Hi,
Is it possible to run the latest version of OPNsense purely from a USB stick as a hard disk? I heard that many people did it but is it still supported and what do I need to look out for or change within settings to make it run properly?
Thanks
Sure, you can install one or flash the Nano image which is much easier. Some sticks don't work. Some can be slow, but also depends on USB speed of the box.
Cheers,
Franco
Quote from: franco on September 03, 2026, 09:26:42 PMSure, you can install one or flash the Nano image which is much easier. Some sticks don't work. Some can be slow, but also depends on USB speed of the box.
Cheers,
Franco
Are there any settings to be changed on the Nano image? I read online people were saying that you need to offload the logs into RAM to minimize the wear of the USB.
Which is a preset in the Nano image :)
Nice ! Thanks :)
Quote from: BigFreddy on September 03, 2026, 06:15:09 PMIs it possible to run the latest version of OPNsense purely from a USB stick as a hard disk? I heard that many people did it but is it still supported and what do I need to look out for or change within settings to make it run properly?
Please keep in mind that USB sticks typically don't have SMART or similar interfaces, so if you want to run this setup for a longer time, you will have no proper means to check for flash cell wear or other issues.
Quote from: s5n on September 04, 2026, 09:53:21 PMPlease keep in mind that USB sticks typically don't have SMART or similar interfaces
The ones that are basically a SSD inside do have it I believe ?!
But it's something that I would not recommend to anyone to be honest : Just get a cheap SSD instead :)