Convert an existing firewall

An existing firewall can be converted in place. The Ixolate package rebrands the system, pins updates to the Ixolate repository and adds the Updates & License page. Your configuration, rules, VPNs and certificates stay untouched.

Eligibility

• A firewall on a supported series, 24.7 through 26.7. Series 24.1 is not supported.
• A standard (non-business) installation. Boxes with a vendor business subscription are converted only together with support.
• Shell access as root (SSH, or option 8 on the console menu).
• Outbound HTTPS to repo.ixolate.com.

Take a configuration backup first (System › Configuration › Backups).

1. Install the package

From a root shell:

pkg add https://repo.ixolate.com/ixolate/all/os-theme-ixolate.pkg

The package name without a version always resolves to the latest release. Installation is automatic and takes under a minute. It:

• rebrands the product name, login page, console banner, boot logo and message of the day;
• generates the Ixolate theme from the core theme that is actually running, so it always matches your series;
• hides the stock firmware, snapshot, factory-defaults, help and license menu entries;
• registers the signed Ixolate package repository and its public key;
• pins the operating-system mirror to repo.ixolate.com;
• selects the ixolate theme once. A later manual theme choice is respected.

The web interface stays up during the change; reload the page afterwards.

2. Enter the subscription key

Open System › Updates & License, paste the subscription key from 8Labs and save. The page shows the effective mirror:

https://repo.ixolate.com/<your key>

Click Check for updates. Updates within the running series are installed from this page; jumping to a new series is done together with support.

Without a key the box keeps working but reports no-subscription: the package tree is frozen and no operating-system updates arrive.

3. Support license (optional)

The same page shows the Hardware ID. Send it to [email protected]; you receive a signed license blob (IXL1…). Paste it into the license field, or from the shell:

ixolate-license install /path/to/license.txt

The license grants support entitlement. It does not gate any feature.

4. Verify

What changes for operators

• System › Firmware is replaced by System › Updates & License. Everything an operator needs for updates is there.
• Snapshots, factory defaults and the help links are hidden. Backups still work.
• Optional features are switched on from Optional Features on the same page, using the package catalogue that ships with Ixolate media. On a converted box the catalogue is fetched from the repository instead.
• Every update or license action is logged with the ixolate-update and ixolate-license syslog tags.

Undo

Support can release a box from management with ixolate-uninstall. The branding stays; the hidden menus return and the update mirror goes back to the stock default.