Help with installing the thing on a PC (dual boot)

[N00byGeek]

Hi,
please forgive my nooby question but I did´t get it from the tutorial past the USB media creation.
I want to install OPNsense on a notebook using dual boot Ubuntu/Win10 (please no advices to virtualizing Win in Ubuntu, as it has not a strong hardware).

As i understand, the OPNsense image needs to install first on a HDD, but I do not know how to proceed afterwards. Can I simply run a Win10 installation process from an USB stick, after I installed OPNsense (and partitioned the HDD)? Afterwards doing the same for Ubuntu.

In case Win 10 install is not supported, I am fine with doing only with Ubuntu (so no dual boot).

p.s.: I prefer the MBR / BIOS type of install.

Thank you very much for a hint

[bartjsmit]

Actually, OPNsense is based on FreeBSD so you would need to triple-boot 

You could have a look here: https://basicbsd.wordpress.com/2018/01/28/bad-install/

Bart...

[N00byGeek]

Thank you for the link. I will see if I can figure it out :-)

Just a simple question: is OPNsense a firewall to protect other operating systems of a (home) computer, or is it a software intended for servers only?

Thanks :-)

[bartjsmit]

Just a simple question: is OPNsense a firewall to protect other operating systems of a (home) computer, or is it a software intended for servers only?

It is neither

OPNsense is an appliance based on hardenedbsd which turns a computer into a network firewall. https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/products/security/firewalls/what-is-a-firewall.html

Host firewalls cannot offer the same level of security, since they share the system that they are meant to be protecting. Any malware can alter or disable the host firewall but it will have a much harder job tampering with the network firewall, especially if you reduce the attack surface by minimising the services that OPNsense offers, such as DNS, web proxy, etc.

Bart...

[N00byGeek]

So in order to sum it up, an effective solution for example would be grabbing an unused PC, turn it into a home network firewall and connect my main workstation into it to provide internet connection? :-)

Thank you

[miroco]

I found this excerpt enlightening.

Don't forget ECC Ram.

miroco

[bartjsmit]

So in order to sum it up, an effective solution for example would be grabbing an unused PC, turn it into a home network firewall and connect my main workstation into it to provide internet connection? :-)

Spot on, that's exactly how to use OPNsense 

For home use, it can be relatively low spec. Check out the hardware requirements: https://wiki.opnsense.org/manual/hardware.html

Bart...

[N00byGeek]

I found this excerpt enlightening.

Don't forget ECC Ram.

miroco

Thank you. ECC RAM because of security or stability? 

[N00byGeek]

So in order to sum it up, an effective solution for example would be grabbing an unused PC, turn it into a home network firewall and connect my main workstation into it to provide internet connection? :-)

Spot on, that's exactly how to use OPNsense 

For home use, it can be relatively low spec. Check out the hardware requirements: https://wiki.opnsense.org/manual/hardware.html

Bart...

Ah, so now I got the primary mode of operation  Sounds feasibly. With a throughput say 8-15 Mbps, I see no problem in most scenarios. And with the recent refreshment of desktop CPU market, might be even more interesting 
Thank you

Long live open-source movement! :-)