--- /dev/null
+# Installing on FreeBSD
+
+This document was written for FreeBSD 12.1, but should be trivially trailerable to future releases.
+Additionally, this guide document can be modified to
+
+## Required software
+
+This assumes the target system has `pkg(8)`.
+
+`# pkg install elixir postgresql12-server postgresql12-client postgresql12-contrib git-lite sudo nginx gmake acme.sh`
+
+Copy the rc.d scripts to the right directory:
+
+Setup the required services to automatically start at boot, using `sysrc(8)`.
+
+```
+# sysrc nginx_enable=YES
+# sysrc postgresql_enable=YES
+```
+
+## Initialize postgres
+
+```
+# service postgresql initdb
+# service postgresql start
+```
+
+## Configuring Pleroma
+
+Create a user for Pleroma:
+
+```
+# pw add user pleroma -m
+# echo 'export LC_ALL="en_US.UTF-8"' >> /home/pleroma/.profile
+# su -l pleroma
+```
+
+Clone the repository:
+
+```
+$ cd $HOME # Should be the same as /home/pleroma
+$ git clone -b stable https://git.pleroma.social/pleroma/pleroma.git
+```
+
+Configure Pleroma. Note that you need a domain name at this point:
+
+```
+$ cd /home/pleroma/pleroma
+$ mix deps.get
+$ mix pleroma.instance gen # You will be asked a few questions here.
+$ cp config/generated_config.exs config/prod.secret.exs # The default values should be sufficient but you should edit it and check that everything seems OK.
+```
+
+Since Postgres is configured, we can now initialize the database. There should
+now be a file in `config/setup_db.psql` that makes this easier. Edit it, and
+*change the password* to a password of your choice. Make sure it is secure, since
+it'll be protecting your database. As root, you can now initialize the database:
+
+```
+# cd /home/pleroma/pleroma
+# sudo -Hu postgres -g postgres psql -f config/setup_db.psql
+```
+
+Postgres allows connections from all users without a password by default. To
+fix this, edit `/var/db/postgres/data12/pg_hba.conf`. Change every `trust` to
+`password`.
+
+Once this is done, restart Postgres with `# service postgresql restart`.
+
+Run the database migrations.
+
+Back as the pleroma user, you will need to do this whenever you update with `git pull`:
+
+```
+# su -l pleroma
+$ cd /home/pleroma/pleroma
+$ MIX_ENV=prod mix ecto.migrate
+```
+
+## Configuring nginx
+
+Install the example configuration file
+`/home/pleroma/pleroma/installation/pleroma.nginx` to
+`/usr/local/etc/nginx/nginx.conf`.
+
+Note that it will need to be wrapped in a `http {}` block. You should add
+settings for the nginx daemon outside of the http block, for example:
+
+```
+user nginx nginx;
+error_log /var/log/nginx/error.log;
+worker_processes 4;
+
+events {
+}
+```
+
+Edit the defaults:
+
+* Change `ssl_certificate` and `ssl_trusted_certificate` to
+`/etc/ssl/example.tld/fullchain`.
+* Change `ssl_certificate_key` to `/etc/ssl/example.tld/key`.
+* Change `example.tld` to your instance's domain name.
+
+## Configuring acme.sh
+
+We'll be using acme.sh in Stateless Mode for TLS certificate renewal.
+
+First, get your account fingerprint:
+
+```
+$ sudo -Hu nginx -g nginx acme.sh --register-account
+```
+
+You need to add the following to your nginx configuration for the server
+running on port 80:
+
+```
+ location ~ ^/\.well-known/acme-challenge/([-_a-zA-Z0-9]+)$ {
+ default_type text/plain;
+ return 200 "$1.6fXAG9VyG0IahirPEU2ZerUtItW2DHzDzD9wZaEKpqd";
+ }
+```
+
+Replace the string after after `$1.` with your fingerprint.
+
+Start nginx:
+
+```
+# service nginx start
+```
+
+It should now be possible to issue a cert (replace `example.com`
+with your domain name):
+
+```
+$ sudo -Hu nginx -g nginx acme.sh --issue -d example.com --stateless
+$ acme.sh --install-cert -d example.com \
+ --key-file /path/to/keyfile/in/nginx/key.pem \
+ --fullchain-file /path/to/fullchain/nginx/cert.pem \
+```
+
+Let's add auto-renewal to `/etc/daily.local`
+(replace `example.com` with your domain):
+
+```
+/usr/pkg/bin/sudo -Hu nginx -g nginx \
+ /usr/pkg/sbin/acme.sh -r \
+ -d example.com \
+ --cert-file /etc/nginx/tls/cert \
+ --key-file /etc/nginx/tls/key \
+ --ca-file /etc/nginx/tls/ca \
+ --fullchain-file /etc/nginx/tls/fullchain \
+ --stateless
+```
+
+## Creating a startup script for Pleroma
+
+Pleroma will need to compile when it initially starts, which typically takes a longer
+period of time. Therefore, it is good practice to initially run pleroma from the
+command-line before utilizing the rc.d script. That is done as follows:
+
+```
+# su -l pleroma
+$ cd $HOME/pleroma
+$ MIX_ENV=prod mix phx.server
+```
+
+Copy the startup script to the correct location and make sure it's executable:
+
+```
+# cp /home/pleroma/pleroma/installation/freebsd/rc.d/pleroma /usr/local/etc/rc.d/pleroma
+# chmod +x /etc/rc.d/pleroma
+```
+
+Add the following to `/etc/rc.conf`:
+
+```
+pleroma=YES
+pleroma_home="/home/pleroma"
+pleroma_user="pleroma"
+```
+
+Run `# /etc/rc.d/pleroma start` to start Pleroma.
+
+## Conclusion
+
+Restart nginx with `# /etc/rc.d/nginx restart` and you should be up and running.
+
+If you need further help, contact niaa on freenode.
+
+Make sure your time is in sync, or other instances will receive your posts with
+incorrect timestamps. You should have ntpd running.
+
+#### Further reading
+
+{! backend/installation/further_reading.include !}
+
+## Questions
+
+Questions about the installation or didn’t it work as it should be, ask in [#pleroma:matrix.org](https://matrix.heldscal.la/#/room/#freenode_#pleroma:matrix.org) or IRC Channel **#pleroma** on **Freenode**.