The first step was to understand what is NanoBSD ?

All theses steps are done from a FreeBSD system (release 8.3 minimum).

You need 3G of free space (1,5G for full FreeBSD+ports source, and 1,5G for the working dir).

Before downloading BSD Router Project source code, you need to install subversion:

By downloading/installing the package:

pkg install subversion

Or by compiling it:

cd /usr/ports/devel/subversion
make install clean

Once subversion installed, you can download the source code of BSDRP with theses commands:

svn co svn://svn.code.sf.net/p/bsdrp/code/trunk BSDRP
cd BSDRP

Once you download the code, you can kept your BSDRP sources up-to-date with these commands:

svn update

Here is the big picture regarding BSDRP image build process:

Display the options proposed by the make.sh script :

./make.sh -h

The FreeBSD code include all architecture and limited cross-compiling tools: You can generate an i386 BSDRP image from a FreeBSD amd64, but you can't generate a sparc64 image from an i386/amd64 host.

If you had installed gamin on your FreeBSD, sometimes NanoBSD can't umount the md during image creation. “fstat /usr/obj/nanobsd.bsdrp/_.mnt” show that the process gam_server (gamin) lock the mount point.

here is the log of a failed build:

Copying worlddir...
307484 blocks
Filesystem  1K-blocks   Used  Avail Capacity iused ifree %iused  Mounted on
/dev/md0s1a    293632 157919 112222    58%    4831 34335   12%   /usr/obj/nanobsd.bsdrp/_.mnt
Generating mtree...
umount: unmount of /usr/obj/nanobsd.bsdrp/_.mnt failed: Device busy
Filesystem  1K-blocks   Used  Avail Capacity iused ifree %iused  Mounted on
/dev/md0s1a    293632 157453 112688    58%    4831 34335   12%   /usr/obj/nanobsd.bsdrp/_.mnt
umount: unmount of /usr/obj/nanobsd.bsdrp/_.mnt failed: Device busy
mdconfig: ioctl(/dev/mdctl): Device busy

For prevent gamin to lock the working mount point, create this configuration file and force a restart of gamin:

mkdir /usr/local/etc/gamin
echo "fsset ufs poll 10" > /usr/local/etc/gamin/gaminrc
killall -9 gam_server

If you want to generate your customized BSDRP image, first try to build one generic BSDRP image from source.

You can check the files of the project “BSDRP” and it's child project “BSDRPcur”. A child project overwrite the MASTER_PROJECT files/kernels settings.

If this step works for you, then you can begin to customize it.

This file include the main global information for building the image:

• NAME: Name of the Project
• MASTER_PROJECT: For a child project, name of the father project
• SVN_SRC_PATH: SVN URL for the source tree
• SVN_PORTS_PATH: SVN URL for the port source tree
• FREEBSD_SRC: directory for localy stored FreeBSD source tree
• SRC_PATCH_DIR: Directory for FreeBSD patches
• PORTS_SRC: Directory for localy stored ports source tree
• PORT_PATCH_DIR: Directory for port patches
• NANOBSD_DIR: Where the nanobsd tree lives
• NANO_MODULES_ARCH: List of kernel modules to build for ARCH

This file include all the customization steps:

You can change the:

• Size of target BSDRP media (UsbDevice Generic)
• Size of configuration partition (NANO_CONFSIZE)
• Size of data partition (NANO_DATASIZE)
• Size of the /etc RAM disk (NANO_RAM_ETCSIZE)
• Size of the /tmp, /var disk (NANO_RAM_TMPVARSIZE)
• and so one…

You can declare new package (and their dependency, but only if they use special option) to be installed: For example, if you want to add vim-lite, you add theses lines:

add_port "converters/libiconv" "-DNO_INSTALL_MANPAGES -DFORCE_PKG_REGISTER -DNOPORTDOCS"
add_port "editors/vim-lite" "-DWITHOUT_X11 -DNO_INSTALL_MANPAGES -DNOPORTDOCS"

If you need to set special permission on some file after their installation, you need to add these steps on the bsdrp_custom () function.

This directory include the kernel configuration files. You need to edit these files and the NANO_MODULES_$ARCH variable in the make.conf for customizing your own kernel and modules.

All files put in the Files/ directory will be copied as it on the BSDRP image.

Here is a little example (minimum modification) for building a new project based on BSDRP, but for a web server appliance: This project will be a child project of BSDRP.

Start by downloading BSDRP source code (refers to getting BSDRP source code chapter) and go in the BSDRP directory.

Then create a new directory using your project name:

mkdir WEBSRV

Now we need to configure a minimum project configuration file:

echo 'NAME="WEBSRV"' > WEBSRV/make.conf
echo 'MASTER_PROJECT="BSDRP"' >> WEBSRV/make.conf

Now we will copy the nanobsd configuration file from BSDRP:

cp BSDRP/BSDRP.nano WEBSRV/WEBSRV.nano

Edit the file WEBSRV/WEBSRV.nano and delete all lines related to routing ports like that:

add_port "category/port_name" "build options"

And add (in the #### Ports list section #####) this line:

add_port "www/mohawk"

Remove theses lines that compile and install extra small tools too:

customize_cmd add_netrate
customize_cmd add_quagga-bgp-netgen

Then modify the bsdrp_custom () function in this file too for removing the quagga chown hack.

Now set-up the version number:

mkdir -p WEBSRV/Files/etc
echo '1' > WEBSRV/Files/etc/version 

Now you should generate a full new image:

root@laptop:/usr/local/BSDRP # ./make.sh -p WEBSRV
BSD Router Project image build script

Will generate an WEBSRV image with theses values:
- Target architecture: amd64
- Console : -vga
- Source Updating/installing: NO
- Build the full world (take about 1 hour): YES
- FAST mode (skip compression and checksumming): NO
- TMPFS: NO
- Debug image type: NO
Copying amd64 Kernel configuration file
Launching NanoBSD build process...
00:00:00 # NanoBSD image WEBSRV build starting
00:00:00 ## Clean and create object directory (/usr/obj/WEBSRV.amd64)
00:00:00 ## Construct build make.conf (/usr/obj/WEBSRV.amd64/make.conf.build)
00:00:00 ## run buildworld
00:00:00 ### log: /usr/obj/WEBSRV.amd64/_.bw
00:15:03 ## build kernel (amd64)
00:15:03 ### log: /usr/obj/WEBSRV.amd64/_.bk
00:17:50 ## Clean and create world directory (/usr/obj/WEBSRV.amd64/_.w)
00:17:50 ## Construct install make.conf (/usr/obj/WEBSRV.amd64/make.conf.install)
00:17:50 ## installworld
00:17:50 ### log: /usr/obj/WEBSRV.amd64/_.iw
00:18:29 ## install /etc
00:18:29 ### log: /usr/obj/WEBSRV.amd64/_.etc
00:18:30 ## configure nanobsd /etc
00:18:30 ## install kernel (amd64)
00:18:30 ### log: /usr/obj/WEBSRV.amd64/_.ik
00:18:33 ## run customize scripts
00:18:33 ## customize "add_port_www_mohawk"
00:18:33 ### log: /usr/obj/WEBSRV.amd64/_.cust.add_port_www_mohawk
00:18:34 ## customize "cleanup_ports"
00:18:34 ### log: /usr/obj/WEBSRV.amd64/_.cust.cleanup_ports
00:18:34 ## customize "shrink_md_fbsize"
00:18:34 ### log: /usr/obj/WEBSRV.amd64/_.cust.shrink_md_fbsize
00:18:34 ## customize "cust_install_files"
00:18:34 ### log: /usr/obj/WEBSRV.amd64/_.cust.cust_install_files
00:18:34 ## customize "bsdrp_custom"
00:18:34 ### log: /usr/obj/WEBSRV.amd64/_.cust.bsdrp_custom
00:18:38 ## customize "cust_allow_ssh_root"
00:18:38 ### log: /usr/obj/WEBSRV.amd64/_.cust.cust_allow_ssh_root
00:18:38 ## customize "bsdrp_console_vga"
00:18:38 ### log: /usr/obj/WEBSRV.amd64/_.cust.bsdrp_console_vga
00:18:38 ## configure nanobsd setup
00:18:38 ### log: /usr/obj/WEBSRV.amd64/_.dl
00:18:39 ## run late customize scripts
00:18:39 ## build diskimage
00:18:39 ### log: /usr/obj/WEBSRV.amd64/_.di
00:19:02 # NanoBSD image WEBSRV completed
unmounting  /usr/local/BSDRP/WEBSRV/kernels
 /usr/local/BSDRP/WEBSRV/Files
NanoBSD build seems finish successfully.
Compressing WEBSRV upgrade image...
/usr/obj/WEBSRV.amd64/WEBSRV-1-upgrade-amd64-vga.img (1/1)
  100 %        26.2 MiB / 101.9 MiB = 0.257   3.0 MiB/s       0:34             
Generating checksum for WEBSRV upgrade image...
WEBSRV upgrade image file here:
/usr/obj/WEBSRV.amd64/WEBSRV-1-upgrade-amd64-vga.img.xz
Compressing WEBSRV full image...
/usr/obj/WEBSRV.amd64/WEBSRV-1-full-amd64-vga.img (1/1)
  100 %        26.2 MiB / 244.1 MiB = 0.107   5.3 MiB/s       0:45             
Generating checksum for WEBSRV full image...
Zipped WEBSRV full image file here:
/usr/obj/WEBSRV.amd64/WEBSRV-1-full-amd64-vga.img.xz
Zipping and renaming mtree...
/usr/obj/WEBSRV.amd64/WEBSRV-1-amd64-vga.mtree (1/1)
  100 %      262.3 KiB / 1753.4 KiB = 0.150                                    
HIDS reference file here:
/usr/obj/WEBSRV.amd64/WEBSRV-1-amd64-vga.mtree.xz
Done !

All theses step are done from a FreeBSD system using a unziped BSDRP full-image.

Here are all partition found in a BSDRP-full image:

• s1a: first system partition (UFS labeled as BSDRPs1a)
• s2a: Second system partition, didn't exist if the system was never upgraded (UFS labeled as BSDRPs2a)
• s3: cfg partition (UFS labeled as BSDRPs3)
• s4: data partition (UFS labeled as BSDRPs4)

FreeBSD call “slide” (s) an MBR partition.

Use the script include with BSDRP sources: ./image_tool.sh mount <filename> ./image_tool.sh umount

Using the BSDRP image file, create a memory disk (md):

mdconfig -a -t vnode -f BSDRP_0.35_full_i386_serial.img -x 63 -y 16

The system will display the md name created:

md0

Now list all partitions on this md:

# ls /dev/md0*
# /dev/md0    /dev/md0s1  /dev/md0s1a /dev/md0s2  /dev/md0s3

You should found the s1a (system) and s3 (cfg) partition. Mount the system partition for example:

mount /dev/md0s1a /mnt

Now you can do all your changes on the image.

And the end, umount and close the memory disk:

umount /mnt
mdconfig -d -u 0

Mount the filesystem in read-write mode:

[root@BSDRP]/# mount -uw /

And change the value in these files:

• /conf/base/etc/md_size
• /conf/base/var/md_size

The remount the filesystem in read-only and reboot (answer “no” if it detect configuration changes)

[root@BSDRP]/conf/base/var# mount -ur /
[root@BSDRP]/conf/base/var# reboot

Here are some advice for debugging.

You can found more information about FreeBSD on the FreeBSD forwarding Performance page.

Start your script with “sh -x”:

[root@router]~#sh -x /usr/local/sbin/system

If you want to create some RC scripts, you need to start by reading Practical rc.d scripting in BSD.