Modifying and developing the iPerf3 package

stuartbh · Nov 10, 2022, 1:05 AM

Developers, et alia:

I am not a fully conversant FreeBSD person, I have over the decades worked with UNIX and Linux, but BSD not so much (due to its lack of commercial value). However, I now run pfSense and I wanted to work on improving some issues with the iPerf3 package for pfSense.

Can anyone guide me to what I might wish to read in pursuance of setting up a pfSense development environment that would allow me to compile and create an installable version of iPerf3 from package from source code?
Where do I download the source code for the pfSense version of the iPerf3 that is inclusive of the pfSense extensions (for the menus and that)?
Is there a "hello world" package I can try to assure I can compile and install a package properly for pfSense?
What other development guides and documentation can I read that will help to bring me up to speed?

The modifications I wish to make are not to iPerf3's code per se but more greatly related to how pfSense manages iPerf3 via its menus (options presented, start/stop service buttons, etc...) that are presented via the pfSense web GUI.

Thanks in advance to anyone that replies and I do hope to improve the pfSense version iPerf3 so it can be a win for everyone using pfSense.

Stuart

bmeeks · Nov 11, 2022, 2:41 PM

This long thread from earlier this year should help kickstart your effort: https://forum.netgate.com/topic/169749/pfsense-compile-requirements-for-3rd-party-software. This thread was about a different binary package, but the information is directly applicable to your iperf3 work.

You will first need to create a FreeBSD package builder environment based on the pfSense version you are targeting. Today that is FreeBSD 12.3-STABLE for pfSense CE and pfSense Plus RELEASE, and FreeBSD-14.0-CURRENT for the DEVEL snapshot branches.

You will find the binary pieces of iperf3 here: https://github.com/pfsense/FreeBSD-ports/tree/devel/benchmarks/iperf3.

The PHP GUI component of the package is here: https://github.com/pfsense/FreeBSD-ports/tree/devel/benchmarks/pfSense-pkg-iperf.

There is very little documentation of the process. Be prepared to draw upon your experience (or else you will have to spend a good deal of time on Google searching for clues and tips).