How to install pfsense on virtual machine on truenas core

So, keep the entire procedure but download, uncompress and configure this image:

https://mirror.ams1.nl.leaseweb.net/opnsense/releases/24.1/OPNsense-24.1-dvd-amd64.iso.bz2

Note that it ends in .iso instead of .img after uncompressing.

When you power up the machine you will be greeted with the boot loader menu - you need to be quick to hit “3” to get at a loader prompt:

-
             ______  _____  _____                         
            /  __  |/ ___ |/ __  |                        
            | |  | | |__/ | |  | |___  ___ _ __  ___  ___ 
            | |  | |  ___/| |  | / __|/ _ \ '_ \/ __|/ _ \
            | |__| | |    | |  | \__ \  __/ | | \__ \  __/
            |_____/|_|    |_| /__|___/\___|_| |_|___/\___|

 ???????????????????????????????????????????     @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@
 ?                                         ?   @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@
 ?  1. Boot Multi user [Enter]             ?   @@@@@                    @@@@@
 ?  2. Boot Single user                    ?       @@@@@            @@@@@    
 ?  3. Escape to loader prompt             ?    @@@@@@@@@@@       @@@@@@@@@@@
 ?  4. Reboot                              ?         \\\\\         /////     
 ?  5. Cons: Serial                        ?   ))))))))))))       (((((((((((
 ?                                         ?         /////         \\\\\     
 ?  Options:                               ?    @@@@@@@@@@@       @@@@@@@@@@@
 ?  6. Kernel: default/kernel (1 of 1)     ?       @@@@@            @@@@@    
 ?  7. Boot Options                        ?   @@@@@                    @@@@@
 ?                                         ?   @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@
 ?                                         ?   @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@  
 ???????????????????????????????????????????                                  

The loader prompt is a simple OK - set the console to the correct value:

OK set console=comconsole
OK boot

Don’t touch, don’t interrupt the boot process, it will eventually come to a menu but unfortunately not to a login prompt because the DVD image uses VGA.

But …

You can open a second putty session and login with installer, password opnsense, to IP address 192.168.1.1.

 OPNsense Installer
 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
                               ┌───────────────────────Keymap Selection──────────────────────────┐
                               │ The system console driver for OPNsense defaults to standard     │  
                               │ "US"                                                            │  
                               │ keyboard map. Other keymaps can be chosen below.                │  
                               │ ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │  
                               │ │>>> Continue with default keymap                             │ │  
                               │ │->- Test default keymap                                      │ │  
                               │ │( ) Armenian phonetic layout                                 │ │  
                               │ │( ) Belarusian                                               │ │  
                               │ │( ) Belgian                                                  │ │  
                               │ │( ) Belgian (accent keys)                                    │ │  
                               │ │( ) Brazilian (accent keys)                                  │ │  
                               │ │( ) Brazilian (without accent keys)                          │ │  
                               │ │( ) Bulgarian (BDS)                                          │ │  
                               │ │( ) Bulgarian (Phonetic)                                     │ │  
                               │ └────↓(+)─────────────────────────────────────────────11%─────┘ │  
                               ├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤  
                               │                   <Select>          <Cancel>                    │  
                               └──────────────────[Press arrows, TAB or ENTER]───────────────────┘                                                                                                      

Or use the web browser to connect and go to System > Settings > Administration and change the primary console to “serial” - you should then get a login prompt in your first putty session.

Yes, convoluted, sorry - I don’t know why the VNC console is as broken as it is in TrueNAS.