FreeBSD 14.3 now available
We now provide a FreeBSD 14.3 ISO image for installation on our VPS platform. We’ve fully tested FreeBSD to work with our virtualization infrastructure, so you can run FreeBSD with confidence on your virtual server.
How to install FreeBSD on your VPS
FreeBSD is not available for automatic deployment through our templates. Instead, you’ll install it manually using our ISO boot feature. Here’s how:
Step 1: Deploy a Linux virtual server
First, deploy any Linux virtual server through ServerPoint’s Client Portal. The Linux distribution doesn’t matter since you’ll be replacing it with FreeBSD - just choose the disk size and resources you need.
Step 2: Access the ISO boot option
- Log in to ServerPoint’s Client Portal
- Navigate to Manage VS to see the list of your virtual servers
- Find your virtual server and click the gear icon next to it
- Click the Actions tab
Step 3: Boot the FreeBSD ISO
In the Actions tab, you’ll find an option to reboot the VS while booting an ISO. Select the FreeBSD 14.3 ISO and initiate the reboot.
Step 4: Perform the installation
Once the server boots from the ISO, you’ll need to connect to the console (available through the portal) and perform a standard FreeBSD installation:
- Follow the FreeBSD installer prompts
- Configure your disk layout (we recommend ZFS)
- Set up networking with your assigned IP address
- Create your user accounts
- Complete the installation and reboot
After installation, your VPS will boot into your new FreeBSD system.
Recommended specifications
For FreeBSD 14.3, we recommend:
- RAM: 1 GB minimum, 2 GB or more for comfortable operation
- Disk space: 20 GB minimum, more if using ZFS with snapshots
FreeBSD is efficient with resources, but ZFS benefits from additional RAM for caching (the ARC). If you plan to use ZFS heavily, consider allocating more memory.
Why choose FreeBSD?
FreeBSD is a complete, mature operating system with a long history of reliability and performance. While Linux dominates the server market, FreeBSD offers distinct advantages that make it the preferred choice for many experienced system administrators and specific workloads.
ZFS - the best filesystem
FreeBSD includes native ZFS support, and it’s the recommended filesystem for FreeBSD installations. ZFS provides:
- Data integrity: Checksums on all data and metadata detect and correct silent data corruption
- Snapshots: Create instant, space-efficient snapshots for backups or before making changes
- Compression: Built-in transparent compression saves disk space without application changes
- RAID without hardware: Software RAID with better reliability than traditional hardware RAID
- Copy-on-write: Data is never overwritten in place, preventing corruption from power failures
ZFS on FreeBSD is mature and production-ready - Netflix runs their entire streaming infrastructure on FreeBSD with ZFS.
Jails - lightweight containerization done right
FreeBSD jails predate Docker by over a decade and provide OS-level virtualization with strong isolation. Jails allow you to:
- Run multiple isolated environments on a single FreeBSD system
- Share the kernel while maintaining complete separation between jails
- Allocate resources (CPU, memory, disk) to individual jails
- Run different services in isolated security contexts
Jails are simpler and more mature than Linux containers, with fewer moving parts and a smaller attack surface.
Security-first design
FreeBSD has a strong security track record:
- Capsicum: A capability-based security framework for sandboxing applications
- Mandatory Access Control (MAC): Fine-grained access control beyond traditional Unix permissions
- Security event auditing: Comprehensive logging for security-sensitive events
- Regular security updates: The FreeBSD Security Team actively maintains the base system
The entire base system is developed together, which means security updates are coordinated and comprehensive rather than scattered across hundreds of independent packages.
Consistent, coherent system
Unlike Linux distributions that assemble components from many different projects, FreeBSD develops the kernel, userland utilities, and documentation as a single coherent project. This means:
- Consistent documentation: The FreeBSD Handbook is comprehensive and accurate
- Unified development: No conflicts between different project maintainers
- Stable interfaces: APIs and behaviors remain consistent across updates
- Easier troubleshooting: One source tree, one bug tracker, one community
Excellent network performance
FreeBSD’s network stack is highly optimized and has been the basis for many commercial networking products. Features include:
- High-performance TCP/IP stack: Tuned for both latency and throughput
- pf firewall: Powerful packet filtering from OpenBSD, fully integrated
- IPFW: Alternative firewall with different strengths
- Network virtualization (VNET): Separate network stacks for jails
Netflix chose FreeBSD specifically for its network performance, serving a significant portion of global internet traffic.
Ports and packages
FreeBSD’s Ports Collection provides over 30,000 third-party applications:
- Ports: Build software from source with customization options
- Packages: Install pre-built binaries for quick deployment
- pkg: Modern package manager with dependency resolution
You get the flexibility to compile with custom options when needed, or the speed of binary packages when you don’t.
Licensing
FreeBSD uses the BSD license, which is more permissive than the GPL. This means:
- Companies can use FreeBSD code in proprietary products
- No obligation to release modifications (though many do anyway)
- Simpler legal compliance for commercial use
PlayStation, Nintendo Switch, and many network appliances run on FreeBSD-derived code.
Getting help with FreeBSD
FreeBSD has excellent documentation:
- FreeBSD Handbook: Comprehensive guide covering installation, configuration, and administration
- FreeBSD Forums: Active community for questions and discussion
- FreeBSD Manual Pages: Detailed documentation for every command and configuration file
Ready to try FreeBSD? Deploy a VPS and install FreeBSD 14.3 using our ISO boot feature.