at anything ;)
From what I understand I need ioperm to access the parallel port and I guess that is included in one of these:
#include <machine cpufunc.h="">#include <machine sysarch.h="">Since I have no libs nor headers at all in pfsense I guess it is not possible to include anything in the code? Or how does it work?</machine></machine> -
I've managed with help from a friend to create a program that should work and I compile it in my VirtualBox FreeBSD 8.1 and it seems to work there but when I copy it to PFsense it doesn't. It complains about
/libexec/ld-elf.so.1: /root/program/a.out: Shared object has no run-time symbol table
or
Exec format error. Binary file not executable.
or
/libexec/ld-elf.so.1: /usr/lib/: invalid file format. -
Hmm, something odd here. As is says in the code I cut and pasted from lcdproc:
Use i386_get_ioperm, i386_set_ioperm from <machine sysarch.h="">and inb and outb from <machine cpufunc.h="">(FreeBSD)</machine></machine>
Compiles and runs using gcc no problems for me. :-\
Steve
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Did you compile it on another machine and copy it to PFsense?
I tried to run your program on pfsense and it worked just fine, but if I compiled it on my virtual box and moved it to Pfsense it wouldn't work. I thought that should work since it's the same release of FreeBsd.Edit: Do I need to use any special options with gcc to compile it or just "gcc code.c" ?
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Do I need to use any special options with gcc to compile it or just "gcc code.c" ?
Just a guess, but you probably want to compile and statically link to all libraries that are not available on your pfsense box.
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I am using a real machine, an old laptop, and the only other option I specified was the output file:
root@.box/home/admin# gcc -o WGXepc WGXepc.cIs this a 32bit vs 64bit problem?
Steve
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Okey, but it should work with a Virtual Machine aswell. I am running a 32bit-machine.
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Yep, should work. :-
I'm out of my depth here. ;)Steve
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Found out that this means that the libraries the headers refer to are not found in the system:
/libexec/ld-elf.so.1: /root/program/a.out: Shared object has no run-time symbol tableAre there no libs present in pfsense? And can someone tell me how to statically link libraries to the program?
