Category Archives: FreeBSD

This series will show you how to get started with a FreeBSD cloud server. The first article will explain some of the differences between Linux and FreeBSD. The tutorials that follow cover the basics of FreeBSD security, maintenance, and software installation. If you are new to FreeBSD, this series will help you get up and running quickly.

FreeBSD

An Introduction to Basic FreeBSD Maintenance

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Introduction

When administering FreeBSD servers, it is important to understand the basic maintenance procedures that will help you keep your systems in good shape.

In this guide, we will be covering the basic processes needed to keep your server up-to-date and functioning properly. We will be covering how to update the base operating system that the FreeBSD team maintains. We will also discuss how to update and maintain optional software installed through the ports or packages systems.

If you need help getting started with FreeBSD, follow our guide here.

Updating the Base FreeBSD Operating System

One important thing to realize when working with FreeBSD is that the base operating system is built and managed separate from the other software on the system. This provides a number of benefits and allows the FreeBSD team to carefully test and develop the core functionality of the system.

Note: Read the note at the bottom of this section regarding a bug in the current update procedure before proceeding.

When you start using your server, there is a good chance that security updates have been published to the base system. To query the FreeBSD project’s servers for these updates, download any new files, and install them on your system, type the following command: Continue reading An Introduction to Basic FreeBSD Maintenance →

FreeBSD

Recommended Steps for New FreeBSD 10.1 Servers

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Introduction

When setting up a new FreeBSD server, there are a number of optional steps you can take to get your server into a more production-friendly state. In this guide, we will cover some of the most common examples.

We will go over how to set up a simple, easy-to-configure firewall that denies most traffic. We will also make sure that your server’s time zone accurately reflects its location. We will set up NTP polling in order to keep the server’s time accurate and, finally, we will demonstrate how to add some extra swap space to your server.

Before you get started with this guide, you should log in and configure your shell environment the way you’d like it. You can find out how to do this by following this guide.

How To Configure a Simple IPFW Firewall

The first task that we will tackle is setting up a simple firewall to secure our server.

FreeBSD actually supports and includes three separate firewalls, each with their own strengths and weaknesses. These are called pf, ipfw, and ipfilter. In this guide, we will be using ipfw because we can easily get up-and-running with a secure, stateful firewall. Continue reading Recommended Steps for New FreeBSD 10.1 Servers →

FreeBSD

How To Configure SSH Key-Based Authentication on a FreeBSD Server

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Introduction

SSH, or secure shell, is a network protocol that provides a secure, encrypted way to communicate with and administer your servers. As SSH is the most common way of working with a FreeBSD server, you will want to familiarize yourself with the different ways that you can authenticate and log in to your server. While there are several ways of logging into a FreeBSD server, this tutorial will focus on setting up and using SSH keys for authentication.

How SSH Keys Work

An SSH server can authenticate clients using a variety of methods. The most common methods include password and SSH key authentication. While passwords do provide a barrier against unauthorized access, using SSH keys is generally much more secure.

The issue with passwords is that they are typically are created manually, without sufficient length or complexity in content. Therefore, they can be susceptible to being compromised by brute force attacks. SSH keys provide a reliably secure alternative. Continue reading How To Configure SSH Key-Based Authentication on a FreeBSD Server →

FreeBSD

How To Get Started with FreeBSD 10.1

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How To Get Started with FreeBSD 10.1

Introduction

FreeBSD is a secure, high performance operating system that is suitable for a variety of server roles. In this guide, we will cover some basic information about how to get started with a FreeBSD server.

Step One — Log In with SSH

The first step you need to take to begin configuring your FreeBSD server is to log in.

On DigitalOcean, you must provide a public SSH key when creating a FreeBSD server. This key is added to the server instance, allowing you to securely login from your home computer using the associated private key. To learn more about how to use SSH keys with FreeBSD on DigitalOcean, follow this guide.

To login to your server, you will need to know your server’s public IP address. For DigitalOcean Droplets, you can find this information in the control panel. The main user account available on FreeBSD servers created through DigitalOcean is called freebsd. This user account is configured with sudo privileges, allowing you to complete administrative tasks.

To log into your FreeBSD server, use the ssh command. You will need to specify the freebsd user account along with your server’s public IP address: Continue reading How To Get Started with FreeBSD 10.1 →

FreeBSD

A Comparative Introduction to FreeBSD for Linux Users

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Introduction

FreeBSD is a free and open source Unix-like operating system and a popular server platform. While FreeBSD and other BSD-based systems share much in common with systems like Linux, there are points where these two families diverge in important ways.

In this guide, we will briefly discuss some commonalities between FreeBSD and Linux before moving on to a more extended discussion on the important differences between them. Many of the points below can accurately be applied to the greater family of BSD-derived systems, but as a consequence of our focus, we will be referring mainly to FreeBSD as a representative of the family. Continue reading A Comparative Introduction to FreeBSD for Linux Users →