Re: pfsense and the Trigkey Green G1 mini-computer

On 12/05/2022 13:30, Tom Browder wrote:
> I am not a FreeBSD user (yet), but I'm trying to install a pfsense
> image onto the SSD of a Trigkey Green G1 mini-computer and haven't
> been able to do so yet due to its apparently locked-down Windows OS.
> 
> If anyone has been successful using that device as a pfsense router, I
> would greatly appreciate any help.
> 
> I haven't found much documentation from the manufacturer except a
> statement that one can remove the existing SSD and replace
> it--apparently it's designed not to be overwritten, so it's worthless
> to me if that's true.

I don't know the specific device, but things that start out as Windows
boxes usually tend to have secure boot enabled these days. It's a while
since I last fought Windows but I think you may have to boot into
Windows and then tell it you want to do a maintenance boot and then
catch it during boot to get into the BIOS to turn off secure booting.
It's a rigmarole, and if you get the timing wrong you have to start again.

From my notes on a variety of machines over time the most common key to
press during boot to get into the BIOS is F2, with DEL being the second
most likely alternative.

I read the bit on the web site about replacing the SSD as meaning if you
wish to increase storage size, not that you can't write to the existing
one (but I could be wrong).

Final note: you might want to look at OPNsense as an alternative to
pfSense. I'm in the process of switching as pfSense appears to be more
commercially oriented these days.

-- 
All network cabling aspires to the condition of macramé.