pfsense and the Trigkey Green G1 mini-computer

[Tom Browder]

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.

Best regards,

-Tom

[Arthur Chance]

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.

[Odhiambo Washington]

Great suggestion there! 

And actually, with OPNsense, he doesn't need to fiddle with the BIOS since UEFI mode is supported.

--

Best regards,
Odhiambo WASHINGTON,
Nairobi,KE
+254 7 3200 0004/+254 7 2274 3223
"Oh, the cruft.", egrep -v '^$|^.*#' ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ :-)

[Tom Browder]

On Thu, May 12, 2022 at 08:22 Arthur Chance <fre...@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?

Thanks,

-Tom

[hw]

It's not like you install FreeBSD and then somehow add OPNsense to it.
You just install OPNsense.

Which hardware to use depends on your requirements and expectations.

[Kira]

How about PC Engines APU2 ?

12 мая 2022 г. 22:10:50 GMT+03:00, Tom Browder <tom.b...@gmail.com> пишет:

[Odhiambo Washington]

Go to OPNsense website and read the instructions. It's a fully-fledged OS.

[Arthur Chance]

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.)

[Tom Browder]

On Fri, May 13, 2022 at 02:35 Arthur Chance <fre...@qeng-ho.org> wrote:
...
> >> 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.

Got it--same way as Pfsense.

> 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?

I tried a couple of times changing the boot device and never was able
to get past a Windows boot. (Note I was trying to boot off a USB DVD
and DVD was one of the boot options in the BIOS.) I'm returning it to
Amazon and looking for something else.
...

That search sounds like a good idea, thanks. I did find what seems
like a better choice: Qotom-Q330G4. Much better documentation, too.
I'm looking at 8 Gb RAM and 128 Gb SSD. Is that too much?

-Tom

[Odhiambo Washington]

On Fri, May 13, 2022 at 4:22 PM Tom Browder <tom.b...@gmail.com> wrote:

On Fri, May 13, 2022 at 02:35 Arthur Chance <fre...@qeng-ho.org> wrote:
...
> >> 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.

Got it--same way as Pfsense.

> 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?

I tried a couple of times changing the boot device and never was able
to get past a Windows boot. (Note I was trying to boot off a USB DVD
and DVD was one of the boot options in the BIOS.) I'm returning it to
Amazon and looking for something else.

Leave the BIOS on Secure Boot (enabled), and enable USB boot.

Get the OPNsense image and write it to a USB flash disk using Rufus.

While writing the flash with Rufus, ensure you select the GPT option for the disk, as that is what will enable UEFI.

Boot off the USB flash and voila!

I am almost 99% sure this will work. 

...

That search sounds like a good idea, thanks. I did find what seems
like a better choice: Qotom-Q330G4. Much better documentation, too.
I'm looking at 8 Gb RAM and 128 Gb SSD. Is that too much?

I doubt the problem with Trig G1 is documentation though. If I were you. I'd not return it!

Please try the options I have given above and see.

Feel free to share the experience via Whataspp. My number is in the signature text.

[Arthur Chance]

That looks pretty good (it's similar to the Kettop box I've got), and
the ethernet interfaces are Intel which is a better choice than Realtek.

In the past I've run routers with only 2GB of memory and never seen more
than about 50% memory usage, but it all depends on how heavy the traffic
will be and how many services you might want to run beside the basic
firewall.

OPNsense docs say 4GB of memory and 40GB of SSD is reasonable, 8GB +
120GB will handle all but the most extreme uses. This is the relevant
page if you haven't found it

https://docs.opnsense.org/manual/hardware.html

[Tom Browder]

On Fri, May 13, 2022 at 08:35 Odhiambo Washington <odhi...@gmail.com> wrote:
...

> Leave the BIOS on Secure Boot (enabled), and enable USB boot.
> Get the OPNsense image and write it to a USB flash disk using Rufus.
> While writing the flash with Rufus, ensure you select the GPT option for the disk, as that is what will enable UEFI.
> Boot off the USB flash and voila!
>
> I am almost 99% sure this will work.

Okay, Odhiambo, thanks. I will try that. I've used Rufus before and,
with your confidence level and detailed instructions at hand, I will
soldier on!

Report forthcoming....

-Tom

Thomas M. Browder, Jr.
Gulf Breeze, Florida
USA

[Tom Browder]

On Fri, May 13, 2022 at 10:30 AM Tom Browder <tom.b...@gmail.com> wrote:
> On Fri, May 13, 2022 at 08:35 Odhiambo Washington <odhi...@gmail.com> wrote:
> ...
> > Leave the BIOS on Secure Boot (enabled), and enable USB boot.
> > Get the OPNsense image and write it to a USB flash disk using Rufus.
> > While writing the flash with Rufus, ensure you select the GPT option for the disk, as that is what will enable UEFI.
> > Boot off the USB flash and voila!
> >
> > I am almost 99% sure this will work.

It did, at least temporarily. I was able to boot off the USB drive
and stumbled through the installation menu including identifying the
WAN and LAN ports, logging in as root, and pinging my main host.

However, I was not able to install the image onto the built-in SSD, so
it can't boot into the device without the USB drive attached. I did
see something about importing or such during the busy installation and
configuration, but wasn't able to do anything with the embedded SSD
device. At least there is some hope, and I hope someone can tell me
how to actually install it onto the device. I have a few days to make
it work.

-Tom

[Tom Browder]

On Sat, May 14, 2022 at 12:14 Tom Browder <tom.b...@gmail.com> wrote:

On Fri, May 13, 2022 at 10:30 AM Tom Browder <tom.b...@gmail.com> wrote:
> On Fri, May 13, 2022 at 08:35 Odhiambo Washington <odhi...@gmail.com> wrote:

...

> > I am almost 99% sure this will work.

It did, at least temporarily.  I was able to boot off the USB drive

...

However, I was not able to install the image onto the built-in SSD, so
it can't boot into the device without the USB drive attached. 

...

Now I see in the docs wiki info on how to actually install the system...trying that now.

-Tom

[Odhiambo Washington]

Hopefully, you managed to install on the SSD? 

[Tom Browder]

On Sun, May 15, 2022 at 03:42 Odhiambo Washington <odhi...@gmail.com> wrote:

On Sat, May 14, 2022 at 11:42 PM Tom Browder <tom.b...@gmail.com> wrote:

...

Now I see in the docs wiki info on how to actually install the system...trying that now.

...

Hopefully, you managed to install on the SSD?

I have been interrupted, but I hope to get to it today. 

Thanks.

-Tom