TrueOS

TrueOS is FreeBSD based operating system with ZFS.

TrueOS is a cutting-edge FreeBSD graphical desktop operating system designed with ease-of-use in mind.

The developer merged PC version OS PC-BSD in server version OS TrueOS. https://www.trueos.org/blog/pc-bsd-evolves-into-trueos/

Installation

Preparation of an installation

https://trueos.org/downloads/

Click the 'Browse' button of the 'Browse Downloads' menu of the above link.

Enter into /master/amd64/

Download TrueOS-Desktop-18.03-x64-USB.img file. The file size is about 2.75 GB.

https://etcher.io/

Download Etcher to burn an img file on a USB media to make a bootable USB drive. Just download the portable version, not the installer version.

Etcher-Portable-1.4.4-x64.exe

You need a 4 GB USB flash drive.

Process of an installation

Select "Customize Disk Settings" at "Disk Selection".

Select "Advanced (Experienced with file systems)" at "Setup Mode".

Choose a disk or partition which you want to install TrueOS. Full dick encryption is only able on GPT, not on MBR. GELI (for FreeBSD) only supports GPT.

https://www.trueos.org/handbook/install.html#zfs-layout

https://www.freebsd.org/doc/handbook/disks-encrypting.html

You can use GPT even if you have a mainboard that doesn't support UEFI. But Windows only supports "BIOS supporting UEFI + GPT" or "legacy BIOS + MBR". So if you want to install Windows and TrueOS together, you should use a motherboard supporting UEFI.

TrueOS can be installed on a GPT partition, primary MBR partion, or free space. It can't be installed on a secondary or an extended partition.

https://www.trueos.org/handbook/install.html#basic-mode

You can't make or delete partitions when you install TrueOS. You made partitions before installation of TrueOS. Or you should use an entire disk. And geli only supports GPT, not MBR.

If you finish "Customize Disk Settings" of "Disk Selection", select "Install to disk" and click the Next button.

A boot environment is a snapshot for a specific time. You can use the boot environment, when your operating system's update fails. You don't need choose "Install into Boot Environment".

https://www.trueos.org/handbook/install.html#bsd-boot-loader

Setting during an installation

Remove the USB flash drive and reboot the system. Then you can see a message such as "GELI Passphrase for disk0p2:"

Just input your passphrase for full disk encryption.

And then, it asks you what password you want as a root password. Type what you want.

And you can make user on "User Details" tab. Input "username" and "password".

Next tab is "PersonaCrypt". PersonaCrypt device is a removable USB media.

https://sysadm.us/handbook/client/sysadmclient.html#personacrypt

The you can see the login page. The default desktop environment is Lumina but you can choose Fluxbox.

Initial settings

Network setting

If the system can't get an IP address using DHCP, you should setup manually IP address and netmask on an "Advanced" tab of the "Wireless Configuration".

If it will make an error after booting, you can choose DHCP again.

You can change MAC address on the "Advanced" tab of the "Wireless Configuration".

Date setting

You can set a date and time in the terminal.

If you want to set your date and time at 8:33 p.m., September 22, 2018, just type the below command in the terminal.

sudo date 1809222033

If you want set seconds, you can type like below. ".47" means 47 second.

sudo date 1809222033.47

If you input the below command in terminal, you can see the date and time at present.

date

• Setting date and time

Sep 23, 2010

https://forums.freebsd.org/threads/setting-date-and-time.17996/

If your computer's date is too different to the real time, you can't connect to the https websites. And you also can't connect to Tor network.

Graphic chipset driver problem

TrueOS can't find the best driver for a graphic card or graphic chipset. Or there is no good graphic driver for BSD or FreeBSd.

I used Linux on this laptop and there was no problems. But TrueOS can't show the maximum resolution of the monitor and graphic chipset. I have to use the lower resolution.

Software installation methods

Using AppCafe (Using a GUI)

Click the start button, and search AppCafe on the start menu.

Search an app's name on AppCafe, then click the "Install" button.

It is similar to Google Play Store or Apple App Store.

pkg install (On a terminal)

Finding a specific package using the terminal.

pkg search package_name

Installing it.

sudo pkg install package_name

Deleting it.

sudo pkg delete package_name

ports (Compiling a source code)

You can compile a computer program from a source code using ports. But TrueOS doesn't have ports' list so you should fetch them.

Type the below command on the terminal to fetch ports.

sudo git clone http://github.com/trueos/freebsd-ports.git /usr/ports

If you want to update ports, input the below commands.

cd /usr/ports
sudo git pull

https://www.trueos.org/handbook/using.html#freebsd-ports

You can use another command in the terminal to fetch ports.

portsnap auto

You can compile a software using this version ports, but I couldn't run the software. Maybe there are some problems.

• FreeBSD ports?

Maybe 2018 May

https://www.reddit.com/r/TrueOS/comments/8i31pr/freebsd_ports/

Software installation and use

Text editors

To install Leafpad, type the below command on the terminal.

sudo pkg install leafpad

To run LeafPad, input the below command on the terminal.

leafpad

If you install it using ports, do the below commands.

cd /usr/ports/editors/leafpad
sudo make install clean

Chromium

Chromium is an open source of Google Chrome. You can syncronize your bookmarks, extensions, and themes of your Chrome's using your Google account.

TrueOs has only Chromium, not Chrome. You can install it from AppCafe.

Or use a terminal to install it.

sudo pkg install chromium

Or compile it using ports.

cd /usr/ports/www/chromium
sudo make install clean

If you see an error message using ports, do the below command.

sudo make DISABLE_VULNERABILITIES=yes install clean

If you want to run Chromium, input the below command.

/usr/local/bin/chrome

( /usr/local/bin/chromium doesn't work!)

Or you can search Chromium from the start menu. You can load the start menu after clicking the start button.

https://www.freebsd.org/doc/handbook/desktop-browsers.html

You can use DuckDuckGo as your search engine instead of Google.

https://duckduckgo.com/html

Tor

TrueOS includes Tor. So you can run it just type the below command on the terminal.

tor

But TrueOS only include Tor, not Tor Browser Bundle, so you have to set any web brower to use Tor network.

Connection setting in Firefox

≡ -> Preferences -> General -> Network Proxy -> Settings... -> Configure Proxy Access to the Internet -> Manual proxy configuration

Manual proxy configuration

SOCKS Host: 127.0.0.1 Port: 9050

SOCKS v5

No Proxy for: localhost, 127.0.0.1

Set your Firefox like above. And check the checkbox of "Proxy DNS when using SOCKS v5".

• How to install tor browser in FreeBSD?

May 20, 2017

https://forums.freebsd.org/threads/how-to-install-tor-browser-in-freebsd.61011/

Security setting

≡ -> Preferences -> Privacy & Security -> History

In "History", click the "Clear History..." button.

≡ -> Preferences -> Privacy & Security -> History -> Firefox will

In "Firefox will", change "Remember history" into "Never remember history".

Installation of ScriptSafe add-on

≡ -> Add-ons -> Get Add-ons

Click "Find more add-ons" button.

There isn't NoScript, so search and install ScriptSafe.

Tor Mode

You can use "Tor Mode" to use Tor network for all software forcefully. It's similar to Tails.

https://www.trueos.org/handbook/using.html#tor-mode

See also

• Unix (UNIX)

• BSD

• FreeBSD

• macOS
• iOS
• TrueOS

• Linux

• Linux Mint
• Android

• Windows
• Firefox

• Orfox: Tor Browser for Android
• Tor Browser for Android: Successor to Orfox

• Tor
• I2P