FreeBSD

To do: Convert my Desktop install webpage tips here

Building

Custom install media

Start to build world&kernel:

cd /usr/src
make buildworld-jobs buildkernel-jobs

The generate the release media:

cd /usr/src/release
make -DNOPORTS -DNODOC -DNOSRC memstick
dd if=/usr/obj/usr/src/amd64.amd64/release/memstick.img of=/dev/your-usb-stick bs=1M

Or VM image:

make WITH_VMIMAGES=yes VMFORMATS=raw VMSIZE=6g vm-image

Build from a builder, clients on NFS

Process:

• Builder is buildworld buildkernel, beinstall, testing
• if okay, all other servers NFS read-only mount the builder's /usr/src and /usr/obj (their /etc/src*.conf and /etc/make.conf are in sync)

To avoid all "Read-only file system" message, don't forget to set MAKE_OBJDIR_CHECK_WRITABLE=0 in your env

But in case of libc upgrade, the clients can't upgrade. Example on old-way that doesn't support ZFS BE:

make installkernel
/usr/obj/../make: Undefined symbol "__libc_start1@FBSD_1.7

Then we can install the new kernel with:

LD_PRELOAD=/usr/obj/usr/src/amd64.amd64/lib/libc/libc.so.7 make -j 4 installkernel
etcupdate -p

And the make buildworld will start working too, but as soon as it will replace your /lib/libc.so.7, there is a risk it will crash your system :-( So to prepare to ease the rescue by copy localy the new libc:

cp /usr/obj/usr/src/amd64.amd64/lib/libc/libc.so.7 /root
LD_PRELOAD=/usr/obj/usr/src/amd64.amd64/lib/libc/libc.so.7 make -j 4 installworld

If still alive, finish it with an etcupdate -B, if not:

• It will reboot in single-user mode (with lot of libc error)
• from /rescue/sh copy the /root/libc.so.7 in /lib/
• reboot
• Restart the make installworld
• etcupdate -B

On a ZFS BE, the upgrade command is:

LD_PRELOAD=/usr/obj/usr/src/amd64.amd64/lib/libc/libc.so.7 tools/build/beinstall.sh

or with a missing libmd.so.7:

LD_PRELOAD=/usr/obj/usr/src/amd64.amd64/lib/libmd/libmd.so.7 tools/build/beinstall.sh

Build from MacOS (ARM M3 pro)

Great user guide.

brew install llvm
git clone https://git.freebsd.org/src.git freebsd
mkdir ~/freebsd.obj
cd freebsd
tools/build/make.py --help
MAKEOBJDIRPREFIX=~/freebsd.obj tools/build/make.py -j $(sysctl -n hw.ncpu) TARGET=arm64 TARGET_ARCH=aarch64 buildworld buildkernel

ZFS

With SSD disks or all trim compliant (off by default):

zpool set autotrim=on $pool

Boot Environment (BE)

Fixing mess with broken snapshot:

1. Reboot, and in loader screen, choose previous be
2. mount and fix your mess

Example:

• Broken "14.0-CURRENT-20230116.182721" (broken libc)
• So on the FreeBSD loader boot screen, selected previous BE

root@broken:~ # bectl list
BE                           Active Mountpoint Space Created
14.0-CURRENT-20220222.111913 -      -          118M  2022-02-23 16:37
14.0-CURRENT-20221031.035546 N      /          70.1M 2022-11-01 20:08
14.0-CURRENT-20230116.182721 R      -          477G  2023-01-16 23:35
default                      -      -          6.42G 2018-03-29 14:44
root@broken:~ # bectl mount 14.0-CURRENT-20230116.182721 /mnt/
Successfully mounted 14.0-CURRENT-20230116.182721 at /mnt/
root@broken:~ # cp /mnt/lib/libc.so.7.bak /mnt/lib/libc.so.7
root@broken:~ # bectl umount 14.0-CURRENT-20230116.182721
root@broken:~ # shutdown -r now "I've fixed my mess!"

To cleanup all unused BE (warning: Try no destructive method first):

bectl list | grep -v 'NR\|default\|BE' | cut -d ' ' -f 1 | xargs -L1 bectl destroy

Encrypted dataset

Create a dataset named 'work' of your 'zroot' pool, mount it in /work, enable compression and encryption using a passphrase:

zfs create -o encryption=on -o compression=zstd keyformat=passphrase -o mountpoint=/work zroot/work

After a reboot to mount it:

zfs mount -l zroot/work

To unmount and unload the key:

zfs unmount -u /work

Ports

Build with DEBUG symbols

echo 'WITH_DEBUG_PORTS=devel/clinfo' >> /etc/make.conf

Or if using poudriere with jail named 'builder':

echo 'WITH_DEBUG_PORTS=devel/clinfo' >> /usr/local/etc/poudriere.d/builder-make.conf

Build cmake with DEBUG symbols

~/ipc-bench $ mkdir debug
~/ipc-bench $ cd debug/
~/ipc-bench/debug $ cmake -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Debug ..
~/ipc-bench/debug $ make

Pkg

From which package this file came from ?

pkg which /usr/local/lib/libtinfo.so.6

Extra

dmesgd.nycbug.org

curl -v -d "nickname=$USER" -d "email=$USER@$(hostname)" -d "description=FreeBSD/$(uname -m) on $(kenv smbios.system.maker) $(kenv smbios.system.product)" -d "do=addd" --data-urlencode 'dmesg@/var/run/dmesg.boot' http://dmesgd.nycbug.org/index.cgi

date

Convert time zone, with 06:15 UTC, which hours in Los Angeles:

TZ=UTC date -z America/Los_Angeles -j 0615