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YetAnotherRandomUser
Asked: 2016-04-03 18:23:01 +0800 CST

Install and run pfsense on the same USB stick?

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I'd like to run a pfSense box from just a thumb drive (possibly because I don't know why I need a hard drive?). I have tested pfSense booting and running from the embedded USB image, and got it working mostly to my satisfaction. However, I discovered during an unplanned power outage that the config file was not saved. Thankfully, I had backed it up. However, I could not figure out a way to get pfSense to take the config file until I added more hardware (a USB hub and another USB stick with the config file).

Is it possible to have pfSense boot from, run from, and save the config file to the same USB stick? I can get a bigger stick if I need to. Currently I am using a 1GB stick, which I believe is more than sufficient.

I'm currently using this version: pfSense-memstick-2.2.6-RELEASE-i386.img.gz

pfsense

1 Answers

  1. Best Answer

    It turns out I overlooked something. I was using the "USB Memstick" version, which is a USB LiveCD, when I should have used the "Embedded (NanoBSD)" version. Somehow, I had confused them; they both talk about how flash have limited write cycles.

    Read more here: https://www.pfsense.org/download/

    Install pfSense TO USB FROM USB Stick/Flash?

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