IOS (iPhone & iPad) pfSense management app?
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(I was kind of torn as to posting this here or in Bounties. If you feel it should be there, I apologize.)
I would really like to see an iOS app for managing pfSense. It wouldn't have to be very sophisticated, simply being a better front end than mobile Safari via page scraping and a bit of judicious formatting would suffice. Bonus if the app can also automate logging in via VPN or ssh from the Internet side without requiring direct exposure of the management interface. I imagine you could get a LOT more sophisticated with installing your own backend server via package too.
I don't think I could fund development of such an app (hence not Bounties) but it would be one I'm willing to pay for in the App Store. I'd probably go up to $15 for such an app,maybe higher since it's such a niche thing.
Anyone else interested in pfSense management by iDevice? I intuit that there's a demographic intersection between pfSense users and iPhone/iPad ownership? How much would you be willing to pay?
Is there a pfSense Dev out there who also develops for iOS? (Not disparaging Android etc. It just seems to be easier to get paid with iOS.)
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There was an experimental Android app a while back. It never came to completion and was fairly simple, just reformatting the gui.
https://forum.pfsense.org/index.php?topic=61416.0Steve
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Vs doing app, wouldn't it be better time spent just creating a mobile version of the web gui?
Even if it was theme you had to select would prob work. As to the vpn, there is already openvpn clients for ios and android - so you can access your pfsense through your vpn vs having to open up mgmt web gui to the public side.
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Didn't know about the Android attempt. Thanks.
Sounds like the best way would be to have a mobile-optimized skin and then a "wrapper" app that logs in, sets that skin and then resets it before logout? Per User skinning would probably help with a dedicated mobile user?
I'm aware of, and use, the iOSOpenVPN client with pfSense. It would simply be a time saver to have the "wrapper" app establish the VPN for itself only.
The point to mobile interfaces is to be simple and easy, getting to essential information while "on the go". This isn't a "nice to have" or a "cosmetic feature". I would pay money for this because it would make me more productive. Zimmerman can't bectge only one?
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If your willing to pay for it - then start a bounty for it. Once bounty gets to critical mass - sure someone will create it for you.
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Unfortunately I suspect the critical funding level will be higher than any bounty can raise in purely economic terms. More likely someone who does IOS apps everyday will find themselves wanting this and just do it.
There is already a 'mobile' theme that is triggered by detecting the client as IOS or Android (or by thee browser version?). It would seem to be quite straight forward to have an 'app' send a user agent string that triggers a different theme.
It would be nice to have something that didn't rely on the webgui at all. It might be completely impractical, I have no idea. I could imagine something that connected via SSH and edited the config file. Would probably be far more work though.
There must be other similar management apps that have solved these problems before, lets not reinvent the wheel here.
Steve
