Install FreeBSD 14.1 with UFSv2 and GELI encryption on a UEFI based system.

freebsd-ufs-geli-efi.txt

These are my notes for installing FreeBSD on a UEFI based system using the UFSv2 filesystem and encrypting it with GELI.

## Introduction

I've set up Windows 11 on my Lenovo x280. I now want to install FreeBSD alongside Windows 11.
I've already replaced the default UEFI boot manager with rEFInd. Now comes the FreeBSD installation. Let's go.

## Commands

1. Create a bootable FreeBSD amd64 USB key. Go to https://www.freebsd.org and download the latest release.
2. Burn the image onto a USB disk (dd or rufus). Make sure to enable the UEFI mode if you burn the ISO with rufus.
3. Boot off of the USB key and into the FreeBSD live system.
4. At the FreeBSD blue installer menu, choose "Shell". Let's get down to work.

I'm installing FreeBSD alongside Windows 11. Hence I don't have to create and format an EFI partion since Windows
already created it. I will have to mount it and install the FreeBSD EFI bootloader.

5. Mount the EFI partition.

mount_msdosfs /dev/nda0p1 /mnt

6. Create a directory in the EFI partiton to store the bootloader.

mkdir /mnt/EFI/freebsd

7. Copy the bootloader.

cp /boot/loader.efi /mnt/EFI/freebsd/

8. Unmount

umount /mnt

We're done with the EFI bootloader part. Let's move on to creating FreeBSD partitions, formatting them
and installing FreeBSD.

9. Create FreeBSD partitons.

gpart add -t freebsd-swap -l freebsd-swap -a 4k -s 4G nda0
gpart add -t freebsd-ufs -l freebsd-root -a 4k -s 4G nda0
gpart add -t freebsd-ufs -l freebsd-var -a 4k -s 4G nda0
gpart add -t freebsd-ufs -l freebsd-tmp -a 4k -s 1G nda0
gpart add -t freebsd-ufs -l freebsd-usr -a 4k nda0

10. Encrypt them with GELI.

geli onetime -l 256 nda0p6
geli init -g -l 256 -s 4096 nda0p7 nda0p8 nda0p9 nda0p10
geli attach nda0p7 nda0p8 nda0p9 nda0p10

11. Format them.

newfs -jU -L freebsd-root /dev/nda0p7.eli
newfs -L freebsd-var /dev/nda0p8.eli
newfs -L freebsd-tmp /dev/nda0p9.eli
newfs -jU -L freebsd-usr /dev/nda0p10.eli

12. Create FS layout.

mkdir /tmp/fbsd
mount /dev/nda0p7.eli /tmp/fbsd
mkdir /tmp/fbsd/var
mkdir /tmp/fbsd/tmp
mkdir /tmp/fbsd/usr
mount /dev/nda0p8.eli /tmp/fbsd/var
mount /dev/nda0p9.eli /tmp/fbsd/tmp
mount /dev/nda0p10.eli /tmp/fbsd/usr

13. Extract FreeBSD.

tar xvzpf /usr/freebsd-dist/kernel.txz -C /tmp/fbsd
tar xvzpf /usr/freebsd-dist/base.txz -C /tmp/fbsd

14. Configure fstab.

chroot /tmp/fbsd

cat > /etc/fstab
/dev/nda0p7.eli   /            ufs     rw     1     1
/dev/nda0p6.eli   none         swap    sw     0     0
/dev/nda0p8.eli   /var         ufs     rw     1     1
/dev/nda0p9.eli   /tmp         ufs     rw     1     1
/dev/nda0p10.eli  /usr         ufs     rw     1     1
^D

15. Enable GELI in the /boot/loader.conf file and set root partition to boot from.

cat > /boot/loader.conf
geom_eli_load="YES"
vfs.root.mountfrom="ufs:nda0p7.eli"
^D

16. Configure /etc/rc.conf.

cat > /etc/rc.conf
hostname="foobar"
keymap="us.acc.kbd"
syslogd_flags="-ss"
sshd_enable="YES"
moused_enable="YES"
clear_tmp_enable="YES"
^D

17. Set root password.

passwd root

18. Exit chroot and reboot.

exit
init 6

You're done. Congratulations! Enjoy!