backup the OS (configuration and Installed Package) completely

tomli

Hi all,

I have a old version Pfsense server (2.0) version. I installed some Packages (e.g. Freeradius, MTR,...etc). I don't want to upgrade it at this moment (It is because the pfsense is very stable). Can I backup the OS (configuration and Installed Package) completely? Please advise.

Thanks.

Gertjan

Hi,

Sure.
IMHO, the easiest, fastest way is : take out the disk, and keep it as a spare.

border

Not sure what the intention is...

But if you want an exact copy you can always boot from a Linux live CD and use dd to create an exact copy/clone of the disk.

JeGr

@tomli said in backup the OS (configuration and Installed Package) completely:

I don't want to upgrade it at this moment (It is because the pfsense is very stable).

Not looking to berate you, but do NOT do that!
https://www.netgate.com/resources/technical-papers/pfsense-best-practices-part-1.html

Perform the Updates
Again, it sounds basic, but run the updates when they’re available. pfSense firewall software is
a very stable product, and it’s easy to set it and forget it. Don’t.
It’s not unusual to see social media posts bragging about 900 or more days of uptime on a
firewall. That isn’t a bragging right. A firewall that hasn’t been updated has all kinds of security
holes and vulnerabilities that can be fixed by applying the updates.
If you haven’t performed an update on your firewall in a while, stop reading this and go do it.
Now. It’s that important!

Can I backup the OS (configuration and Installed Package) completely?

In what way? Saving the config.xml normally is enough for having a "complete" backup if you don't need application specific data (like some RRD graphs etc.)

jimp

The 2.0.x line is ~7 years old. We have fixed thousands of bugs and security issues since then. It doesn't matter if you believe it is stable, it's not secure.