RESOLVED Requesting info ---> problem before installation

[Dill0n]

GE to all,
First let me apologize if this is not placed in the correct area. I am new to this forum and still searching for information even though I am in information overload.
I am attempting to install version 24.7 on to a NUC class computer manufactured by CORE (whoever the heck they are).
I have three problems:

1: Is the BSD part of 24.7 or does that have to be installed before installing the current version of OPNSense?
2: Must I use BSD as the operating system or can I use a late version of Debian
3: I have decided to use Rufus which is installed on a hard disk with a USB interface and to this end I have added OPNsense-24.7-vga-amd64.img and OPNsense-24.7-dvd-amd64.iso to Rufus.  My problem is that I have not been using Bunzip2 to decompress the .iso and .img files. What I used was 7zip and winzip and I suspect that it is not working the same way that Bunzip2 does hence when I go to install it on to the NUC computer from Rufus I end up with this error message:
kb enter: panic
stopped at kbd_enter+0x33:movq $0,0xfd9b22
and then the computer hangs.

So the reason I used the other zip programs is that I couldn't find any windows executable for the Bunzip program..

Also for the record I did try searching for the answers on this forum and I have been through the installation manual and these questions are not found according to the search tools.. But as in many other subjects you really need to know what questions to ask and I am not sure I even know that..

thanks in advance
Dillon

P.S. any help is appreciated even if its not polite

[dseven]

OPNsense is built on top of FreeBSD. FreeBSD is not Linux. It's all part of the installation media - you don't need to preinstall anything. Instructions are at https://docs.opnsense.org/manual/install.html . 7zip and Rufus are mentioned there, so they should be OK, although I might recommend trying a USB flash drive (or a microSD card in a USB card reader) instead of a USB hard drive. Failing that, it might be something (else) about your hardware. I can't find anything about "CORE" brand mini PCs - do you have any more details to share about it?

[Dill0n]

OPNsense is built on top of FreeBSD. FreeBSD is not Linux. It's all part of the installation media - you don't need to preinstall anything. Instructions are at https://docs.opnsense.org/manual/install.html . 7zip and Rufus are mentioned there, so they should be OK, although I might recommend trying a USB flash drive (or a microSD card in a USB card reader) instead of a USB hard drive. Failing that, it might be something (else) about your hardware. I can't find anything about "CORE" brand mini PCs - do you have any more details to share about it?

dseven
thank you for the reply. I know and have always known FreeBSD was not Linux.. I have used it many times before... I was just wondering if I could use Linux instead is all.  FWIW I initially read the installation doc files at 2AM (I don't sleep well)  however when I reread it again this morning more things became clear to me as the brain was not so foggy. 
I have tried several times to use etcher and load a flash drive with the IMG file  however it still isn't working even after using 7zip.. my next thing to investigate is if the downloaded files .IMG etc. actually pass muster with the signatures in my interest to get started as quick as possible I figured skip it.. I see now that was not such a great idea. 
Also the Core NUC was purchased from EBAY and is actually a nice little box however it IS an unknown quantity even thought it has all of the requirements set forth in the prerequisites for using OPNSense. I looked up the certification on the FCC web sit and found the address for the US subsidiary but no phone number... who would have guessed.. I mean its said manufacturer is in China well what isn't today?  So I have more investigations to do with that however it if means anything at all it does run windows 11 pro very well not that I ever cared about that and thankfully it is going to be overwritten.
Reading between the lines it became rather clear that the OS came with the OPNSense even though it did not explicitly say that. 

Thanks again for the reply..
Dill0n

[EricPerl]

I have not installed OPNsense barebones but I have installed proxmox barebones.
I used the MS Store version of Rufus with an ISO image.
I also needed an ISO image to create an OPNsense VM.

But you clearly need the img version to install OPNsense barebones.
Rufus actually chokes on the ISO image...
I downloaded the bz2, then all the verification steps can be performed in an Ubuntu WSL (Windows Subsystem for Linux) VM.
I unzipped from the Ubuntu WSL VM too (I copied the bz2 over, but you can do it over the mounted C:, /mnt/c/...). bzip2 is not available stock put trying that command gives you the instructions to install it.
Rufus will happily create a bootable USB stick with the resulting img.

I didn't complete the install but booted it past the point of auto-configuration.
Assuming the img was properly extracted, there's still the possibility of a corrupted USB stick...

Hopefully, your NUC doesn't come with Realtek NICs. These are known to be flaky under FreeBSD.

[Dill0n]

But you clearly need the img version to install OPNsense barebones.
Rufus actually chokes on the ISO image...

I downloaded the bz2, then all the verification steps can be performed in an Ubuntu WSL (Windows Subsystem for Linux) VM.
I unzipped from the Ubuntu WSL VM too (I copied the bz2 over, but you can do it over the mounted C:, /mnt/c/...). bzip2 is not available stock put trying that command gives you the instructions to install it.
Rufus will happily create a bootable USB stick with the resulting img.

I didn't complete the install but booted it past the point of auto-configuration.
Assuming the img was properly extracted, there's still the possibility of a corrupted USB stick...

Hopefully, your NUC doesn't come with Realtek NICs. These are known to be flaky under FreeBSD.

Thanks for reply Eric:
And I found out by trial and error that I needed to use the .img file  though I have used .iso files while loading windows etc into rufus.. so not sure the issue there but more interested in getting OPNsense installed and up and running.
Thus far I have been able to get the image to boot but not getting to the login line.. will put this info in another post under separate subject however.
Not sure about the NIC as I have not had the NUC open yet that will be coming soon.  ..

Trying to figure out how to put Resolved in front of the subject in the first post... hummm

GL 
D