For a GUI installation use PCBSD (Tried and like) or DesktopBSD (Have not tried).
For server installations use the regular FreeBSD
Some of the options below cover both PCBSD and FreeBSD
PC-BSD updating and installing software with Freebsd ports
Make sure you have /usr/ports/security/portaudit and /usr/ports/sysutils/portupgrade installed.
If you want to install a application, goto the directory of the application /usr/ports, change into the proper directory and type make install clean
1. cvsup /root/ports-supfile
2. pkgdb -F
3. portaudit -Fda
4. portupgrade -a
If you would like to install the Linux mode.
Install:
/usr/ports/linux_base-8
/usr/ports/x11-fonts/linux-fontconfig
/usr/ports/x11/linux-XFree86-libs
/usr/ports/textproc/linux-expat
Edit /etc/rc.conf and add linux_enable="YES" You will have to reboot for this to work.
Disabling other modules that I don`t want loaded.
Disable loading NTFS and Samba, and Edit /etc/rc.local(NTFS), Samba it could be /etc/rc.conf or /boot/loader.conf
Loading DMA for all DISKS and CDROMS
Edit the /boot/loader.conf and add this hw.ata.atapi_dma=1
Sound Configuration Stuff
Sound will skip some times when the system is under load. It might be possible to stop this by recompiling the kernel and enabling preemption.
Some people do not like the sound drivers that come with FREEBSD and so a commercial packag called Open Sound System.http://www.opensound.com To try the OSS driver , disable driver Edit the /etc/rc.local and rem out Sound stuff, To start OSS /usr/lib/oss/bin/soundon
For better quality of sound from XMMS Options > Preferences > Option > Click on Use Real Time Priority when available.
Changes to the sysctl system, sysctl -w kern.ipc.shmmax=67108864 and sysctl -w kern.ipc.shmall=32768 add to sysctl.conf
This change seems to help with sound quality problems, little clicks and lags in the sound output Edit /boot/device.hints and add at the bottom of the page hint.pcm.0.buffersize="16384" Also add in /boot/loader.conf hw.snd.pcm0.buffersize="16384"
Edit this file /etc/devfs.conf. Unrem this line "link acd0 cdrom" This will give you a cdrom device.
pcbsd# cat /dev/sndstat FreeBSD Audio Driver (newpcm)
Installed devices:
pcm0: <VIA VT8237> at io 0xcc00 irq 22 kld snd_via8233 (5p/1r/4v channels duplex default)
pcbsd# sysctl -a |grep psm
debug.psmhz: 20
debug.psm_soft_timeout: 500000
debug.psmerrsecs: 2
debug.psmerrusecs: 0
debug.psmsecs: 0
debug.psmusecs: 500000
debug.psmpkterrthresh: 2
debug.psmloglevel: 0
pcbsd# sysctl -a |grep snd
hw.snd.targetirqrate: 32
hw.snd.report_soft_formats: 1
hw.snd.verbose: 1
hw.snd.unit: 0
hw.snd.maxautovchans: 4
hw.snd.pcm0.buffersize: 4096
hw.snd.pcm0.spdif_enabled: 0
Firewall Configuration
BSD seems to have a bunch of chooses for the software you use.
Which are IPFILTER (also known as IPF), IPFIREWALL (also known as IPFW), and OpenBSD
PacketFilter (also known as PF).
IPFW is legacy stateless rules or Simple Stateful logic
Got information from http://www.acme.com/firewall.html
http://www.freebsd.org/doc/en_US.ISO8859-1/books/handbook/firewalls.html
In some cases you might have to rebuild kernel for the firewall, PCBSD 0.82 You do not.
# Enable ipfw. IPV4 Firewall
firewall_enable="YES"
firewall_type="type" # see rc.firewall for what goes here, basic put client
firewall_quiet="NO"
# Enable ip6fw. IPV6 Firewall, Should install or all IPV6 packets will go through firewall.
ipv6_firewall_enable="YES"
ipv6_firewall_type="type" # see rc.firewall6 for what goes here
ipv6_firewall_quiet="NO"
If you want to do Network Address Translation, add these defines too:
# Enable natd.
natd_enable="YES"
natd_interface="fxp0" # your public network interface
natd_flags="-m" # preserve port numbers if possible
Edit /etc/rc.firewall and put your ip range and the ports you might like open.
Make changes and save then type /etc/rc.d/ipfw restart
Check your firewall type ipfw show
K3B CD Burning, other Software that is needed.
Make sure and install theses other packages to get all available options,
dvd+rw-tools, emovix, sox, transcode and normalize.
Edit /etc/devfs.conf and add link acd0 cdrom and link acd0 dvd, now you can see these
devices when you boot up instead of just /dev/acd0 etc.
XWindows configuration
I had to custom edit the /etc/X11/XF86Config and fix up my Monitor values and also
change the video driver to nv from vesa. This was for PCBSD 0.82
Other software that I used.
I like KSSH better than SECPANEL on FREEBSD