BSDCONFIG(8)

📦 version 15.1, in freebsd 14.5, freebsd 15.1

💅 BSDCONFIG(8) — the system configuration utility, but make it a group chat

okay so bestie, picture this: you're on a FreeBSD box and literally everything needs setting up. enter bsdconfig, the system manager's manual's own main character. she's a system configuration utility and she's here to help you set up so many system configuration settings — both for brand-new systems and for changing the config on systems you already have. glow-up for your whole machine, no cap. ✨

🦋 SYNOPSIS

bsdconfig [-h]
bsdconfig command [-h]
bsdconfig [OPTIONS] [command [OPTIONS]]

💖 DESCRIPTION

bsdconfig is used to set up many system configuration settings, both for new systems, as well as changing configuration settings of existing systems. (yes I said it twice, because she does both, she contains multitudes 💅)

She optionally takes a command as an argument. And if you invoke her with no arguments at all? She brings up an interactive menu listing the available modules. it's giving "come in, sit down, let's fix your life" energy 🫶

The following options are available:

  • -d — Give lots of debugging info on standard-out while running. she's a talker 💀
  • -D file — Send debugging info to file. If file begins with a plus-sign (+), debug info is sent to both standard-out and file (minus the leading plus). best of both worlds, we love a dual-threat 👑
  • -f file — Load file as a script and then exit. If there are multiple occurrences, the program will only exit after the last occurrence. If file is a single dash (-), bsdconfig reads from standard input. stdin girlies rise 🌸
  • -h — Print usage statement and exit. the "help me help you" option 🎀
  • -S — Secure X11 mode (implies -X). As root, always prompt-for and validate sudo(8) (ports/security/sudo) username/password before starting. safety first, always 🔐
  • -X — Use Xdialog(1) (ports/x11/xdialog) in place of dialog(1). fancy GUI-flavored energy 🦋

🌈 COMMANDS

The following commands (sorted alphabetically) are currently included in the base bsdconfig program, with more to be added soon. Other commands can be added, as detailed below in the ADDING COMMANDS section, and once added, will appear in the master menu as well as in the -h listing. it's an open roster, bestie 🫶

  • console — Utilities to customize the behavior of the system console.
  • defaultrouter — Shortcut to the Default Router/Gateway menu under networking.
  • diskmgmt — Manage disk partitions and/or labels. Executes sade(8).
  • docsinstall — Executes the bsdinstall docsinstall sub-utility to allow installation/re-installation of the FreeBSD Documentation set(s).
  • dot — Generate a graphviz dot(1) (ports/graphics/graphviz) language file (printed on stdout) visualizing the bsdconfig menu, include, and shortcut structure relationships. See “bsdconfig dot -h” for more details. literally a map of the whole vibe ✨
  • groupadd — Shortcut to the Add Groups menu under groupmgmt.
  • groupdel — Shortcut to the Delete Groups menu under groupmgmt.
  • groupedit — Shortcut to the Edit/View Groups menu under groupmgmt.
  • groupmgmt — Utilities to Add/Change/View/Delete Group Accounts.
  • hostname — Shortcut to the Hostname/Domain menu under networking.
  • kern_securelevel — Shortcut to the kern.securelevel menu under security.
  • mouse — Utilities for configuring, exploring, and enabling console mouse support. 🐭
  • mouse_disable — Shortcut to the Disable menu under mouse.
  • mouse_enable — Shortcut to the Enable menu under mouse.
  • mouse_flags — Shortcut to the Flags menu under mouse.
  • mouse_port — Shortcut to the Port menu under mouse.
  • mouse_type — Shortcut to the Type menu under mouse.
  • nameservers — Shortcut to the DNS Nameservers menu under networking.
  • netdev — Shortcut to the Network Interfaces menu under networking.
  • networking — Utilities to set/change Hostname/Domain, Network Interfaces, Wireless Network, Default Router/Gateway, and DNS Nameservers. the whole connectivity package 💖
  • packages — Browse, install, uninstall, or re-install packaged software.
  • password — Set the system administrator (root) password. go change it, bestie, it's been a while 🔐
  • security — Configure various system security settings.
  • startup — Configure various aspects of system startup.
  • startup_misc — Shortcut to the Miscellaneous Startup Services menu under startup.
  • startup_rcadd — Shortcut to the Add New menu under the View/Edit Startup Configuration menu (startup_rcconf) of startup.
  • startup_rcconf — Shortcut to the View/Edit Startup Configuration menu under startup.
  • startup_rcdelete — Shortcut to the Delete menu under the View/Edit Startup Configuration menu (startup_rcconf) of startup.
  • startup_rcvar — Shortcut to the Toggle Startup Services menu under startup.
  • syscons_font — Shortcut to the Font menu under console.
  • syscons_keymap — Shortcut to the Keymap menu under console.
  • syscons_repeat — Shortcut to the Repeat menu under console.
  • syscons_saver — Shortcut to the Saver menu under console.
  • syscons_screenmap — Shortcut to the Screenmap menu under console.
  • syscons_ttys — Shortcut to the Ttys menu under console.
  • timezone — Set the regional timezone of the local machine.
  • ttys — Edit the ttys(5) database with your favorite editor.
  • useradd — Shortcut to the Add Users menu under usermgmt.
  • userdel — Shortcut to the Delete Users menu under usermgmt.
  • useredit — Shortcut to the Edit/View Users menu under usermgmt.
  • usermgmt — Utilities to Add/Edit/View/Delete User Accounts.
  • wireless — Shortcut to the Wireless Networks menu under networking.

🌍 INTERNATIONALIZATION

i18n features are built into bsdconfig and language-specific translation files will be added as they become available. In the absence of language-specific translation files, the default (en_US.ISO8859-1) files will be used. multilingual queen 🌈

🧚 ADDING COMMANDS

To be documented later. Document menu_selection="command|*" syntax of INDEX files. (yes that's literally what it says, she said "later" and meant it 💀 but the menu_selection="command|*" syntax of INDEX files is the thing to document, iykyk)

🍓 ENVIRONMENT VARIABLES

The following environment variables affect the execution of bsdconfig:

  • LANG — If LANG is set, messages and index information will be read from files named messages.$LANG and INDEX.$LANG and fall back to files named messages and INDEX if messages.$LANG and INDEX.$LANG do not exist. LANG takes precedence over LC_ALL. she picks favorites, and it's LANG 💅
  • LC_ALL — If LC_ALL is set, messages and index information will be read from files named messages.$LC_ALL and INDEX.$LC_ALL and fall back to files named messages and INDEX if messages.$LC_ALL and INDEX.$LC_ALL do not exist.

🎀 FILES

  • /usr/share/examples/bsdconfig/bsdconfigrc can be copied to $HOME/.bsdconfigrc and customized as needed. copy-paste-and-personalize, the original DIY 🫶

⭐ EXIT STATUS

The bsdconfig utility exits 0 on success, and >0 if an error occurs. zero is the slay number, anything higher means something went sideways 😭

👑 SEE ALSO

🌸 HISTORY

bsdconfig first appeared in FreeBSD 9.2. an icon from way back ✨

💜 AUTHORS

  • Ron McDowell
  • Devin Teske <dteske@FreeBSD.org>

💀 BUGS

The docsinstall and diskmgmt modules call bsdinstall. Bugs found in these modules should be considered those of bsdinstall, not bsdconfig. so if something's cursed in there, take it up with the other girl, not her 🙈

fr fr, that's the whole page. now go configure something, bestie 🦋

okay and one last thing — this whole ride is from the Debian edition, dated April 12, 2020, and it's the BSDCONFIG(8) page living in the System Manager's Manual. mwah, bye 💖

📦 where this page comes from