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    Automating pfsense installation

    Scheduled Pinned Locked Moved Problems Installing or Upgrading pfSense Software
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    • S
      solomonml
      last edited by

      hi guys,
      Does the install.cfg file which is used for automated freeBSd installtion also apply to pfsense?
      If so, where should i put it? What modification should I make?

      Thanx in advance

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      • jimpJ
        jimp Rebel Alliance Developer Netgate
        last edited by

        No, that doesn't work with pfSense.

        It isn't documented much, if at all, but there is a pfi.conf which is part of the "pre-flight install" which can set certain parameters, but I'm not sure if it can automate the install fully.

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        • S
          solomonml
          last edited by

          hi jimp,
          sorry for the delay. I was searching to get any sample pfi.conf file. I also seached if I can get any info about pre-flight installation.But i can't get any. Please give me some hints if you have any.

          Thanx a lot

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          • jimpJ
            jimp Rebel Alliance Developer Netgate
            last edited by

            Bear in mind that I have not tried or tested this, but here is a sample pfi.conf file from the server. It just shows available options and such:

            #######################################################################
            # $Id: pfi.conf,v 1.10 2005/07/09 00:07:07 cpressey Exp $
            # Defaults for pfi.conf.
            
            # A space-separated list of what services to restart when we are done
            # changing options.  The services are the base names of RCNG scripts
            # (i.e. without the "/etc/rc.d/" prefix.)  Note that these must be
            # given explicitly in the same order they would normally be started
            # by rcorder during RCNG (e.g. "netif dhclient sshd"); they are not
            # automatically ordered by their dependencies here.
            
            pfi_rc_actions=""
            
            # Determines which installer frontend to use.  Defaults to "curses";
            # other legal options are "cgi" and "none".
            
            pfi_frontend="curses"
            
            # Determines which installer backend to use.  The standard backend
            # is now the Lua backend, but this can be changed, to start an
            # alternate backend.  (See example #4, below.)
            
            pfi_backend="/usr/local/bin/lua50c51 /usr/local/share/dfuibe_lua/main.lua"
            pfi_backend="$pfi_backend option.booted_from_install_media=true"
            
            # When using the curses frontend:
            # Set the amount of time, in milliseconds, which must pass after
            # the 'ESC' key is pressed, in order for it to be recognized
            # as a plain 'ESC' keystroke, and not part of an escape code.
            
            pfi_curses_escdelay="150"
            
            # A password to set as the root password on the LiveCD, if any.
            
            pfi_set_root_password=""
            
            # Control corresponding sshd options.  To make sure sshd restarts with
            # these options, add "sshd" to pfi_rc_actions.
            
            pfi_sshd_permit_root_login="NO"
            pfi_sshd_permit_empty_passwords="NO"
            
            # An script to run before the installer.  It is assumed this script is
            # located on the pfi media.  While it is run, the media's root directory
            # is mounted on /mnt.
            
            pfi_script=""
            
            # A program to run before the installer.  It is assumed to reside on
            # the LiveCD; /mnt is not mounted.
            
            pfi_run=""
            
            # What transport layer the DFUI in the installer should use.  Valid
            # values are currently "caps", "npipe", and "tcp".
            
            pfi_dfui_transport="tcp"
            
            # User to automatically log in as, or "NONE".
            
            pfi_autologin="NONE"
            
            # Command to use to reboot.  "shutdown -h now" is typically used
            # interactively, to give the user a chance to eject the disk, but
            # "shutdown -r now" can be used for headless operation.
            
            pfi_shutdown_command="shutdown -h now"
            
            #######################################################################
            # EXAMPLES
            # To use one of these examples, extract it to a text file and remove the
            # leading pound-signs.  Copy this text file to the file "/pfi.conf"
            # on a floppy disk or USB pen drive (hereinafter referred to as "the pfi
            # media") and have that media inserted or attached to the computer while
            # you boot from the installer CD-ROM.  The installer will attempt to
            # locate this file and, if found, will use the variables present within it
            # to configure the installer boot process.
            
            # This file has the same syntax as /etc/rc.conf, and it can contain any
            # setting which is meaningful in /etc/rc.conf as well.  Any rc.conf
            # setting which is given will only be obeyed, however, if the RCNG script
            # to which that setting applies is named in pfi_rc_actions.
            
            # EXAMPLE 1:
            # Boot the installer headless, configure the network interface dc0,
            # and start the CGI frontend.
            #
            # ifconfig_dc0="DHCP"
            # pfi_rc_actions="netif dhclient"
            # pfi_frontend="cgi"
            # pfi_autologin="installer"
            # pfi_shutdown_command="shutdown -r now"
            
            # EXAMPLE 2:
            # Boot the installer headless, configure the network interface rl0,
            # and allow ssh'ing into the box as root with the password "sekrit".
            #
            # ifconfig_rl0="DHCP"
            # pfi_sshd_permit_root_login="YES"
            # pfi_set_root_password="sekrit"
            # pfi_rc_actions="netif dhclient sshd"
            # pfi_frontend="none"
            # pfi_autologin="installer"
            # pfi_shutdown_command="shutdown -r now"
            
            # EXAMPLE 3:
            # Boot the cd and setup a PXE/TFTP/DCHPD server environment
            # so that clients can boot from the network and enter the installer
            #
            # Enable tftp and NFS services with pxeboot and a kernel available via
            # tftp and the CD's root mount available via NFS.
            #
            # pfi_boot_tftp_server="YES"
            # pfi_boot_nfs_server="YES"
            # pfi_boot_pxeserver="YES"
            # pfi_boot_ipserver="YES"
            # pfi_option_subnet-mask="255.255.255.0"
            # pfi_option_routers="10.0.250.1"
            # pfi_filename="pxeboot"
            # pfi_ddns-update-style="none"
            # pfi_option_domain-name="domain.com"
            # pfi_option_broadcast-address="10.0.250.255"
            # pfi_option_domain-name-servers="192.168.64.3"
            # pfi_server-name="DHCPServer"
            # pfi_server-identifier="10.0.250.50"
            # pfi_default-lease-time="7200"
            # pfi_max-lease-time="7200"
            # pfi_subnet="10.0.250.0 netmask 255.255.255.0"
            # pfi_next-server="10.0.250.50"
            # pfi_range="10.0.250.29 10.0.250.250"
            
            # EXAMPLE 4:
            # Revert to the traditional, C language backend.
            #
            # pfi_backend="/usr/local/sbin/dfuibe_installer"
            

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