pfSense Documentation

https://docs.netgate.com/pfsense/en/latest
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Comprehensive technical documentation for pfSense, covering installation, configuration, firewall...
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### Boot the Netgate Installer from USB

Source: https://docs.netgate.com/pfsense/en/latest/solutions/sg-1100/reinstall-pfsense.html

At the Marvell>> prompt, type 'run usbboot' to boot the installer from the USB memstick. If the device does not boot, enter 'usb reset' and try again. If the installer still fails, use 'run usbrecovery' to wipe the drive before starting the installer.

```bash
run usbboot
```

```bash
usb reset
```

```bash
run usbboot
```

```bash
run usbrecovery
```

--------------------------------

### Install boot blocks on ada0 and ad0as1

Source: https://docs.netgate.com/pfsense/en/latest/hardware/boot-troubleshooting.html

Run these commands from a FreeBSD Live CD to install boot blocks when FreeBSD boots but pfSense does not. Note that ada0 is the first hard drive in this example.

```shell
# fdisk -B -b /boot/boot0 /dev/ada0
# bsdlabel -B /dev/ad0as1

```

--------------------------------

### Start Captive Portal process for zone MyZone

Source: https://docs.netgate.com/pfsense/en/latest/development/php-shell.html

Example of starting the Captive Portal process for zone MyZone using the svc script.

```bash
# pfSsh.php playback svc start captiveportal MyZone

```

--------------------------------

### Give pfSense Plus Priority - Current Boot Order

Source: https://docs.netgate.com/pfsense/en/latest/solutions/netgate-4200/boot-order-efi.html

Example output showing the current boot order before modification.

```text
BootOrder  : 0009, 0000, 000C, 000D, 000E, 000F, 0010, 0011, 0012, 0013, 0014, 000A

```

--------------------------------

### Check route to a specific destination with route -n get

Source: https://docs.netgate.com/pfsense/en/latest/troubleshooting/routes.html

Use `route -n get 8.8.8.8` to see how the firewall will reach a specific destination. In this example, no specific static route exists, so the default route is used.

```shell
$ route -n get 8.8.8.8
   route to: 8.8.8.8
destination: 0.0.0.0
       mask: 0.0.0.0
    gateway: 198.51.100.1
        fib: 0
  interface: igb0
      flags: <UP,GATEWAY,DONE,STATIC>
 recvpipe  sendpipe  ssthresh  rtt,msec    mtu        weight    expire
       0         0         0         0      1500         1         0

```

--------------------------------

### Install and activate a PHP module (e.g., mysqli)

Source: https://docs.netgate.com/pfsense/en/latest/development/additional-php-modules.html

Use pkg search to locate the desired version-specific package, then install it with pkg install -y. Restart PHP-FPM and the web GUI with /etc/rc.php-fpm_restart and /etc/rc.restart_webgui, then verify with php -m | grep mysqli. A reboot also activates the module but is not necessary.

```shell
# pkg search php
<locate the desired package>
# pkg install -y php74-mysqli
# /etc/rc.php-fpm_restart; /etc/rc.restart_webgui
# php -m | grep mysqli
mysqli

```

--------------------------------

### Example PHP shell session with help output

Source: https://docs.netgate.com/pfsense/en/latest/development/php-shell.html

Shows the output of the PHP shell's help command, including the welcome banner, menu options, available playback commands, and example commands. The session demonstrates how to enter commands and execute them with 'exec'.

```text
*** Welcome to pfSense ***

 WAN (wan)       -> vmx0       -> v4/DHCP4: 198.51.100.3/24
                                  v6/DHCP6: 2001:db8::ffff:22d6/128
 LAN (lan)       -> vmx1       -> v4: 10.3.0.1/24
                                  v6/t6: 2001:db8:1:eee0:20c:29ff:fe45:260/60

 0) Logout (SSH only)                  9) pfTop
 1) Assign Interfaces                 10) Filter Logs
 2) Set interface(s) IP address       11) Restart GUI
 3) Reset admin account and password  12) PHP shell + pfSense tools
 4) Reset to factory defaults         13) Update from console
 5) Reboot system                     14) Disable Secure Shell (sshd)
 6) Halt system                       15) Restore recent configuration
 7) Ping host                         16) Restart PHP-FPM
 8) Shell

Enter an option: 12

Starting the pfSense developer shell....

Welcome to the pfSense developer shell

Type "help" to show common usage scenarios.

Available playback commands:
     changepassword disablecarp disabledhcpd disablereferercheck enableallowallwan enablecarp
     enablesshd externalconfiglocator generateguicert gitsync installpkg listpkg removepkgconfig
     removeshaper restartdhcpd restartipsec svc uninstallpkg

pfSense shell: help

     Enter a series of commands and then execute the set with "exec".

     For example:
     echo "foo"; // php command
     echo "foo2"; // php command
     ! echo "heh" # shell command
     exec

     Example commands:

     record <recordingfilename>
     stoprecording
     showrecordings

     parse_config(true);  # reloads the $config array

     $temp = print_r($config, true);
     more($temp);

     /* to output a configuration array */
     print_r($config);

     /* to output the interfaces configuration portion of config.xml */
     print_r($config['interfaces']);

     /* to output the dhcp server configuration */
     print_r($config['dhcpd']);

     /* to exit the  developer shell */
     exit

     /* to output possible wireless modes for an interface */
     print_r(get_wireless_modes("ath0"));

     /* to enable SSH */
     $config['system']['enablesshd'] = true;

     /* change OPTX to the OPT interface name such as BACKHAUL */
     $config['interfaces']['optx']['wireless']['standard'] = "11a";
     $config['interfaces']['optx']['wireless']['mode'] = "hostap";
     $config['interfaces']['optx']['wireless']['channel'] = "6";

     /* to enable dhcp server for an optx interface */
     $config['dhcpd']['optx']['enable'] = true;
     $config['dhcpd']['optx']['range']['from'] = "192.168.31.100";
     $config['dhcpd']['optx']['range']['to'] = "192.168.31.150";

     /* to disable the firewall filter */
     $config['system']['disablefilter'] = true;

     /* to enable an interface and configure it as a DHCP client */
     $config['interfaces']['optx']['disabled'] = false;
     $config['interfaces']['optx']['ipaddr'] = "dhcp";

     /* to enable an interface and set a static IPv4 address */
     $config['interfaces']['wan']['enable'] = true;
     $config['interfaces']['wan']['ipaddr'] = "192.168.100.1";
     $config['interfaces']['wan']['subnet'] = "24";

     /* to save out the new configuration (config.xml) */
     write_config();

     /* to reboot the system after saving */
     system_reboot_sync();

```

--------------------------------

### reST code-block directive example

Source: https://docs.netgate.com/pfsense/en/latest/references/format-guide.html

Shows how to start a literal block using the `.. code-block::` directive followed by a blank line and three-space indentation.

```reStructuredText
.. code-block::

   code

```
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