The Handbook

    Theme
    • Guides
        • Check a system before installing FreeBSD
        • Orient a Linux administrator on FreeBSD
        • Supported FreeBSD releases
        • Choose a FreeBSD documentation and support channel
        • Move files safely without GNU mv -t
        • Update, upgrade, or update packages?
        • Upgrade 14.4 or 15.0 to FreeBSD 15.1
        • Choose packages, ports, or poudriere
        • Choose the quarterly or latest package branch
        • Choose a FreeBSD download or package mirror
        • Make a system setting persistent
        • Configure locale, keyboard, and time zone
        • Configure a serial console for recovery
        • Choose a custom kernel, module, or loader setting
        • Run a Linux binary with the compatibility layer
        • Check desktop and laptop hardware before installation
        • Choose and check a graphics driver
        • Choose Xorg or Wayland
        • Build a maintainable desktop baseline
        • Install and check a desktop browser
        • Check laptop Wi-Fi, power, and suspend
        • Check multimedia readiness
        • Choose and configure a printing stack
        • Run Windows applications with Wine
        • Snapshot and replicate a ZFS dataset
        • Choose a filesystem and storage layout
        • Operate ZFS without losing the recovery path
        • Restore files from a ZFS snapshot
        • Read ZFS pool health and run a scrub
        • Replace a failed device in a ZFS mirror
        • Replicate a ZFS dataset over SSH
        • Change PF safely on a remote host
        • Configure a narrow WireGuard tunnel
        • Plan a FreeBSD home server
        • Choose a mail server or an outgoing relay
        • Publish a network service safely
        • Choose a jail network model
        • Choose native jails or a jail manager
        • Choose a jail or a bhyve virtual machine
        • Establish a FreeBSD security baseline
        • Choose a MAC policy
        • Audit security-relevant activity
        • Start a DTrace performance investigation
    • Integrations
        • Create a first jail with Bastille
        • Compare jail managers and OCI tooling
        • Publish a Bastille service through PF
        • Mount a ZFS dataset in a Bastille jail
        • Update and upgrade Bastille jails
        • Back up and restore a Bastille jail
        • Prepare bhyve and vm-bhyve
        • Choose NFS or Samba for file sharing
        • Choose ZFS backup automation
        • Operate a signed poudriere repository
        • Manage FreeBSD configuration with Ansible or Salt
        • Run Motion with webcamd on FreeBSD
        • Design a reverse proxy, certificates, and monitoring
    • FAQ
      • Troubleshooting
          • Recover an interrupted freebsd-update run
          • Resolve a package repository or ABI mismatch
          • Diagnose the FreeBSD boot path
          • Recover with a ZFS boot environment
          • Diagnose DNS, routing, and firewall paths
          • Diagnose network mbuf exhaustion
          • Bind a service to a low port without running it as root
          • Diagnose audio output or input
          • Diagnose webcamd, cuse, and a webcam
          • Fix USB device permissions without opening every device
      • About this handbook
      • Connect the system to its ecosystem
        • Bastille jail lifecycle
        • Jails and virtualization
        • Packages, storage, and service operations

      Integrations

      Connect the system to its ecosystem #

      Integration guides describe the boundary between a FreeBSD facility and a maintained third-party tool. They identify which project owns each command, link to that project’s documentation, and preserve a route back to the underlying FreeBSD mechanism.

      Bastille jail lifecycle #

      • Create a first jail with Bastille prepares a release and creates a small managed jail.
      • Publish a Bastille service through PF exposes one port from a private jail.
      • Mount a host-managed ZFS dataset keeps durable data outside the jail root.
      • Update and upgrade Bastille jails separates release patches, jail changes, and rollback.
      • Back up and restore a Bastille jail protects the jail root, external data, configuration, and secrets.

      Jails and virtualization #

      • Compare jail managers and OCI tooling records current scope and stewardship without inventing a popularity ranking.
      • Prepare bhyve and vm-bhyve uses the FreeBSD-maintained vm-bhyve repository and stops at verified preparation.

      Packages, storage, and service operations #

      • Build a package repository with poudriere defines source, signing, publication, and client trust boundaries.
      • Choose ZFS backup automation compares maintained tools against the required retention, resumption, and restore behavior.
      • Run Motion with webcamd connects a proven camera device to local control, streaming, and event recording.
      • Choose NFS or Samba for file sharing begins with clients, identity, permissions, and trust.
      • Manage FreeBSD configuration declaratively separates package, service, file, and rollout ownership.
      • Design reverse proxy, certificate, and monitoring boundaries defines a maintainable public-service edge without a universal deployment recipe.

      Independent documentation. Not affiliated with or endorsed by the FreeBSD Project or the FreeBSD Foundation.

      Report a bug
      • Connect the system to its ecosystem
        • Bastille jail lifecycle
        • Jails and virtualization
        • Packages, storage, and service operations