Install OPNsense
OPNsense is an Open Source Firewall Distribution based on the FreeBSD operating system and its packet filter pf. In this article we will show you how to install OPNsense and perform an initial configuration.
Download
The OPNsense download is available as 64-bit variant ('amd64 architecture) on the following page:
- OPNsense Download (opnsense.org).
In this manual we describe the installation in VGA mode. Therefore, download the appropriate package on the download page.
Installation
Use an empty USB stick for the installation.
Prepare USB stick
Unpack the installation image and transfer it to the USB stick using dd under Linux/BSD/MacOS or using balenaEtcher under Windows.[1] Under Linux, for example, execute the following commands (use the appropriate release name (e.g. 23.7) and the device name of your USB stick instead of /dev/sdX):
bunzip2 OPNsense-23.7-vga-amd64.img.bz2 sudo dd if=OPNsense-23.7-vga-amd64.img of=/dev/sdb bs=1M sync
Perform installation
Then start your desired firewall server from this USB stick. OPNsense loads automatically as a live system. You can now start the installation either on the local console or via SSH. Since OPNsense 21.7 the installer now officially supports native ZFS installation.
Configuration
After installation, you can easily configure OPNsense via a web browser:
Dashboard view after configuration. If DHCPv6 is shown in red and is not needed, Disable IPv6.
Backup configuration
We recommend to backup the configuration after installation:
References
- ↑ Initial Installation & Configuration (docs.opnsense.org)
Author: Werner Fischer Werner Fischer, working in the Knowledge Transfer team at Thomas-Krenn, completed his studies of Computer and Media Security at FH Hagenberg in Austria. He is a regular speaker at many conferences like LinuxTag, OSMC, OSDC, LinuxCon, and author for various IT magazines. In his spare time he enjoys playing the piano and training for a good result at the annual Linz marathon relay.
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Author: Thomas Niedermeier Thomas Niedermeier working in the product management team at Thomas-Krenn, completed his bachelor's degree in business informatics at the Deggendorf University of Applied Sciences. Since 2013 Thomas is employed at Thomas-Krenn and takes care of OPNsense firewalls, the Thomas-Krenn-Wiki and firmware security updates.
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