Chapter 2. Installing FreeBSD | FreeBSD Documentation Portal

Chapter 2. Installing FreeBSD | FreeBSD Documentation Portal
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Chapter 2. Installing FreeBSD
Table of Contents
2.1. Synopsis
FreeBSD supports different architectures including amd64, ARM®, RISC-V®, and PowerPC®.
Depending on the architecture and platform, different images can be
downloaded
to install or directly run FreeBSD.
The image types are:
Virtual Machine disk images, such as
qcow2
vmdk
vhd
, and raw device images. These are not installation images, but images that have FreeBSD preinstalled and ready for post-installation tasks. Virtual machine images are also commonly used in cloud environments.
SD card images, for embedded systems such as Raspberry Pi. These files must be uncompressed and written as a raw image to an SD card, from which the board will boot.
Installation images to boot from an ISO or USB device to install FreeBSD on a drive for the usual desktop, laptop, or server system.
The rest of this chapter describes the third case, explaining how to install FreeBSD using the text-based installation program named bsdinstall.
There may be minor differences between the installer and what is shown here, so use this chapter as a general guide rather than as a set of literal instructions.
Read this chapter to learn:
How to obtain FreeBSD images and create FreeBSD installation media.
How to start bsdinstall.
The questions bsdinstall will ask, what they mean, and how to answer them.
How to troubleshoot a failed installation.
How to access a live version of FreeBSD before committing to an installation.
2.2. Minimum Hardware Requirements
The hardware requirements to install FreeBSD vary by architecture and version.
Hardware architectures and devices supported by a FreeBSD release are listed on the
FreeBSD Release Information
page.
The
FreeBSD download page
also has recommendations for choosing the correct image for different architectures.
2.3. Pre-Installation Tasks
Once it has been determined that the system meets the minimum hardware requirements for installing FreeBSD, the installation file should be downloaded and the installation media prepared.
Consider using
virtualization
when wanting to use FreeBSD on a system that already has another operating system installed.
Before moving on to the installation, check that the system is ready by verifying the items in this checklist:
Back Up Important Data
Before installing any operating system,
always
backup all important data first.
Do not store the backup on the system being installed.
Instead, save the data to a removable disk such as a USB drive, another system on the network, or an online backup service.
Test the backup before starting the installation to make sure it contains all of the needed files.
Once the installer formats the system’s disk, all data stored on that disk will be lost.
Decide Where to Install FreeBSD
If FreeBSD will be the only operating system installed, this step can be skipped.
But if FreeBSD will share the disk with another operating system, decide which disk or partition will be used for FreeBSD.
In the i386 and amd64 architectures, disks can be divided into multiple partitions using one of two partitioning schemes.
A traditional
Master Boot Record
(MBR) holds a partition table defining up to four
primary partitions
For historical reasons, FreeBSD calls these primary partition
slices
One of these primary partitions can be made into an
extended partition
containing multiple
logical partitions
The
GUID Partition Table
(GPT) is a newer and simpler method of partitioning a disk.
Common GPT implementations allow up to 128 partitions per disk, eliminating the need for logical partitions.
The FreeBSD boot loader requires either a primary or GPT partition.
If all of the primary or GPT partitions are already in use, one must be freed for FreeBSD.
To create a partition without deleting existing data, use a partition resizing tool to shrink an existing partition and create a new partition using the freed space.
An alternative to modifying the system’s existing disk partitions is to use
virtualization
, which allows multiple operating systems to run at the same time without having to alter partitions.
A variety of free and commercial partition resizing tools are listed at
List of disk partitioning software wikipedia entry
GParted Live
is a free live CD which includes the GParted partition editor.
When used properly, disk shrinking utilities can safely create space for creating a new partition.
Since the possibility of selecting the wrong partition exists, always backup any important data and verify the integrity of the backup before modifying disk partitions.
Disk partitions containing different operating systems make it possible to install multiple operating systems on one computer.
Collect Network Information
Some FreeBSD installation methods require a network connection in order to download the installation files.
After any installation, the installer will offer to setup the system’s network interfaces.
If the network has a DHCP server, it can be used to provide automatic network configuration.
If DHCP is not available, the following network information for the system must be obtained from the local network administrator or Internet service provider:
Required Network Information
IP address
Subnet mask
IP address of default gateway
Domain name of the network
IP addresses of the network’s DNS servers
Check for FreeBSD Errata
Although the FreeBSD Project strives to ensure that each release of FreeBSD is as stable as possible, bugs occasionally creep into the process.
On very rare occasions those bugs affect the installation process.
As these problems are discovered and fixed, they are noted in the FreeBSD Errata page of each version.
Check the errata before installing to make sure that there are no problems that might affect the installation.
Information and errata for all the releases can be found on the
FreeBSD Release Information
page.
2.3.1. Prepare the Installation Media
The FreeBSD installer is not an application that can be run from within another operating system.
Instead, download a FreeBSD installation file, burn it to the media associated with its file type and size (CD, DVD, or USB), and boot the system to install from the inserted media.
FreeBSD installation files are available at the
FreeBSD download page
Each installation file’s name includes the release version of FreeBSD, the architecture, and the type of file.
Installation files are available in several formats, compressed with
xz(1)
or uncompressed.
The formats vary depending on computer architecture and media type.
Installation file types:
-bootonly.iso
: This is the smallest installation file as it only contains the installer. A working Internet connection is required during installation as the installer will download the files it needs to complete the FreeBSD installation. This file should be burned to optical media.
-disc1.iso
: This file contains all of the files needed to install FreeBSD, its source, and the Ports Collection. This file should be burned to optical media.
-dvd1.iso
: This file contains all of the files needed to install FreeBSD, its source, and the Ports Collection. It also contains a set of popular binary packages for installing a window manager and some applications so that a complete system can be installed from media without requiring a connection to the Internet. This file should be burned to optical media.
-memstick.img
: This file contains all of the files needed to install
FreeBSD, its source, and the Ports Collection. Write this file to a USB stick
as shown in
Writing an Image File to USB
-mini-memstick.img
: Like
-bootonly.iso
, does not include installation
files, but downloads them as needed. A working internet connection is required
during installation. It should be written to a USB stick as shown in
Writing an Image File to USB
After downloading the image file, download at least one
checksum
file from the same directory.
There are two
checksum
files available, named after the release number and the architecture name.
For example:
CHECKSUM.SHA256-FreeBSD-15.0-RELEASE-amd64
and
CHECKSUM.SHA512-FreeBSD-15.0-RELEASE-amd64
After downloading one of the files (or both), calculate the
checksum
for the image file and compare it with the one shown in the
checksum
file.
Note that comparing the calculated
checksum
against the correct file is needed, as they correspond to two different algorithms: SHA256 and SHA512.
FreeBSD provides
sha256(1)
and
sha512(1)
that can be used for calculating the
checksum
Other operating systems have similar programs.
Verifying the
checksum
in FreeBSD can be done automatically using
sha256sum(1)
(and
sha512sum(1)
) by executing:
sha256sum
-c
CHECKSUM.SHA256-FreeBSD-
rel-latest
-RELEASE-amd64
--ignore-missing
FreeBSD-
rel-latest
-RELEASE-amd64-dvd1
.iso: OK
The checksums must match exactly.
If the checksums do not match, the image file is corrupt and must be downloaded again.
2.3.1.1. Writing an Image File to USB
The
*memstick.img
file is an
image
of the complete contents of a memory stick.
It
cannot
be copied to the target device as a file.
Several applications are available for writing the
*.img
to a USB stick.
This section describes two of these utilities.
Before proceeding, back up any important data on the USB stick.
This procedure will erase the existing data on the stick.
Procedure. Using
dd
to write the image
This example uses
/dev/da0
as the target device where the image will be written.
Be
very careful
that the correct device is used as this command will destroy the existing data on the specified target device.
The command-line utility is available on BSD, Linux®, and Mac OS® systems. To burn the image using
dd
, insert the USB stick and determine its device name. Then, specify the name of the downloaded installation file and the device name for the USB stick. This example burns the amd64 installation image to the first USB device on an existing FreeBSD system.
# dd if=FreeBSD-{rel-latest}-RELEASE-amd64-memstick.img of=/dev/da0 bs=1M conv=sync
If this command fails, verify that the USB stick is not mounted and that the device name is for the disk, not a partition.
Some operating systems might require this command to be run with
sudo(8)
The
dd(1)
syntax varies slightly across different platforms; for example, Mac OS® requires a lower-case
bs=1m
Systems like Linux® might buffer writes.
To force all writes to complete, use
sync(8)
Procedure. Using Windows® to Write the Image
Be sure to give the correct drive letter as the existing data on the specified drive will be overwritten and destroyed.
Obtaining Image Writer for Windows®
Image Writer for Windows® is a free application that can correctly write an image file to a memory stick.
Download it from
win32diskimager home page
and extract it into a folder.
Writing the Image with Image Writer
Double-click the Win32DiskImager icon to start the program.
Verify that the drive letter shown under
Device
is the drive with the memory stick.
Click the folder icon and select the image to be written to the memory stick.
Click
to accept the image file name.
Verify that everything is correct, and that no folders on the memory stick are open in other windows.
When everything is ready, click
Write
to write the image file to the memory stick.
2.4. Starting the Installation
By default, the installation will not make any changes to the disk(s) before the following message:
Your changes will now be written to disk. If you
have chosen to overwrite existing data, it will
be PERMANENTLY ERASED. Are you sure you want to
commit your changes?
The install can be exited at any time prior to this warning.
If there is a concern that something is incorrectly configured, just turn the computer off before this point and no changes will be made to the system’s disks.
This section describes how to boot the system from the installation media which
was prepared using the instructions in
Prepare the Installation Media
When using a bootable USB stick, plug in the USB stick before turning on the computer.
When booting from CD or DVD, turn on the computer and insert the media at the first opportunity.
How to configure the system to boot from the inserted media depends upon the architecture.
2.4.1. FreeBSD Boot Loader Menu
Once the system boots from the installation media, a menu similar to the following will be displayed:
Figure 1. FreeBSD Boot Loader Menu
By default, the menu will wait ten seconds for user input before booting into the FreeBSD installer or, if FreeBSD is already installed, before booting into FreeBSD.
To pause the boot timer in order to review the selections, press
Space
To select an option, press its highlighted number, character, or key.
The following options are available.
Boot Multi User
: This will continue the FreeBSD boot process. If the boot timer has been paused, press
, upper- or lower-case
, or
Enter
Boot Single User
: This mode can be used to fix an existing FreeBSD installation as described in
“Single-User Mode”
. Press
or the upper- or lower-case
to enter this mode.
Escape to loader prompt
: This will boot the system into a repair prompt that contains a limited number of low-level commands. This prompt is described in
“Stage Three”
. Press
or
Esc
to boot into this prompt.
Reboot
: Reboots the system.
Cons
: Allow to continue the installation by
video
serial
Dual (serial primary)
or
Dual (Video primary)
Kernel
: Loads a different kernel.
Boot Options
: Opens the menu shown in, and described under,
FreeBSD Boot Options Menu
Figure 2. FreeBSD Boot Options Menu
The boot options menu is divided into two sections.
The first section can be used to either return to the main boot menu or to reset any toggled options back to their defaults.
The next section is used to toggle the available options to
On
or
Off
by pressing the option’s highlighted number or character.
The system will always boot using the settings for these options until they are modified.
Several options can be toggled using this menu:
ACPI
: If the system hangs during boot, try toggling this option to
Off
. This option is only present when ACPI support is available but not required.
Safe Mode
: If the system still hangs during boot even with
ACPI Support
set to
Off
, try setting this option to
On
Single User
: Toggle this option to
On
to fix an existing FreeBSD installation as described in
“Single-User Mode”
. Once the problem is fixed, set it back to
Off
Verbose
: Toggle this option to
On
to see more detailed messages during the boot process. This can be useful when troubleshooting a piece of hardware.
After making the needed selections, press
or
Backspace
to return to the main boot menu, then press
Enter
to continue booting into FreeBSD.
A series of boot messages will appear as FreeBSD carries out its hardware device probes and loads the installation program.
Once the boot is complete, the welcome menu shown in
Welcome Menu
will be displayed.
Figure 3. Welcome Menu
Press
Enter
to select the default of
Install
to enter the installer.
The rest of this chapter describes how to use this installer.
Otherwise, use the right or left arrows or the colorized letter to select the desired menu item.
The
Shell
can be used to access a FreeBSD shell in order to use command line utilities to prepare the disks before installation.
The
Live CD
option can be used to try out FreeBSD before installing it.
The live version is described in
Using the Live CD
To review the boot messages, including the hardware device probe, press the upper- or lower-case
and then
Enter
to access a shell.
At the shell prompt, type
more /var/run/dmesg.boot
and use the space bar to scroll through the messages.
When finished, type
exit
to return to the welcome menu.
2.5. Using bsdinstall
This section shows the order of the bsdinstall menus and the type of information that will be asked before the system is installed.
Use the arrow keys to highlight a menu option, then
Space
to select or deselect that menu item.
When finished, press
Enter
to save the selection and move onto the next screen.
2.5.1. Selecting the Keymap Menu
Before starting the process, bsdinstall will load the keymap files as shown in
Keymap Loading
Figure 4. Keymap Loading
After the keymaps have been loaded, bsdinstall displays the menu shown in
Keymap Selection Menu
Use the up and down arrows to select the keymap that most closely represents the mapping of the keyboard attached to the system.
Press
Enter
to save the selection.
Figure 5. Keymap Selection Menu
Pressing
Esc
will exit this menu and use the default keymap.
If the choice of keymap is not clear,
United States of America ISO-8859-1
is also a safe option.
In addition, when selecting a different keymap, the user can try the keymap and
ensure it is correct before proceeding, as shown in
Keymap Testing Menu
Figure 6. Keymap Testing Menu
2.5.2. Setting the Hostname
The next bsdinstall menu is used to set the hostname for the newly installed system.
Figure 7. Setting the Hostname
Type in a hostname that is unique for the network.
It should be a fully-qualified hostname, such as
machine3.example.com
2.5.3. Selecting Installation Type
In the next menu bsdinstall will ask whether to install the base system using traditional distribution sets or the new package-based method.
Figure 8. Selecting Installation Type
Starting with FreeBSD 15.0, the installer offers two distinct approaches for laying down and later updating the base system.
Both options install the same kernel and userland but differ fundamentally in how they are delivered and maintained over time.
Distribution Sets
- The classic installation method used since the early days of the project.
The base system is unpacked from a collection of compressed tarballs.
Updates are performed exclusively with the
freebsd-update(8)
utility.
This method is fully supported, stable, and remains the default for most installation media in the 15.x series.
Packages (Tech Preview)
- Installs the base system as a set of individual packages from the
FreeBSD-base
repository.
Once installed, the entire operating system—both the base and any third-party software—can be upgraded with a single
pkg upgrade
command.
This method, known as
pkgbase
, unifies system management under the
pkg(8)
framework.
The
Packages (Tech Preview)
option is offered for testing and early adoption.
While it is expected to become the default in FreeBSD 16.0, users who prefer a conservative, time-tested update solution should select
Distribution Sets
for production environments during the 15.x lifecycle.
2.5.4. Selecting Components to Install
Next, bsdinstall will prompt to select optional components to install.
Figure 9. Selecting Components to Install
Deciding which components to install will depend largely on the intended use of the system and the amount of disk space available.
The FreeBSD kernel and userland, collectively known as the
base system
, are always installed.
Depending on the architecture, some of these components may not appear:
base-dbg
- Base tools like cat and ls, among many others, with debug symbols activated.
kernel-dbg
- Kernel and modules with debug symbols activated.
lib32-dbg
- Compatibility libraries for running 32-bit applications on a 64-bit version of FreeBSD with debug symbols activated.
lib32
- Compatibility libraries for running 32-bit applications on a 64-bit version of FreeBSD.
ports
- The FreeBSD Ports Collection is a collection of files which automates the downloading, compiling and installation of third-party software packages.
Installing Applications: Packages and Ports
discusses how to use the Ports Collection.
The installation program does not check for adequate disk space.
Select this option only if sufficient hard disk space is available.
The FreeBSD Ports Collection takes up about 3 GB of disk space.
src
- The complete FreeBSD source code for both the kernel and the userland. Although not required for the majority of applications, it may be required to build device drivers, kernel modules, or some applications from the Ports Collection. It is also used for developing FreeBSD itself. The full source tree requires 1 GB of disk space and recompiling the entire FreeBSD system requires an additional 5 GB of space.
tests
- FreeBSD Test Suite.
2.5.5. Installing from the Network
The menu shown in
Installing from the Network
only appears when installing from a
-bootonly.iso
or
-mini-memstick.img
, as this installation media does not hold copies of the installation files.
Since the installation files must be retrieved over a network connection, this menu indicates that the network interface must be configured first.
If this menu is shown in any step of the process, remember to follow the
instructions in
Configuring Network Interfaces
Figure 10. Installing from the Network
2.6. Allocating Disk Space
The next menu is used to determine the method for allocating disk space.
Figure 11. Partitioning Choices
bsdinstall gives the user four methods for allocating disk space:
Auto (ZFS)
partitioning creates a root-on-ZFS system with optional GELI encryption support for
boot environments
Auto (UFS)
partitioning automatically sets up the disk partitions using the
UFS
file system.
Manual
partitioning allows advanced users to create customized partitions from menu options.
Shell
opens a shell prompt where advanced users can create customized partitions using command-line utilities like
gpart(8)
fdisk(8)
, and
bsdlabel(8)
This section describes what to consider when laying out the disk partitions.
It then demonstrates how to use the different partitioning methods.
2.6.1. Designing the Partition Layout
The default partition layout for file systems includes one file system for the entire system.
When using
UFS
it may be worth considering the use of multiple file systems with sufficient disk space or multiple disks available.
When laying out file systems, remember that hard drives transfer data faster from the outer tracks to the inner.
Thus, smaller and heavier-accessed file systems should be closer to the outside of the drive, while larger partitions like
/usr
should be placed toward the inner parts of the disk.
It is a good idea to create partitions in an order similar to:
, swap,
/var
, and
/usr
The size of the
/var
partition reflects the intended machine’s usage.
This partition is used to hold mailboxes, log files, and printer spools.
Mailboxes and log files can grow to unexpected sizes depending on the number of users and how long log files are kept.
On average, most users rarely need more than about a gigabyte of free disk space in
/var
Sometimes, a lot of disk space is required in
/var/tmp
When new software is installed, the packaging tools extract a temporary copy of the packages under
/var/tmp
Large software packages, like Firefox or LibreOffice may be tricky to install if there is not enough disk space under
/var/tmp
The
/usr
partition holds many of the files which support the system, including the FreeBSD Ports Collection and system source code.
At least 2 gigabytes of space is recommended for this partition.
Also, note that home directories for users are placed in
/usr/home
by default, but can be placed on another partition.
By default,
/home
is a symbolic link to
/usr/home
When selecting partition sizes, keep the space requirements in mind.
Running out of space in one partition while barely using another can be a hassle.
As a rule of thumb, the swap partition should be about double the size of physical memory (RAM).
Systems with minimal RAM (less for larger-memory configurations) may perform better with more swap.
Configuring too little swap can lead to inefficiencies in the VM page scanning code and might create issues later if more memory is added.
On larger systems with multiple SCSI disks or multiple IDE disks operating on different controllers, it is recommended that swap be configured on each drive, up to four drives.
The swap partitions should be approximately the same size.
The kernel can handle arbitrary sizes, but internal data structures scale to 4 times the largest swap partition.
Keeping the swap partitions near the same size will allow the kernel to optimally stripe swap space across disks.
Large swap sizes may elicit a kernel warning message about the total configured swap.
The limit is raised by increasing the amount of memory allowed for keeping track of swap allocations, as instructed by the warning message.
It might be easier to recover from a runaway program before being forced to reboot.
By properly partitioning a system, fragmentation introduced in the smaller write-heavy partitions will not bleed over into the mostly read partitions.
Keeping the write-loaded partitions closer to the disk’s edge will increase I/O performance in the partitions where it occurs the most.
While I/O performance in the larger partitions may be needed, shifting them more toward the edge of the disk will not lead to a significant performance improvement over moving
/var
to the edge.
2.6.2. Guided Partitioning Using UFS
When this method is selected, a menu will display the available disk(s).
If multiple disks are connected, choose the one where FreeBSD is to be installed.
Figure 12. Selecting from Multiple Disks
Once the disk is selected, the next menu prompts to install to either the entire disk or to create a partition using free space.
If
Entire Disk
is chosen, a general partition layout filling the whole disk is automatically created.
Selecting
Partition
creates a partition layout from the unused space on the disk.
Figure 13. Selecting Entire Disk or Partition
The next menu shows a list with the available partition scheme types.
GPT is usually the most appropriate choice for amd64 computers.
Older computers that are not compatible with GPT should use MBR.
The other partition schemes are generally used for uncommon or older computers.
More information is available in
Partitioning Schemes
Figure 14. Select Partition Scheme
After the partition layout has been created, review it to ensure it meets the needs of the installation.
Selecting
Revert
will reset the partitions to their original values. Pressing
Auto
will recreate the automatic FreeBSD partitions.
Partitions can also be manually created, modified, or deleted.
When the partitioning is correct, select
Finish
to continue with the installation.
Figure 15. Review Created Partitions
Once the disks are configured, the next menu provides the last chance to make changes before the selected drives are formatted.
If changes need to be made, select
Back
to return to the main partitioning menu.
Revert & Exit
exits the installer without making any changes to the drive.
Otherwise, select
Commit
to start the installation process.
Figure 16. Final Confirmation
To continue with the installation process, go to
Fetching Distribution Files
2.6.3. Manual Partitioning
Selecting this method opens the partition editor:
Figure 17. Manually Create Partitions
Highlight the installation drive (
ada0
in this example) and select
Create
to display a menu of available partition schemes:
Figure 18. Manually Create Partitions
GPT is usually the most appropriate choice for amd64 computers.
Older computers that are not compatible with GPT should use MBR.
The other partition schemes are generally used for uncommon or older computers.
Table 1. Partitioning Schemes
Abbreviation
Description
APM
Apple Partition Map, used by PowerPC®.
BSD
BSD label without an MBR, sometimes called
dangerously dedicated mode
as non-BSD disk utilities may not recognize it.
GPT
GUID Partition Table
MBR
Master Boot Record
After the partitioning scheme has been selected and created, select
Create
again to create the partitions.
The
Tab
key is used to give focus to the fields (after cycling through


, and

).
Figure 19. Manually Create Partitions
A standard FreeBSD GPT installation uses at least three partitions, including either UFS or ZFS:
freebsd-boot
or
efi
- Holds the FreeBSD boot code.
freebsd-ufs
- A FreeBSD UFS file system.
freebsd-zfs
- A FreeBSD ZFS file system. More information about ZFS is available in
The Z File System (ZFS)
freebsd-swap
- FreeBSD swap space.
Refer to
gpart(8)
for descriptions of the available GPT partition types.
Multiple file system partitions can be created. Some people prefer a traditional layout with separate partitions for
/var
/tmp
, and
/usr
Note that
/tmp
can be added later as a memory-based file system (
tmpfs(5)
) on systems with sufficient memory.
See
Creating Traditional Split File System Partitions
for an example.
The
Size
may be entered with common abbreviations:
for kilobytes,
for megabytes, or
for gigabytes.
Proper sector alignment provides the best performance, and making partition sizes even multiples of 4K bytes helps to ensure alignment on drives with either 512-byte or 4K-byte sectors.
Generally, using partition sizes that are even multiples of 1M or 1G is the easiest way to make sure every partition starts at an even multiple of 4K.
There is one exception: a
freebsd-boot
partition for BIOS booting should be no larger than 512K due to legacy boot code limitations.
This limitation does not apply to UEFI booting.
Mountpoint
is needed if the partition will contain a file system.
If only a single UFS partition will be created, the mountpoint should be
The
Label
is a name by which the partition will be known.
Drive names or numbers can change if the drive is connected to a different controller or port, but the partition label does not change.
Referring to labels instead of drive names and partition numbers in files like
/etc/fstab
makes the system more tolerant to hardware changes.
GPT labels appear in
/dev/gpt/
when a disk is attached.
Other partitioning schemes have different label capabilities and their labels appear in different directories in
/dev/
Use a unique label on every partition to avoid conflicts from identical labels.
A few letters from the computer’s name, use, or location can be added to the label.
For instance, use
labroot
or
rootfslab
for the UFS root partition on the computer named
lab
Example 1. Creating Traditional Split File System Partitions
For a traditional partition layout where the
/var
/tmp
, and
/usr
directories are separate file systems on their own partitions, create a GPT partitioning scheme, then create the partitions as shown.
Partition sizes shown are typical for a 20G target disk.
If more space is available on the target disk, larger swap or
/var
partitions may be useful.
Labels shown here are prefixed with
ex
for "example", but readers should use other unique label values as described above.
By default, FreeBSD’s
gptboot
expects the first UFS partition to be the
partition.
Partition Type
Size
Mountpoint
Label
freebsd-boot
512K
freebsd-ufs
2G
exrootfs
freebsd-swap
4G
exswap
freebsd-ufs
2G
/var
exvarfs
freebsd-ufs
1G
/tmp
extmpfs
freebsd-ufs
accept the default (remainder of the disk)
/usr
exusrfs
After the custom partitions have been created, select
Finish
to continue
with the installation and go to
Fetching Distribution Files
2.6.4. Guided Partitioning Using Root-on-ZFS
This partitioning mode only works with whole disks and will erase the contents of the entire disk.
The main ZFS configuration menu offers a number of options to control the creation of the pool.
Figure 20. ZFS Partitioning Menu
Here is a summary of the options in this menu:
Install
- Proceed with the installation with the selected options.
Pool Type/Disks
- Configure the
Pool Type
and the disk(s) that will
constitute the pool. The automatic ZFS installer currently only supports the
creation of a single top level vdev, except in stripe mode. To create more
complex pools, use the instructions in
Shell Mode Partitioning
to create the pool.
Rescan Devices
- Repopulate the list of available disks.
Disk Info
- This menu can be used to inspect each disk, including its partition table and various other information such as the device model number and serial number, if available.
Pool Name
- Establish the name of the pool. The default name is
zroot
Force 4K Sectors?
- Force the use of 4K sectors. By default, the installer will automatically create partitions aligned to 4K boundaries and force ZFS to use 4K sectors. This is safe even with 512 byte sector disks, and has the added benefit of ensuring that pools created on 512 byte disks will be able to have 4K sector disks added in the future, either as additional storage space or as replacements for failed disks. Press the
Enter
key to chose to activate it or not.
Encrypt Disks?
- Encrypting the disks allows the user to encrypt the disks using GELI. More information about disk encryption is available in
“Disk Encryption with geli”
. Press the
Enter
key to choose whether to activate it or not.
Partition Scheme
- Choose the partition scheme. GPT is the recommended option in most cases. Press the
Enter
key to chose between the different options.
Swap Size
- Establish the amount of swap space.
Mirror Swap?
- Whether to mirror the swap between the disks. Be aware that enabling mirror swap will break crash dumps. Press the
Enter
key to activate it or not.
Encrypt Swap?
- Whether to encrypt the swap. This will encrypt the swap with a temporary key each time the system boots, and discards it on reboot. Press the
Enter
key to choose to activate it or not. More information about swap encryption in
“Encrypting Swap”
ZFS Pool Options
- Specifies additional pool properties to apply when the ZFS root pool is created. More information about the options can be found in
zpool-create(8)
and
zpoolprops(7)
Select
to configure the
Pool Type
and the disk(s) that will constitute the pool.
Figure 21. ZFS Pool Type
Here is a summary of the
Pool Type
that can be selected in this menu:
stripe
- Striping provides maximum storage of all connected devices, but no redundancy. If just one disk fails the data on the pool is lost irrevocably.
mirror
- Mirroring stores a complete copy of all data on every disk. Mirroring provides good read performance because data is read from all disks in parallel. Write performance is slower as the data must be written to all disks in the pool. Allows all but one disk to fail. This option requires at least two disks.
raid10
- Striped mirrors. Provides the best performance, but the least storage. This option needs at least an even number of disks and a minimum of four disks.
raidz1
- Single Redundant RAID. Allow one disk to fail concurrently. This option needs at least three disks.
raidz2
- Double Redundant RAID. Allows two disks to fail concurrently. This option needs at least four disks.
raidz3
- Triple Redundant RAID. Allows three disks to fail concurrently. This option needs at least five disks.
Once a
Pool Type
has been selected, a list of available disks is displayed, and the user is prompted to select one or more disks to make up the pool.
The configuration is then validated to ensure that enough disks are selected.
If validation fails, select

to return to the list of disks or

to change the
Pool Type
Figure 22. Disk Selection
Figure 23. Invalid Selection
If one or more disks are missing from the list, or if disks were attached after the installer was started, select
- Rescan Devices
to repopulate the list of available disks.
Figure 24. Rescan Devices
To avoid accidentally erasing the wrong disk, the
- Disk Info
menu can be used to inspect each disk, including its partition table and various other information such as the device model number and serial number, if available.
Figure 25. Analyzing a Disk
Select
to configure the
Pool Name
Enter the desired name, then select

to establish it or

to return to the main menu and leave the default name.
Figure 26. Pool Name
Select
to set the amount of swap.
Enter the desired amount of swap, then select

to establish it or

to return to the main menu and let the default amount.
Figure 27. Swap Amount
Once all options have been set to the desired values, select the
>>> Install
option at the top of the menu.
The installer then offers a last chance to cancel before the contents of the selected drives are destroyed to create the ZFS pool.
Figure 28. Last Chance
If GELI disk encryption was enabled, the installer will prompt twice for the passphrase to be used to encrypt the disks.
Initialization of the encryption then begins.
Figure 29. Disk Encryption Password
Figure 30. Initializing Encryption
The installation then proceeds normally.
To continue with the installation, go to
Fetching Distribution Files
2.6.5. Shell Mode Partitioning
When creating advanced installations, the bsdinstall partitioning menus may not provide the level of flexibility required.
Advanced users can select the
Shell
option from the partitioning menu in order to manually partition the drives, create the file system(s), populate
/tmp/bsdinstall_etc/fstab
, and mount the file systems under
/mnt
Once this is done, type
exit
to return to bsdinstall and continue the installation.
2.7. Fetching Distribution Files
Installation time will vary depending on the distributions chosen, installation media, and speed of the computer.
A series of messages will indicate the progress.
First, the installer formats the selected disk(s) and initializes the partitions.
Next, in the case of a
bootonly media
or
mini memstick
, it downloads the selected components:
Figure 31. Fetching Distribution Files
Next, the integrity of the distribution files is verified to ensure they have not been corrupted during download or misread from the installation media:
Figure 32. Verifying Distribution Files
Finally, the verified distribution files are extracted to the disk:
Figure 33. Extracting Distribution Files
Once all requested distribution files have been extracted, bsdinstall displays the first post-installation configuration screen.
The available post-configuration options are described in the next section.
2.8. Network Interfaces, Accounts, Time Zone, Services and Hardening
2.8.1. Setting the
root
Password
First, the
root
password must be set.
While entering the password, the characters being typed are not displayed on the screen.
The password must be entered twice to prevent typing errors.
Figure 34. Setting the
root
Password
2.8.2. Configuring Network Interfaces
Next, a list of the network interfaces found on the computer is shown.
Select the interface to configure.
Figure 35. Choose a Network Interface
If an Ethernet interface is selected, the installer will skip ahead to the menu
shown in
Choose IPv4 Networking
If a wireless network interface is chosen, the system will instead scan for wireless access points:
Figure 36. Scanning for Wireless Access Points
Wireless networks are identified by a Service Set Identifier (SSID); a short, unique name given to each network.
SSIDs found during the scan are listed, followed by a description of the encryption types available for that network.
If the desired SSID does not appear in the list, select
Rescan
to scan again.
If the desired network still does not appear, check for problems with antenna connections or try moving the computer closer to the access point.
Rescan after each change is made.
Figure 37. Choosing a Wireless Network
Next, enter the encryption information for connecting to the selected wireless network.
WPA2 encryption is strongly recommended over older encryption types such as WEP, which offer little security.
If the network uses WPA2, input the password, also known as the Pre-Shared Key (PSK).
For security reasons, the characters typed into the input box are displayed as asterisks.
Figure 38. WPA2 Setup
Next, choose whether or not an IPv4 address should be configured on the Ethernet or wireless interface:
Figure 39. Choose IPv4 Networking
There are two methods of IPv4 configuration.
DHCP will automatically configure the network interface correctly and should be used if the network provides a DHCP server.
Otherwise, the addressing information needs to be input manually as a static configuration.
Do not enter random network information as it will not work.
If a DHCP server is not available, obtain the information listed in
Required Network Information
from the network administrator or Internet service provider.
If a DHCP server is available, select
Yes
in the next menu to automatically configure the network interface.
The installer will appear to pause for a minute or so as it finds the DHCP server and obtains the addressing information for the system.
Figure 40. Choose IPv4 DHCP Configuration
If a DHCP server is not available, select
No
and input the following addressing information in this menu:
Figure 41. IPv4 Static Configuration
IP Address
- The IPv4 address assigned to this computer. The address must be unique and not already in use by another device on the local network.
Subnet Mask
- The subnet mask for the network.
Default Router
- The IP address of the network’s default gateway.
The next screen will ask if the interface should be configured for IPv6. If IPv6 is available and desired, choose
Yes
to select it.
Figure 42. Choose IPv6 Networking
IPv6 also has two methods of configuration.
StateLess Address AutoConfiguration (SLAAC) will automatically request the correct configuration information from a local router.
Refer to
rfc4862
for more information.
Static configuration requires manual entry of network information.
If an IPv6 router is available, select
Yes
in the next menu to automatically configure the network interface.
The installer will appear to pause for a minute or so as it finds the router and obtains the addressing information for the system.
Figure 43. Choose IPv6 SLAAC Configuration
If an IPv6 router is not available, select
No
and input the following addressing information in this menu:
Figure 44. IPv6 Static Configuration
IPv6 Address
- The IPv6 address assigned to this computer. The address must be unique and not already in use by another device on the local network.
Default Router
- The IPv6 address of the network’s default gateway.
The last network configuration menu is used to configure the Domain Name System (DNS) resolver, which converts hostnames to and from network addresses.
If DHCP or SLAAC was used to autoconfigure the network interface, the
Resolver Configuration
values may already be filled in.
Otherwise, enter the local network’s domain name in the
field.
DNS #1
and
DNS #2
are the IPv4 and/or IPv6 addresses of the DNS servers.
At least one DNS server is required.
Figure 45. DNS Configuration
Once the interface is configured, select a mirror site that is located in the same region of the world as the computer on which FreeBSD is being installed.
Files can be retrieved more quickly when the mirror is close to the target computer, reducing installation time.
Selecting
Main Site (GeoDNS, HTTP)
or
ftp://download.freebsd.org
Main Site (GeoDNS, FTP)
will automatically route to the nearest mirror.
Figure 46. Choosing a Mirror
2.8.3. Setting the Time Zone
The next series of menus are used to determine the correct local time by selecting the geographic region, country, and time zone.
Setting the time zone allows the system to automatically correct for regional time changes, such as daylight savings time, and perform other time zone related functions properly.
The example shown here is for a machine located in the mainland time zone of Spain, Europe.
The selections will vary according to the geographical location.
Figure 47. Select a Region
The appropriate region is selected using the arrow keys and then pressing
Enter
Figure 48. Select a Country
Select the appropriate country using the arrow keys and press
Enter
Figure 49. Select a Time Zone
The appropriate time zone is selected using the arrow keys and pressing
Enter
Figure 50. Confirm Time Zone
Confirm the abbreviation for the time zone is correct.
Figure 51. Select Date
The appropriate date is selected using the arrow keys and then pressing
Set Date
Otherwise, the date selection can be skipped by pressing
Skip
Figure 52. Select Time
The appropriate time is selected using the arrow keys and then pressing
Set Time
Otherwise, the time selection can be skipped by pressing
Skip
2.8.4. Enabling Services
The next menu is used to configure which system services will be started whenever the system boots.
All of these services are optional.
Only start the services that are needed for the system to function.
Figure 53. Selecting Additional Services to Enable
Here is a summary of the services that can be enabled in this menu:
sshd
- The Secure Shell (SSH) daemon is used to remotely access a system over an encrypted connection. Only enable this service if the system should be available for remote logins.
ntpd
- The Network Time Protocol (NTP) daemon for automatic clock synchronization. Enable this service when wanting to synchronise the system clock with a remote time server or pool.
ntpd_sync_on_start
- Enabled,
ntpd(8)
is invoked with the
-g
flag during system startup, performing an immediate, one-time clock synchronization at boot time.
local_unbound
- Enable the DNS local unbound. It is necessary to keep in mind that this is a configuration only meant for use as a local caching forwarding resolver. If the objective is to set up a resolver for the entire network, install
dns/unbound
powerd
- System power control utility for power control and energy saving.
moused
- Enable this service if the mouse will be used from the command-line system console.
dumpdev
- Crash dumps are useful when debugging issues with the system, so users are encouraged to enable them.
2.8.5. Enabling Hardening Security Options
The next menu is used to configure which security options will be enabled.
All of these options are optional.
But their use is encouraged.
Figure 54. Selecting Hardening Security Options
Here is a summary of the options that can be enabled in this menu:
hide_uids
- Hide processes running as other users (UID). This prevents unprivileged users from seeing running processes from other users.
hide_gids
- Hide processes running as other groups (GID). This prevents unprivileged users from seeing running processes from other groups.
hide_jail
- Hide processes running in jails. This prevents unprivileged users from seeing processes running inside jails.
read_msgbuf
- Disable reading kernel message buffer for unprivileged users. Prevent unprivileged users from using
dmesg(8)
to view messages from the kernel’s log buffer.
proc_debug
- Disable process debugging facilities for unprivileged users. Disables a variety of unprivileged inter-process debugging services, including some procfs functionality,
ptrace()
, and
ktrace()
. Please note that this will also prevent debugging tools such as
lldb(1)
truss(1)
and
procstat(1)
, as well as some built-in debugging facilities in certain scripting languages like PHP.
random_pid
- Randomize the PID of processes.
clear_tmp
- Clean
/tmp
when the system starts up.
disable_syslogd
- Disable opening the syslogd network socket. By default, FreeBSD runs syslogd in a secure way with
-s
. This prevents the daemon from listening for incoming UDP requests on port 514. With this option enabled, syslogd will instead run with
-ss
, which prevents syslogd from opening any port. For more information, see
syslogd(8)
secure_console
- Make the command prompt request the
root
password when entering single-user mode.
disable_ddtrace
- DTrace can run in a mode that affects the running kernel. Destructive actions may not be used unless explicitly enabled. Use
-w
to enable this option when using DTrace. For more information, see
dtrace(1)
2.8.6. Add Users
The next menu prompts to create at least one user account.
It is recommended to log into the system using a user account rather than as
root
When logged in as
root
, there are essentially no limits or protection on what can be done.
Logging in as a normal user is safer and more secure.
Select
Yes
to add new users.
Figure 55. Add User Accounts
Follow the prompts and input the requested information for the user account.
The example shown in
Enter User Information
creates the
asample
user account.
Figure 56. Enter User Information
Here is a summary of the information to input:
Username
- The name the user will enter to log in. A common convention is to use the first letter of the first name combined with the last name, as long as each username is unique for the system. The username is case sensitive and should not contain any spaces.
Full name
- The user’s full name. This can contain spaces and is used as a description for the user account.
Uid
- User ID. This is typically left blank so the system automatically assigns a value.
Login group
- The user’s group. This is typically left blank to accept the default.
Invite
user
into other groups?
- Additional groups to which the user will be added as a member. If the user needs administrative access, type
wheel
here.
Login class
- Typically left blank for the default.
Shell
- Type in one of the listed values to set the interactive shell for the user. Refer to
Shells
for more information about shells.
Home directory
- The user’s home directory. The default is usually correct.
Home directory permissions
- Permissions on the user’s home directory. The default is usually correct.
Use password-based authentication?
- Typically
yes
so that the user is prompted to input their password at login.
Use an empty password?
- Typically
no
as empty or blank passwords are insecure.
Use a random password?
- Typically
no
so that the user can set their own password in the next prompt.
Enter password
- The password for this user. Typed-in characters will not be shown on the screen.
Enter password again
- The password must be typed again for verification.
Lock out the account after creation?
- Typically
no
so that the user can log in.
After entering all the details, a summary is shown for review.
If a mistake was made, enter
no
to correct it.
Once everything is correct, enter
yes
to create the new user.
Figure 57. Exit User and Group Management
If there are more users to add, answer the
Add another user?
question with
yes
Enter
no
to finish adding users and continue the installation.
For more information on adding users and user management, see
Users and Basic Account Management
2.8.7. Final Configuration
After everything has been installed and configured, a final chance is provided to modify settings.
Figure 58. Final Configuration
Use this menu to make any changes or to do any additional configuration before completing the installation.
Add User
- Described in
Add Users
Root Password
- Described in
Setting the
root
Password
Hostname
- Described in
Setting the Hostname
Network
- Described in
Configuring Network Interfaces
Services
- Described in
Enabling Services
System Hardening
- Described in
Enabling Hardening Security Options
Time Zone
- Described in
Setting the Time Zone
Firmware
- Download and install required firmware for system components such as Wi-Fi or graphics cards.
Handbook
- Download and install the FreeBSD Handbook.
Once configuration is complete, select
Exit
Figure 59. Manual Configuration
bsdinstall will prompt for any additional configuration that needs to be done before rebooting into the new system.
Select
Yes
to exit to a shell within the new system or
No
to proceed to the last step of the installation.
Figure 60. Complete the Installation
If further configuration or special setup is needed, select
Live CD
to boot the install media into Live CD mode.
If the installation is complete, select
Reboot
to reboot the computer and start the new FreeBSD system.
Do not forget to remove the FreeBSD install media or the computer might boot from it again.
As FreeBSD boots, informational messages are displayed.
After the system finishes booting, a login prompt is displayed.
At the
login:
prompt, enter the username added during the installation.
Avoid logging in as
root
Refer to
The Superuser Account
for instructions on how to become the superuser when administrative access is needed.
The messages that appear during boot can be reviewed by pressing
Scroll-Lock
to turn on the scroll-back buffer.
The
PgUp
PgDn
, and arrow keys can be used to scroll back through the messages.
When finished, press
Scroll-Lock
again to unlock the display and return to the console.
To review these messages once the system has been up for some time, type
less /var/run/dmesg.boot
from a command prompt.
Press
to return to the command line after viewing.
If sshd was enabled in
Selecting Additional Services to Enable
, the first boot might be a bit slower as the system generates SSH host keys.
Subsequent boots will be faster.
The fingerprints of the keys are then displayed as in the following example:
Generating public/private rsa1 key pair.
Your identification has been saved
in
/etc/ssh/ssh_host_key.
Your public key has been saved
in
/etc/ssh/ssh_host_key.pub.
The key fingerprint is:
10:a0:f5:af:93:ae:a3:1a:b2:bb:3c:35:d9:5a:b3:f3 root@machine3.example.com
The key
's randomart image is:
+--[RSA1 1024]----+
| o.. |
| o . . |
| . o |
| o |
| o S |
| + + o |
|o . + * |
|o+ ..+ . |
|==o..o+E |
+-----------------+
Generating public/private dsa key pair.
Your identification has been saved in /etc/ssh/ssh_host_dsa_key.
Your public key has been saved in /etc/ssh/ssh_host_dsa_key.pub.
The key fingerprint is:
7e:1c:ce:dc:8a:3a:18:13:5b:34:b5:cf:d9:d1:47:b2 root@machine3.example.com
The key'
s randomart image is:
+--[ DSA 1024]----+
| ..
.|
| o
+ |
..
E .|
o o
| + S
| +
o |
| +
| .o.
+-----------------+
Starting sshd.
Refer to
OpenSSH
for more information about fingerprints and SSH.
FreeBSD does not install a graphical environment by default.
Refer to
The X Window System
for more information about installing and configuring a graphical window manager.
Proper shutdown of a FreeBSD computer helps protect data and hardware from damage.
Do not turn off the power before the system has been properly shut down!
If the user is a member of the
wheel
group, become the superuser by typing
su
at the command line and entering the
root
password.
Then, type
shutdown -p now
and the system will shut down cleanly, and, if the hardware supports it, turn itself off.
2.9. Troubleshooting
This section covers basic installation troubleshooting, such as common problems people have reported.
Check the Hardware Notes listed on the
FreeBSD Release Information
page for the version of FreeBSD to make sure the hardware is supported.
Some installation problems can be avoided or alleviated by updating the firmware on various hardware components, most notably the motherboard.
Motherboard firmware is usually referred to as the BIOS.
Most motherboard and computer manufacturers have a website for upgrades and upgrade information.
Manufacturers generally advise against upgrading the motherboard BIOS unless there is a good reason for doing so, like a critical update.
The upgrade process
can
go wrong, leaving the BIOS incomplete and the computer inoperative.
If the system hangs while probing hardware during boot or behaves strangely during the installation process, ACPI may be the culprit.
FreeBSD makes extensive use of the system ACPI service on the i386 and amd64 platforms to aid in system configuration if it is detected during boot.
Unfortunately, some bugs still exist in both the ACPI driver and within system motherboards and BIOS firmware.
ACPI can be disabled by setting the
hint.acpi.0.disabled
hint in the third stage boot loader:
set
hint.acpi.0.disabled
"1"
This is reset each time the system is booted, so it is necessary to add
hint.acpi.0.disabled="1"
to the file
/boot/loader.conf
More information about the boot loader can be found in
“Synopsis”
2.10. Using the Live CD
The welcome menu of bsdinstall, shown in
Welcome Menu
, provides a
Live CD
option.
This is useful for those who are still wondering whether FreeBSD is the right operating system for them and want to test some of the features before installing.
The following points should be noted before using the
Live CD
To gain access to the system, authentication is required. The username is
root
and the password is blank.
As the system runs directly from the installation media, performance will be significantly slower than that of a system installed on a hard disk.
This option only provides a command prompt and not a graphical interface.
Last modified on
: April 13, 2026 by
Sergio Carlavilla Delgado
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