Re: pfsense and the Trigkey Green G1 mini-computer

On 12/05/2022 20:10, Tom Browder wrote:
> On Thu, May 12, 2022 at 08:22 Arthur Chance <freebsd@qeng-ho.org> wrote:
>> 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.
> ...
>> 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.
> ...
>> 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.
> 
> Can you or anyone else recommend a suitable micro-computer that I can
> install FreeBSD on to run OPNsense?

As others have remarked, you just install OPNsense, it's FreeBSD
modified to install with routing/firewall capabilities and an easy(-ish)
config system from the start.

As you already have the Trig G1 you ought to be able to use it *if* you
can find a way into its BIOS. What have you tried so far?

Otherwise, just about any machine, preferably with at least two network
interfaces should be usable. I just search Amazon for "firewall
computer" and it shows me lots of cheap Chinese machines with multiple
ethernet interfaces and often no OS installed, which avoids the hassle
with Windows. I got a bare bones system and added my own RAM and SSD,
but it's got 6 Intel Gigabit interfaces which is probably overkill for
most people. (Mine's for a home office that runs a few world facing
servers.)

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