PfSense VM on ProxMox : Qemu-agent installation

[ctminime]

With the release of pfSense 2.6.0, I was able to do a "pkg install qemu-guest-agent" and it installed no problem. After installing, it said to do a couple of things:
Modifiy your '/etc/rc.conf' file by adding these settings

qemu_guest_agent_enable="yes"
qemu_guest_agent_flags="-d -v -l /var/log/qemu-ga.log"

and run
service qemu-guest-agent start

This does indeed get Proxmox to see all the interface addresses (with QEMU Guest Agent enabled in the Proxmox VM settings). However, Qemu-ga does not start after a reboot.

So, I followed the instructions here:
https://docs.netgate.com/pfsense/en/latest/development/boot-commands.html

Installed ShellCMD, and then added "service qemu-guest-agent start" to it and the service starts on reboot now.

The only thing I don't care for is the debug logging being enabled when adding the lines to rc.conf. And for some odd reason, it logs with epoch time stamps. Uhg.

[MrPete]

Best to add this to /etc/rc.conf.local -- that way it will not be overwritten ;)

@ctminime said in PfSense VM on ProxMox : Qemu-agent installation:

Modifiy your '/etc/rc.conf' file by adding these settings

qemu_guest_agent_enable="yes"
qemu_guest_agent_flags="-d -v -l /var/log/qemu-ga.log"

[tacioandrade]

@tlex said in PfSense VM on ProxMox : Qemu-agent installation:

Update procedure for PfSense 2.6.0
(Shell) Install Qemu-agent package :

pkg install qemu-guest-agent

(web gui): Install "Shellcmd" from the package manager "System/PackageManager"

(web gui): Create the following "earlyshellcmd" from "Service/Shellcmd":

service qemu-guest-agent start

(Shell) Edit /etc/rc.conf.local:

qemu_guest_agent_enable="YES"
qemu_guest_agent_flags="-d -v -l /var/log/qemu-ga.log"

System: Settings / Advanced: Tunables -> Add

Tunable: virtio_console_load, Value: YES

Reboot

---

troubleshooting
(Shell) Check if agent is running from pfsense shell :

service qemu-guest-agent status

Check qemu logs for errors:

cat /var/log/qemu-ga.log

---

*** Old procedure ***

Based on : https://www.truenas.com/community/threads/qemu-guest-agent.91764/

I was installing Qemu-Agent on my TrueNas vm and decided to give it a run on my PfSense vm. Works A1 for me ;)

download package :
https://www.truenas.com/community/resources/qemu-guest-agent.167/

Enable ssh from PfSense Gui:
(System -> Advanced -> Admin Access - > Enable Secure Shell)

Upload using sftp to /root or whatever
Decompress archive

cp virtio_console.ko /boot/modules
Run : kldload virtio_console.ko
chmod +x qemu-ga
cp qemu-ga /usr/local/bin
chmod +x qemu-guest-agent
cp qemu-guest-agent /usr/local/etc/rc.d/qemu-guest-agent.sh

(remark qemu-guest-agent.sh needs .sh file extension to work)

vi /etc/rc.conf.local

qemu_guest_agent_enable="YES"
qemu_guest_agent_flags="-d -v -l /var/log/qemu-ga.log"
virtio_console_load="YES"

Install Schellcmd package and create the following commands

COMMAND: service qemu-guest-agent       
SHELLCMD TYPE: shellcmd

COMMAND: cp /root/qemu-guest-agent /usr/local/etc/rc.d      SHELLCMD TYPE: earlyshellcmd

Reboot PfSense

Thank you very much! Your tip helped me a lot and encouraged me to try to automate this process!

I'm looking at ways to install the packages via script (I've already done this with zabbix), add System Tunables and then add the guest agent service to pfSense startup!

[tkriviradev]

This is totally awesome!!!

This is what I am doing.

pkg install -y qemu-guest-agent

cat > /etc/rc.conf.local << EOF
qemu_guest_agent_enable="YES"
qemu_guest_agent_flags="-d -v -l /var/log/qemu-ga.log"
#virtio_console_load="YES"
EOF

cat /etc/rc.conf.local

cat > /usr/local/etc/rc.d/qemu-agent.sh << EOF
#!/bin/sh
sleep 3
service qemu-guest-agent start
EOF

cat /usr/local/etc/rc.d/qemu-agent.sh

chmod +x /usr/local/etc/rc.d/qemu-agent.sh

[tacioandrade]

@tkriviradev said in PfSense VM on ProxMox : Qemu-agent installation:

This is totally awesome!!!

This is what I am doing.

pkg install -y qemu-guest-agent

cat > /etc/rc.conf.local << EOF
qemu_guest_agent_enable="YES"
qemu_guest_agent_flags="-d -v -l /var/log/qemu-ga.log"
#virtio_console_load="YES"
EOF

cat /etc/rc.conf.local

cat > /usr/local/etc/rc.d/qemu-agent.sh << EOF
#!/bin/sh
sleep 3
service qemu-guest-agent start
EOF

cat /usr/local/etc/rc.d/qemu-agent.sh

chmod +x /usr/local/etc/rc.d/qemu-agent.sh

I'm using something very close to this, I was just looking for how to add System Tunables automatically, but there's no way. =(

I'm currently using this from here:

#!/bin/sh

# Instala os pacotes do qemu
pkg install -y qemu-guest-agent
echo 'qemu_guest_agent_enable="yes"' >> /etc/rc.conf.local
echo 'qemu_guest_agent_flags="-d -v -l /var/log/qemu-ga.log"' >> /etc/rc.conf.local

# Cria um script para iniciar no boot o serviço do qemu-guest-agent
echo 'service qemu-guest-agent start' > /usr/local/etc/rc.d/qemu-guest-agent.sh
chmod +x /usr/local/etc/rc.d/qemu-guest-agent.sh

[weehooey]

We have created an install script based on this post and instructions on use. Sharing it here to make setting up the QEMU guest agent a little easier :-)

Thank you to everyone in this post who worked out the details for the installation.

GitHub repo

[stevenderycke244]

regarding a proxmox install: after enabling qemu-guest-agent in the vm options, a simple reboot doesn't suffice! You really have to stop and start the vm to apply this change.

[weehooey]

@stevenderycke244 That is correct. Powering it off is one of the steps we listed. There are a few things in Proxmox which require the VM to be powered off to apply a change.

I have added a note to the instructions in the repo to hopefully be clearer.

[janebond]

Hi all!
On my machine the service is installed as qemu_guest_agent not qemu-guest-agent.
It's just a minor thing but nonetheless confusing.
The rest works as described.

[colinstu]

No idea what I am doing wrong but finally found a solution.
https://codingpackets.com/blog/pfsense-qemu-guest-agent/
The section about /usr/local/etc/rc.d/qemu-agent.sh being created had to be done.
I'm kinda confused by your instructions as to how the service is supposed to autostart without this? I did the full shutdown of the guest and ran a command to ensure the virtio thing is started yet the qemu service never comes up by itself.
I was confused by this other site's instructions (how does adding a file to that directory help) but later discovered that any executable .sh in there will be executed upon boot.

[weehooey]

@colinstu We are not sure which instructions you are referring to. The website you linked to, the posts here or our GitHub repo.

However, we took the opportunity to look closer at our code. We did not find any issues, but we did improve the script it:

• We are now starting the agent from the script. No need to do that manually.
• We suppressed the confusing output.
• Updated the documentation to reflect the changes (e.g. do not need to power off/on if the guest agent was already enabled in Proxmox).

Our GitHub repo:

https://github.com/Weehooey/pfSense-scripts

[colinstu]

@weehooey was referring to OP's post: https://forum.netgate.com/post/972378

[tlex]

Guys, these steps are so old... this post should be closed and disabled !

[weehooey]

@tlex what steps do you use?

[colinstu]

@tlex what should be used? it's not in the pfsense docs (or hell, even proxmox or qemu docs either)

[tlex]

@weehooey the one from my original post ;)
If you made anything new or better, create a new post and let this one die chief ;)

[Carsonix]

Proxmox 7.3-3 and pfSense 2.6.0

/etc/rc.conf.local doesn't exit. I created it and added

qemu_guest_agent_enable="YES"
qemu_guest_agent_flags="-d -v -l /var/log/qemu-ga.log"

but qemu-guest-agent doesn't startup on boot.

Is there another way of doing this.

[Patch]

@carsonix said in PfSense VM on ProxMox : Qemu-agent installation:

Is there another way of doing this.

2. Manual installation
    (a) Create the following 2 files
        i. Navigate to pfsense → Diagnostic → Edit file. 
            A. Enter text file path & browse → confirm doesn’t exist. 
            B. Enter text file content & full name including path then click Save to create file. 
            C. Leave only path & click Browse to confirm file created as expected. 
        ii. File name: /etc/rc.conf.local 
           qemu_guest_agent_enable="YES"
           qemu_guest_agent_flags="-d -v -l /var/log/qemu-ga.log"
           #virtio_console_load="YES"
        iii. File name: /usr/local/etc/rc.d/qemu-agent.sh
           #!/bin/sh
           sleep 3
           service qemu-guest-agent start
    (b) Login to console as root (VM console in Proxmox)
        i. pkg install -y qemu-guest-agent
        ii. cd /usr/local/etc/rc.d/
        iii. chmod +x qemu-agent.sh
    (c) Change Proxmox settins
        i. Shutdown pfsense
        ii. Proxmox VM → Options → QEMU Guest Agent → Enable
        iii. Restart VM

[shadeless]

@Patch said in PfSense VM on ProxMox : Qemu-agent installation:

@carsonix said in PfSense VM on ProxMox : Qemu-agent installation:

Is there another way of doing this.

2. Manual installation
    (a) Create the following 2 files
        i. Navigate to pfsense → Diagnostic → Edit file. 
            A. Enter text file path & browse → confirm doesn’t exist. 
            B. Enter text file content & full name including path then click Save to create file. 
            C. Leave only path & click Browse to confirm file created as expected. 
        ii. File name: /etc/rc.conf.local 
           qemu_guest_agent_enable="YES"
           qemu_guest_agent_flags="-d -v -l /var/log/qemu-ga.log"
           #virtio_console_load="YES"
        iii. File name: /usr/local/etc/rc.d/qemu-agent.sh
           #!/bin/sh
           sleep 3
           service qemu-guest-agent start
    (b) Login to console as root (VM console in Proxmox)
        i. pkg install -y qemu-guest-agent
        ii. cd /usr/local/etc/rc.d/
        iii. chmod +x qemu-agent.sh
    (c) Change Proxmox settins
        i. Shutdown pfsense
        ii. Proxmox VM → Options → QEMU Guest Agent → Enable
        iii. Restart VM

does this work on 2.7.0?
Just tried it and when trying to start the service, i get the message that i have to set qemu_guest_agent_enable to YES in rc.conf.
Seems like rc.conf.local isnt read properly?

[weehooey]

@shadeless We have confirmed that this script works on 2.7.0 and have updated the notes to reflect this.

https://github.com/Weehooey/pfSense-scripts