/Install_FreeBSD_on_Hetzner

Install FreeBSD 14.0 on Hetzner server

Hetzner no longer offers direct install of FreeBSD, but we can do it ourselves. Here is how :)

Boot the hetzner server in Hetnzer Debain based rescue mode. ssh into it. then:

/dev/nvme0n1 /dev/nvme1n1

or

/dev/sda /dev/sdb

wget https://mfsbsd.vx.sk/files/iso/14/amd64/mfsbsd-14.0-RELEASE-amd64.iso

qemu-system-x86_64 \
    -cdrom mfsbsd-14.0-RELEASE-amd64.iso   \
    -drive format=raw,file=/dev/sda        \
    -drive format=raw,file=/dev/sdb        \
    -nic user,hostfwd=tcp::2222-:22        \
    -display curses                        \
    -boot d                                \
    -m 8G                                  \
    -k de

basically have a mini VPS with mfsbsd running with real disk passthrough and console access, just like a KVM, so I can install as usual - and then I can even test my installation directly by booting from it in the same way! Then when it works I just boot the server normal (ie directly into FreeBSD) and if I ever b0rk something up I boot the Linux rescue image and run mfsbsd again!

Source: https://www.reddit.com/r/freebsd/comments/wf7h34/hetzner_has_silently_dropped_support_for_freebsd/ijcxgvb/

Start install

Log in from the console

  • login: root
  • password: mfsroot

Start the FreeBSD installer

bsdinstall

Proceed with installation. When done, "power off" the qemu VM

poweroff

Check that it works

Now boot the physical disks in qemu without having the CD ISO attached.

qemu-system-x86_64 \
    -drive format=raw,file=/dev/sda        \
    -drive format=raw,file=/dev/sdb        \
    -nic user,hostfwd=tcp::2222-:22        \
    -display curses                        \
    -boot d                                \
    -m 8G                                  \
    -k de

Before you reboot the host machine

Qemu provides an emulated NIC to the VM. So if the physical network in the host uses a NIC that needs a different driver, the NIC name will be different in the VM from what it will be when running FreeBSD on the hardware.

The Qemu NIC will appear as re0.

However in my case the physical NIC in the machine uses a different driver and appears as igb0 when running FreeBSD on the hardware.

The Hetzner Debian based rescue system will give you a minimal description of the NIC in the machine when you ssh into it. Make note of that. If it's intel, you can put and entry for both igb0 in addtion to re0 in your /etc/rc.conf and then when you boot and ssh into the machine you will see which one was used and then you can update your /etc/rc.conf accordingly.

If the NIC is not Intel, you have to find out what Linux commands to use in the Hetzner Debian based rescue system to show more details about your NIC, and then you need to figure out which FreeBSD NIC driver is correct for that one and edit your /etc/rc.conf accordingly.

For reference, here is what the complete /etc/rc.conf from one of my Hetzner servers looks like currently:

hostname="blacksmith"
clear_tmp_enable="YES"

syslogd_flags="-ss"
sendmail_enable="NONE"

# Used when booting in Qemu
ifconfig_re0="DHCP"
ifconfig_re0_ipv6="inet6 accept_rtadv"

# Used when booting on hardware
ifconfig_igb0_name="extif"
ifconfig_extif="DHCP"
ifconfig_extif_ipv6="inet6 2a01:4f9:xxxx:xxxx:xxxx:xxxx:xxxx:xxxx prefixlen 80"
ipv6_defaultrouter="fe80::1%extif"

# Set dumpdev to "AUTO" to enable crash dumps, "NO" to disable
dumpdev="NO"

zfs_enable="YES"

ntpdate_enable="YES"
ntpd_enable="YES"
powerd_enable="YES"

sshd_enable="YES"

wireguard_enable="YES"
wireguard_interfaces="wg0"

jail_enable="YES"

Moment of truth

Reboot the host machine. All goes well, you'll be able to ssh into it and find a running FreeBSD system :D