I set up a FreeBSD server at home and wanted to run a server on it. Since I have a dynamic IP address from my ISP, Verizon FiOS, I need to have a DNS server point at my machine. I used DynDNS.org, which is a service I recommend warmly. They used to have lifetime accounts for $35, and their support – when I used it – was committed and knowledgeable so I recommend them. Anyway, you need to keep the DNS server pointing at your current dynamic IP address, and to do that, you need software to perform the updates.
You can download the client from DynDns.org website which also features most of the installation instructions. Nonetheless, the README file accompanying ddclient (which is written in Perl) assumes configurations that are just a smidge off from what FreeBSD does.
What you need to do is:
- Download and extract ddclient from the tgz file (
tar -xvf ddclient-X.X.X.tgz) - Copy the file ddclient to
/usr/sbin - Create a directory
/etc/ddclientand put the configuration file ( sample-etc_ddclient.conf) in it, calling itddclient.conf. (either work off of the sample included with ddclient, or use the one from DynDNS.org) - Copy the daemon shell script,
sample-etc_rc.d_init.d_ddclientto/usr/local/etc/rc.d/, calling itddclient. - Make ddclient run as a daemon by adding the line:
ddclient_enable="YES"
to the file /etc/rc.conf
Then, test run ddclient by using the line:
ddclient -daemon=0 -debug -verbose -noquiet.
If all is well, call the command:
ddclient start
and you should be up and running.
