[blog.git] / content / posts / you-dont-have-to-be-a-geek-to-setup-freedombox.md

---
title: "You don’t have to be a geek to setup FreedomBox!"
date: 2017-03-15T17:40:09+05:30
lastmod: 2020-10-04T17:40:09+05:30
tags : [ "freedombox", "self-hosting" ]
categories : [ "privacy" ]
layout: post
type:  "post"
highlight: false
---

## What is this FreedomBox thingy?

Watch this [4-minute video](https://www.youtube.com/?watch=8dMrI74Ti4M) to learn what it is.

Well, the important concept to grasp here is that, servers that enable communication for a lot of people can be big and expensive, but to serve the needs of one family, all you need is a simple Single Board Computer like Raspberry Pi or [OLinuXino-Lime2](https://wiki.debian.org/FreedomBox/Hardware/A20-OLinuXino-Lime2)

**Note:** If you want to use FreedomBox with OLinuXino-Lime2, the best option is to buy the [Pioneer Edition FreedomBox](https://freedombox.org/buy/) which comes pre-installed with the software.

Apart from the privacy-enabling stuff, it also has a chat client, web-based bit-torrent client, blogging software, ad-blocking using proxy server, file synchronization, a social networking server, VoIP server etc. It’s a convenient little thing to have, with lots of utilities.

## FreedomBox setup on a Raspberry Pi

**Disclaimer:** I didn’t mean to write a tutorial, but just to explain how I setup my FreedomBox. I felt that there might be a lot of people like me who may find this useful. I’ve used a MacBook and a Raspberry Pi in my setup process. Also, tried it on two different routers. Please take my advice with a pinch of salt. *This is neither official nor recommended.*

In this setup, the FreedomBox acts as a home server connected as just another device to the router. The FreedomBox can also act as a router which can have some additional benefits.

Download the image for Raspberry Pi from the FreedomBox website. In my case, I downloaded this one — [http://ftp.skolelinux.org/pub/freedombox/0.9/freedombox-testing-nonfree_0.9_raspberry2-armhf.img.xz](http://ftp.skolelinux.org/pub/freedombox/0.9/freedombox-testing-nonfree_0.9_raspberry2-armhf.img.xz)

Put the SD card of your Raspberry Pi into a card reader and connect it to your laptop. There’s a nifty little utility called [Etcher](https://etcher.io/) which can quickly get the above image installed on the memory card, in just 3 steps. Insert the SD card into the Raspberry Pi. We’re done with FreedomBox installation.

This is where the Wi-Fi router comes in.

Connect your Raspberry Pi to the router using an ethernet cable.
Connect to your router’s web interface using some URL like 192.168.1.1 or 10.0.0.1. Try both 1.1 and 0.1 with both the series.

For D-Link routers, the default username is *admin* and the password field must be left blank.
If you’re in Hyderabad and using the ACT FiberNet’s router like me, the default username is *admin* and password is *radinet_admin*. Search on Quora if these don’t work for you. There are some other combinations.

See the connected devices on your router and find the FreedomBox’s IP address. Hit that IP address in your browser. You’ll see a warning that the connection is not secure, click the “Advanced …” link and proceed for this time.

Now you’re on the Plinth interface of FreedomBox. You can access the FreedomBox when your laptop is connected to this router, but not from the internet, well not yet.

To access it from the outside, you need to do port forwarding. Follow this process:
- Find the static DHCP settings on your router, and define a static IP address for your FreedomBox’s mac address (your router will show the mac address as well). I set it whatever the FreedomBox’s current IP address was.
- Next, find the setting called “IP forwarding” or DMZ on your router and add your FreedomBox’s static IP address there.
- Then, find the setting called “Port forwarding” on your router and enable port 443 (the port for HTTPS connections).

Now, if you know your public ip address (a simple google search will tell you), you can go to https://<your-public-ip> and reach your FreedomBox. But that ain’t as cool as what we’re gonna do next.

Go to FreedomBox’s plinth web interface, login (or create a new account if setting up for the first time) and click on the Configuration tab in the menu bar.
You should see an option called Dynamic DNS Client on the left. There you’ll find some instructions, but basically it tells you to go [here](http://gnudip.datasystems24.net/) and register for a dynamic DNS. Choose the domain “freedombox.rocks” for extra awesomeness!
Once you register a domain there, like joseph.freedombox.rocks, it might take a few minutes to actually start working. Then you can just use a URL like [https://myname.freedombox.rocks](https://myname.freedombox.rocks) and access your FreedomBox from anywhere. This domain name will also be necessary when setting up federated applications on the FreedomBox.

Not just you, but you can create as many user accounts as your Raspberry Pi can support for your friends and family and have secure communications and some cool utilities all hosted on a credit-card-sized computer!

Now is a great time to take a look at all the features of FreedomBox and start using them. [FreedomBox/Features — Debian Wiki](https://wiki.debian.org/FreedomBox/Features)

Congratulations! You have setup your own FreedomBox and may have turned a bit geeky as a side-effect.
Commit	Line	Data
b1833cc7 JN	1	---
	2	title: "You don’t have to be a geek to setup FreedomBox!"
	3	date: 2017-03-15T17:40:09+05:30
e02efdcc	4	lastmod: 2020-10-04T17:40:09+05:30
b1833cc7 JN	5	tags : [ "freedombox", "self-hosting" ]
	6	categories : [ "privacy" ]
	7	layout: post
	8	type: "post"
	9	highlight: false
	10	---
	11
	12	## What is this FreedomBox thingy?
	13
e02efdcc	14	Watch this [4-minute video](https://www.youtube.com/?watch=8dMrI74Ti4M) to learn what it is.
b1833cc7 JN	15
	16	Well, the important concept to grasp here is that, servers that enable communication for a lot of people can be big and expensive, but to serve the needs of one family, all you need is a simple Single Board Computer like Raspberry Pi or [OLinuXino-Lime2](https://wiki.debian.org/FreedomBox/Hardware/A20-OLinuXino-Lime2)
	17
19a95bf1	18	Note: If you want to use FreedomBox with OLinuXino-Lime2, the best option is to buy the [Pioneer Edition FreedomBox](https://freedombox.org/buy/) which comes pre-installed with the software.
e02efdcc	19
b1833cc7 JN	20	Apart from the privacy-enabling stuff, it also has a chat client, web-based bit-torrent client, blogging software, ad-blocking using proxy server, file synchronization, a social networking server, VoIP server etc. It’s a convenient little thing to have, with lots of utilities.
	21
	22	## FreedomBox setup on a Raspberry Pi
	23
	24	Disclaimer: I didn’t mean to write a tutorial, but just to explain how I setup my FreedomBox. I felt that there might be a lot of people like me who may find this useful. I’ve used a MacBook and a Raspberry Pi in my setup process. Also, tried it on two different routers. Please take my advice with a pinch of salt. This is neither official nor recommended.
	25
	26	In this setup, the FreedomBox acts as a home server connected as just another device to the router. The FreedomBox can also act as a router which can have some additional benefits.
	27
	28	Download the image for Raspberry Pi from the FreedomBox website. In my case, I downloaded this one — [http://ftp.skolelinux.org/pub/freedombox/0.9/freedombox-testing-nonfree_0.9_raspberry2-armhf.img.xz](http://ftp.skolelinux.org/pub/freedombox/0.9/freedombox-testing-nonfree_0.9_raspberry2-armhf.img.xz)
	29
	30	Put the SD card of your Raspberry Pi into a card reader and connect it to your laptop. There’s a nifty little utility called [Etcher](https://etcher.io/) which can quickly get the above image installed on the memory card, in just 3 steps. Insert the SD card into the Raspberry Pi. We’re done with FreedomBox installation.
	31
	32	This is where the Wi-Fi router comes in.
	33
	34	Connect your Raspberry Pi to the router using an ethernet cable.
	35	Connect to your router’s web interface using some URL like 192.168.1.1 or 10.0.0.1. Try both 1.1 and 0.1 with both the series.
	36
	37	For D-Link routers, the default username is admin and the password field must be left blank.
	38	If you’re in Hyderabad and using the ACT FiberNet’s router like me, the default username is admin and password is radinet_admin. Search on Quora if these don’t work for you. There are some other combinations.
	39
	40	See the connected devices on your router and find the FreedomBox’s IP address. Hit that IP address in your browser. You’ll see a warning that the connection is not secure, click the “Advanced …” link and proceed for this time.
	41
	42	Now you’re on the Plinth interface of FreedomBox. You can access the FreedomBox when your laptop is connected to this router, but not from the internet, well not yet.
	43
	44	To access it from the outside, you need to do port forwarding. Follow this process:
	45	- Find the static DHCP settings on your router, and define a static IP address for your FreedomBox’s mac address (your router will show the mac address as well). I set it whatever the FreedomBox’s current IP address was.
	46	- Next, find the setting called “IP forwarding” or DMZ on your router and add your FreedomBox’s static IP address there.
	47	- Then, find the setting called “Port forwarding” on your router and enable port 443 (the port for HTTPS connections).
	48
	49	Now, if you know your public ip address (a simple google search will tell you), you can go to https://<your-public-ip> and reach your FreedomBox. But that ain’t as cool as what we’re gonna do next.
	50
	51	Go to FreedomBox’s plinth web interface, login (or create a new account if setting up for the first time) and click on the Configuration tab in the menu bar.
	52	You should see an option called Dynamic DNS Client on the left. There you’ll find some instructions, but basically it tells you to go [here](http://gnudip.datasystems24.net/) and register for a dynamic DNS. Choose the domain “freedombox.rocks” for extra awesomeness!
	53	Once you register a domain there, like joseph.freedombox.rocks, it might take a few minutes to actually start working. Then you can just use a URL like [https://myname.freedombox.rocks](https://myname.freedombox.rocks) and access your FreedomBox from anywhere. This domain name will also be necessary when setting up federated applications on the FreedomBox.
	54
	55	Not just you, but you can create as many user accounts as your Raspberry Pi can support for your friends and family and have secure communications and some cool utilities all hosted on a credit-card-sized computer!
	56
	57	Now is a great time to take a look at all the features of FreedomBox and start using them. [FreedomBox/Features — Debian Wiki](https://wiki.debian.org/FreedomBox/Features)
	58
	59	Congratulations! You have setup your own FreedomBox and may have turned a bit geeky as a side-effect.