How to Install FreeBSD on Linode

Linode is a popular cloud hosting provider that provides high performance Linux hosting. Linode is aimed at Linux, but it’s possible to run FreeBSD, and this tutorial shows you how.

How to Install FreeBSD on Linode

The Linode dashboard does not have any FreeBSD images that you can deploy because their target market is Linux. In order to deploy a FreeBSD instance, we have to create a custom Linode and install FreeBSD manually using the following steps.

Step 1: Create Linode

Login to your Linode account. If you don’t have an account, you can get $100 free credit by using the following affiliate link.

Linode* <– $100 Credit.

After logging in, go to the Create Linode screen and create a new Linode with an empty distribution (click the cross next to Debian 10 in the images dropdown).

Select the Region and Linode Plan. Give the Linode a label (e.g freebsd) then click Create Linode. Once the Linode is created, you will be redirected to its management screen.

Step 2: Configure the Linode to Run FreeBSD

We need to make some configuration changes to the Linode so that we can install FreeBSD. The first thing we will do is disable the Shutdown Watchdog to prevent the Linode automatically rebooting while we are installing FreeBSD.

Click the Settings tab, scroll down to Shutdown Watchdog, then click the toggle button to turn it off.

The next thing we will do is create two RAW disk images, one for the FreeBSD Installer and another for the FreeBSD operating system.

Create FreeBSD Installer Disk

The installer disk needs to be big enough to store the FreeBSD memory stick image on. I suggest making it 2 GB (2048 MB). This is larger than the current release to make room for future releases.

1. Click on the Storage tab then click Add Disk.
2. Select Create Empty Disk.
3. Label it FreeBSD Installer.
4. Choose raw for the Filesystem.
5. Specify 2048 for the Size.
6. Click Add.

Create FreeBSD OS Disk

The FreeBSD operating system disk can use the remaining available space.

1. Click Add Disk.
2. Select Create Empty Disk.
3. Label it FreeBSD.
4. Choose raw for the Filesystem.
5. Specify the Maximum Size.
6. Click Add.

The disks are now added.

The last thing we need to do is create two configurations. One for booting the FreeBSD installer, and another for booting FreeBSD.

Create Installer Boot Configuration

1. Click on the Configuration tab, then click Add Configuration.
2. Label it Installer.
3. Choose Direct Disk for the Kernel Boot Setting.
4. Assign the FreeBSD disk image to /dev/sda.
5. Assign the FreeBSD Installer image to /dev/sdb.
6. Select /dev/sdb for the root device.
7. Disable all Filesystem/Boot Helpers.
8. Click Save Changes.

Create FreeBSD Boot Configuration

1. Click Add Configuration.
2. Label it FreeBSD.
3. Choose Direct Disk for the Kernel Boot Setting.
4. Assign the FreeBSD disk image to /dev/sda.
5. Select /dev/sda for the root device.
6. Disable all Filesystem/Boot Helpers.
7. Click Save Changes.

That’s it for the configuration of our Linode.

Step 3: Load FreeBSD Image onto Installer

The next thing we need to do is boot the Linode into Rescue Mode and use it to download the FreeBSD memstick.img onto the FreeBSD Installer disk.

Click … then Rescue.

Select the FreeBSD Installer disk for /dev/sda then click Reboot into Rescue Mode.

While the Linode instance powers up click on Launch LISH Console.

Run the following command at the console to copy the FreeBSD image to the installer disk.

curl https://download.freebsd.org/ftp/releases/ISO-IMAGES/13.0/FreeBSD-13.0-RELEASE-amd64-memstick.img | dd of=/dev/sda

FreeBSD 13.0 is now copied to the Installer. You can replace the version number in the command above if you want a different version of FreeBSD.

After the image has copied, power down the Linode with the command.

shutdown -h now

We are now ready to install FreeBSD.

Step 4: Install FreeBSD on Linode

Boot the FreeBSD installer by clicking Boot next to the Installer – Direct Disk configuration.

Open the LISH Console, click the Glish tab and you should see the boot installer screen. Press Enter to start the install.

Press I or Enter to start the install.

Choose your keymap.

Give the host a name.

Select system components to install.

Configure your disk layout.

Wait for files to be copied.

Provide a password for the root account.

Choose network interface to configure.

Configure IPv4 and choose DHCP when asked.

Use DNS settings provided by the DHCP server.

Choose services to be started at boot.

Harden the system.

Create an admin user that is a member of the wheel group so you can login with SSH and use sudo.

After the installation finishes, choose Yes to open a shell.

At the shell, add the following config to the /boot/loader.conf file, so that LISH works with the FreeBSD Linode.

boot_multicons="YES"
boot_serial="YES"
comconsole_speed="115200"
console="comconsole,vidconsole"

Now power off the Linode instance and boot into FreeBSD by clicking Boot next to the FreeBSD – Direct Disk configuration.

You should be able to connect to FreeBSD using SSH and the admin user created during the install.

Conclusion

That’s it. We have FreeBSD running on Linode*. You’re now ready to configure the FreeBSD server to run any applications you want.

Resources

• FreeBSD Downloads
• FreeBSD Handbook
• Linode FreeBSD Install Guide