Basic FreeBSD Setup & Install Notes

This doc covers basic setup of a FreeBSD server. It gets all the core OS functionality on the box, but doesn't cover application software, etc.

• Update BIOS to latest version
• Perform a 'reset to defaults' on BIOS
• Disable onboard sound
• Disable onboard RAID (unless using it)
• Disable power management

Install FreeBSD, using the ISO disk images from http://www.freebsd.org. During the install, you should use these settings/defaults:

• Partition Defaults:
  • Swap: 512MB or 2X RAM [NOTE: For EV servers, should be 4X drive capacity]
  • /: 2048MB
  • /var: ~2048MB
  • /usr: Rest of disk
• Install 'User Only' distribution
• Install ports collection
• Do any necessary basic config (e.g. networking) during install process.
• Do not setup any users (yet), despite what the install process recommends

Basic software installation:

• install /usr/ports/net/cvsup-without-gui
• [OPTIONAL] Upgrade to freebsd-stable. See the FreeBSD-stable upgrade notes for more
• Get the latest ports by copying the ports-supfile from another server (or use the sample file)
• Do a cvsup ports-supfile to download the latest stuff

Now, install from ports:

• /usr/ports/shells/bash
• /usr/ports/net/mtr (this will take forever because it installs perl, etc. as dependencies)
• /usr/ports/www/lynx
• /usr/ports/net/ntp (then copy /etc/ntp.conf from another server and put ntpd_enable=“YES” in /etc/rc.conf )
• /usr/ports/ports-mgmt/port-maintenance-tools (this is the port management meta package)
• /usr/ports/ports-mgmt/portaudit
• /usr/ports/ports-mgmt/portupgrade
• /usr/ports/editors/vim
• /usr/ports/security/sudo
• /usr/ports/ftp/wget
• /usr/ports/ftp/curl
• /usr/ports/sysutils/screen
• /usr/ports/net/rsync

• Modify passwd file (using vipw), and add at least a toor acct. This means copying the entry for root, and changing the shell to /usr/local/bin/bash
• Add other accounts if needed using adduser
• Get rid of the stupid message of the day in /etc/motd
• Setup automatic ports downloads, using /usr/local/bin/ports_sup.sh or similar. Run this via cron.

Finally, configure rest of server as desired/needed.