Image Modification

Hi guys,

I'm trying to set up a clean build environment. I want to extend m0n0wall a bit and will submit contributions if I'm successfull. I know there is a document on how to setup a biuld environment for 1.1x but there is none for the new FreeBSD 6.x based m0n0wall. Could someone point out a good strategy to start building in a clean environment? I will be using VMware for the build environment. In the end I should be able to rebuild new images for GENERIC boxes as well as for embedded platforms. I suppose I should start downloading FreeBSD 6. But here's the first problem already: do I need 6.1 or 6.2?

Hope to hear from you soon!

Use 6.2.

A stock install should be fine for your purposes.

Ok, thanks. What do I do after installing FreeBSD 6.2? How do I get the right source from SVN and are there any scripts to facilitate compilation and image creation?

For SVN, first run 'pkg_add -r subversion', then see:
http://m0n0.ch/wall/repository.php

For instructions that may not be 100% applicable on the 6.2 releases, see:
http://doc.m0n0.ch/dev/

For a script to mount existing releases, grab workon.sh from:
http://chrisbuechler.com/m0n0wall/downloads/


And that's the extent of my development knowledge.

If your going to use a 6.2 system to build a 1.231 monowall, the userland/kernel patches meant for 4.11 won't work.

I'm personally after trying out NDIS support with monowall 1.231, but support for NDIS started in 5.x or later kernels.

Is there any information on using a FreeBSD later than 4.11 to build monowall 1.231?

You can't use a 6.x system to build a 4.x m0n0wall. That's not what he was asking.

As for trying to hack in NDIS, it'll be a LOT of work and it doesn't always work reliably. Get a natively supported NIC and save yourself a lot of time and headaches.

You can't use a 6.x system to build a 4.x m0n0wall.

I already noted that     
That was my intent.

That's not what he was asking.

No, but he was asking how to build a clean environment for a 1.231 build and folks were pointing them to  using a 6.2 base. With quotes such as "Use 6.2" and "For instructions that may not be 100% applicable on the 6.2 release" they weren't making it clear that you "should" be using a 4.11 setup for a true build environment.

workon.sh maybe useful in some cases, but not for a true build from scratch environment.

Get a natively supported NIC and save yourself a lot of time and headaches.

Would love to. However, "The m0n0wall 1.2x series only support a few 802.11b wireless adapters/chipsets".  With a wrap board in an outdoor box it doesn't leave much options for a "g" card.  Using an external bridge with control from monowall just isn't an option in that case. 

Agreed the NDIS options in FreeBSD and Linux are hit and miss on how well they work, it is at least a possible option to not lock you into (older in this case) hardware. I've used it on a FreeBSD PC platform successfully on a few adapters so it shouldn't be fully discarded or frowned upon (it wasn't named project evil for nothing) .

If you expect to back port NDIS to 4.x you're really dreaming. I thought you meant on a 6.x based version. If you want to use new wireless cards, use the 1.3 beta and use Atheros cards.

I've used NDIS myself on a FreeBSD laptop for a Linksys wireless PC Card that wasn't supported and it worked OK for normal use in a laptop. It took a bit of messing around with to make work, and it could be a little flaky. It's never something I'd use in a piece of infrastructure equipment like something running m0n0wall. You also won't get any of the more advanced functions like hostap using NDIS.

My question was if there was any known way to get 1.231 to work with a later kernel and as pointed out, no there isn't.

Thanks