[Tutorial] How to Install FreeBSD on Contabo VPS

[LSW]

How to Install FreeBSD on Contabo VPS (When It's Not Officially Supported)

*Descriere:## The Problem

Contabo does not offer FreeBSD as a default OS option. When users try to install FreeBSD using an ISO image via Custom Images, the installation fails because:

- ISO images require interactive installation (keyboard/screen input during setup)
- Contabo's VNC console is limited and cannot reliably complete a full OS installation
- The result is usually a "not a bootable disk" error or a stuck boot screen

The Solution:

Use a QCOW2 disk image instead of an ISO. A QCOW2 image is a pre-installed, ready-to-boot copy of the operating system — no interactive installation needed.

Since Contabo only accepts images via a direct URL (no file upload), you need to host the QCOW2 file on your existing VPS temporarily and serve it over HTTP.

Requirements:

- A Contabo VPS already running (e.g. Ubuntu)
- A Windows PC with:
- VirtualBox installed with a FreeBSD VM
- [qemu-img for Windows](https://cloudbase.it/qemu-img-windows/) installed
- SSH access to your Contabo VPS


Step 1 — Convert VDI to QCOW2

If you have a FreeBSD VM in VirtualBox, convert its `.vdi` disk to `.qcow2` format using `qemu-img`.

Open CMD on your Windows PC and run:

Conținut: Ascuns

Reacționează la acest mesaj și conținutul se va afișa automat.

> Replace paths with your actual file locations.

This will produce a `freebsd.qcow2` file (typically 2–3 GB).

Step 2 — Upload QCOW2 to Your Contabo VPS

Use `scp` to upload the file to your existing Contabo VPS:

Code:

scp "C:\Users\YourName\Desktop\freebsd.qcow2" root@YOUR_VPS_IP:/root/

Enter your VPS root password when prompted. The upload may take 10–20 minutes depending on your connection speed.


Step 3 — Start a Temporary HTTP Server on the VPS

SSH into your VPS:

Code:

ssh root@YOUR_VPS_IP

Then start a simple HTTP server in the directory containing the QCOW2 file:

Code:

python3 -m http.server 8000

Your QCOW2 file is now accessible at:

http://YOUR_VPS_IP:8000/freebsd.qcow2

Important: Keep this CMD window open during the Contabo image download process.

Step 4 — Add Custom Image in Contabo

1. Log in to the Contabo Customer Panel

2. Go to Custom Images → Add Custom Image

3. Fill in the fields:
- Image URL: `http://YOUR_VPS_IP:8000/freebsd.qcow2`
- Image Name: e.g. `FreeBSD13.1`
- OS Type: Other (or Linux)
- Version: e.g. `13.1`

4. Click Upload

5. Wait for the status to change to Downloaded


Step 5 — Reinstall VPS with FreeBSD

1. Go to your VPS Overview in Contabo
2. Make sure Cloud-Init toggle is enabled (green)
3. Click Reinstall
4. Select your custom FreeBSD image
5. Set an Admin Password
6. Enable Administrator User
7. Click Install

Contabo will automatically reboot the VPS and boot into FreeBSD.


Step 6 — Verify

After 5 minutes, try connecting via SSH:

Code:

ssh root@YOUR_VPS_IP

Or monitor the boot process via Contabo VNC / UltraVNC console.


Notes:
- The QCOW2 image converted from VirtualBox **may not include VirtIO drivers**, which Contabo requires. If the system fails to boot or has no network, consider using an official FreeBSD cloud image instead.
- Official FreeBSD QCOW2 images are available at: `https://download.freebsd.org/releases/VM-IMAGES/` but come compressed as `.xz` — you must extract them with 7-Zip before uploading.
- Once the FreeBSD image is downloaded by Contabo, you can stop the HTTP server by pressing `Ctrl+C` in the CMD window.


Guide based on real troubleshooting experience — May 2026

[CodexRO]

Bro you have freebsd in conbato

[[HF]White]

I have arranged the tutorial - added bbcodes for code / etc.