The old instructions for setting up FreeBSD-4.3.TMF have been moved.

Setting up FreeBSD-4.6 and later for use with Polygraph

This page describes how to install and setup a FreeBSD system that you can use for testing with Polygraph. The process is:

  1. Install the standard FreeBSD distribution
  2. Compile a new kernel with special settings
  3. Add a few lines to /etc/sysctl.conf

Installing FreeBSD

Install the standard, official FreeBSD release from CDROM or over the network. If you've never done it before, you should read Installing FreeBSD in the FreeBSD Handbook.

Build A New Kernel

Create a new kernel file and add the following three options: 

options MAXFILES=16384 
options HZ=1000 
options NMBCLUSTERS=32678

Breifly, here are the commands to make a new kernel: 

# cd /sys/i386/conf
# cp GENERIC POLYGRAPH
# vi POLYGRAPH
(add the options lines given above)
# config POLYGRAPH
# cd /sys/compile/POLYGRAPH
# make depend all install

For more information, see Configuring the FreeBSD Kernel.

Create /etc/sysctl.conf

Put these lines into /etc/sysctl.conf: 

kern.ipc.somaxconn=1024 
net.inet.ip.forwarding=1
net.inet.ip.portrange.last=40000 
net.inet.tcp.delayed_ack=0 
net.inet.tcp.msl=3000

For more information, see the sysctl(8), and sysctl.conf(5) man pages.

Reboot

With the new kernel and /etc/sysctl.conf in place, simply reboot your system. Then install Web Polygraph and begin testing.