# Can we install balenaetcher on FreeBSD 13 **URL:** \ **Category:** balenaEtcher\ **Created:** [May 18, 2021, 1:53am UTC](https://forums.balena.io/t/can-we-install-balenaetcher-on-freebsd-13/317871 "2021-05-18T01:53:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ChristopheG](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/balena/user_avatar/forums.balena.io/christopheg/32/5984_2.png) [@ChristopheG](https://forums.balena.io/u/ChristopheG)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2021, 1:53am UTC](https://forums.balena.io/t/can-we-install-balenaetcher-on-freebsd-13/317871/1 "2021-05-18T01:53:22Z")
Hello guy i see balenaetcher is compatible MacOs, windows, linux almost with all OS but i ask myself if i can install balenaetcher on FreeBSD and how if ever? Have great day ---
**Author:** ![zwhitchcox](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/8e7dd6/32.png) [@zwhitchcox](https://forums.balena.io/u/zwhitchcox)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2021, 3:33pm UTC](https://forums.balena.io/t/can-we-install-balenaetcher-on-freebsd-13/317871/6 "2021-05-18T15:33:13Z")
Hi, Chris, great question. It should be fairly straightforward to support FreeBSD, but we don’t currently have a machine to build for FreeBSD in our build system, so that would need to be added. For now though, I am currently working on documentation for the Etcher/Etcher SDK which will include build instructions, and I could include instructions for FreeBSD, which would allow you to build for FreeBSD yourself, until we add FreeBSD support to our (concourse) build system. ---
**Author:** ![zwhitchcox](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/8e7dd6/32.png) [@zwhitchcox](https://forums.balena.io/u/zwhitchcox)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2021, 3:33pm UTC](https://forums.balena.io/t/can-we-install-balenaetcher-on-freebsd-13/317871/7 "2021-05-18T15:33:26Z")
Check back in a couple of weeks for the docs, and they should be done. ---
**Author:** ![ChristopheG](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/balena/user_avatar/forums.balena.io/christopheg/32/5984_2.png) [@ChristopheG](https://forums.balena.io/u/ChristopheG)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2021, 3:44pm UTC](https://forums.balena.io/t/can-we-install-balenaetcher-on-freebsd-13/317871/8 "2021-05-18T15:44:29Z")
hello i will get all informations i can because I’m very interested, FreeBSD is great system ,nowadays I think that the developers should be interested in this system. Thank you ---
**Author:** ![ChristopheG](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/balena/user_avatar/forums.balena.io/christopheg/32/5984_2.png) [@ChristopheG](https://forums.balena.io/u/ChristopheG)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2021, 3:38pm UTC](https://forums.balena.io/t/can-we-install-balenaetcher-on-freebsd-13/317871/16 "2021-06-01T15:38:27Z")
Hello guys, any update about balenaetcher on FreeBSD Thank you in advance ---
**Author:** ![ChristopheG](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/balena/user_avatar/forums.balena.io/christopheg/32/5984_2.png) [@ChristopheG](https://forums.balena.io/u/ChristopheG)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2021, 2:07am UTC](https://forums.balena.io/t/can-we-install-balenaetcher-on-freebsd-13/317871/17 "2021-06-08T02:07:36Z")
no news 😭 😭 😭 😭 ---
**Author:** ![zwhitchcox](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/8e7dd6/32.png) [@zwhitchcox](https://forums.balena.io/u/zwhitchcox)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2021, 3:08pm UTC](https://forums.balena.io/t/can-we-install-balenaetcher-on-freebsd-13/317871/20 "2021-06-17T15:08:21Z")
Hi, Chris, so sad news is that I don’t really need this for the plugin system that I’m creating for the etcher, but I will go ahead and release the docs for building etcher, which will allow you to build for Free BSD until we officially support FreeBSD. I will try to get that done today. Thank you for reminding me! ---
**Author:** ![ChristopheG](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/balena/user_avatar/forums.balena.io/christopheg/32/5984_2.png) [@ChristopheG](https://forums.balena.io/u/ChristopheG)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2021, 2:05am UTC](https://forums.balena.io/t/can-we-install-balenaetcher-on-freebsd-13/317871/23 "2021-06-18T02:05:27Z")
thank you very much sir i will wait for your update theni will try it ---
**Author:** ![ChristopheG](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/balena/user_avatar/forums.balena.io/christopheg/32/5984_2.png) [@ChristopheG](https://forums.balena.io/u/ChristopheG)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2021, 1:19am UTC](https://forums.balena.io/t/can-we-install-balenaetcher-on-freebsd-13/317871/25 "2021-06-26T01:19:32Z")
i thought you are so busy to forget bsd users 😂 😂 😂 ---
**Author:** ![zwhitchcox](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/8e7dd6/32.png) [@zwhitchcox](https://forums.balena.io/u/zwhitchcox)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2021, 1:34am UTC](https://forums.balena.io/t/can-we-install-balenaetcher-on-freebsd-13/317871/27 "2021-06-26T01:34:13Z")
Hey, sir! I am so sorry, I am working on a really big project so, this kind of fell by the way side, but I will get it done this weekend for sure! ---
**Author:** ![ChristopheG](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/balena/user_avatar/forums.balena.io/christopheg/32/5984_2.png) [@ChristopheG](https://forums.balena.io/u/ChristopheG)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2021, 3:01am UTC](https://forums.balena.io/t/can-we-install-balenaetcher-on-freebsd-13/317871/29 "2021-06-26T03:01:45Z")
Hello sir I’m just teasing you, i know how it’s not easy more if you are busy side at work, but you know sir many bsd users expect balena etcher working on unix even if I’m the only one ask i know a lot of users expect it Have great day sir ---
**Author:** ![zwhitchcox](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/8e7dd6/32.png) [@zwhitchcox](https://forums.balena.io/u/zwhitchcox)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2021, 12:18pm UTC](https://forums.balena.io/t/can-we-install-balenaetcher-on-freebsd-13/317871/30 "2021-06-26T12:18:59Z")
Ok, thanks, I really appreciate the reminder!! This is my top priority! ---
**Author:** ![zwhitchcox](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/8e7dd6/32.png) [@zwhitchcox](https://forums.balena.io/u/zwhitchcox)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2021, 5:22pm UTC](https://forums.balena.io/t/can-we-install-balenaetcher-on-freebsd-13/317871/32 "2021-06-26T17:22:19Z")
Ok, friend, I just published build instructions, and it looks like FreeBSD should work OOTB: > **[balena-io/etcher](https://github.com/balena-io/etcher/tree/build-instructions)** > > build-instructions Can you please try these instructions and let me know if there’s any problems with them. If you run into any trouble at all, please document it and post…ideally these should be really easy for people to follow. I will also have the rest of the team look them over next week. So hopefully, we’ll have a really good set of docs for people contributing. Thanks for being the squeaky wheel on this, it will help make etcher a better product! ---
**Author:** ![Wb7odyFred](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/97f17d/32.png) [@Wb7odyFred](https://forums.balena.io/u/Wb7odyFred)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2021, 6:02am UTC](https://forums.balena.io/t/can-we-install-balenaetcher-on-freebsd-13/317871/34 "2021-06-30T06:02:35Z")
[Makefile\_FreeBSD.txt](https://forums.balena.io/uploads/short-url/zHeY0Be9p0D8J8on5y8wSxMMp36.txt) (3.4 KB) [GhostBSD\_Etcher\_Build\_errors.txt](https://forums.balena.io/uploads/short-url/aSCzbYUI9jnQqtlQDJrqMml7FZL.txt) (12.5 KB) [2021-06-30T04\_55\_12\_953Z-debug.log](https://forums.balena.io/uploads/short-url/1EWFuYJsoM72kqxuKp8TOyq2SGi.log) (778.7 KB) > Here is the Makefile changes made into a Makefile\_FreeBSD.txt file for uploading here. > I used gmake instead of the standard FreeBSD make > cd ~/etcher > gmake electron-develop -f Makefile\_FreeBSD.txt ERRORS & COMMENTS: ```auto git clone --recursive https://github.com:balena-io/etcher <--- this errors out git clone --recursive https://github.com/balena-io/etcher <--- this works ``` > GhostBSD\_Etcher\_Build\_errors.txt This file contains the copy of the commands issued and the errors reported from the terminal screen. You can read and understand what commands I issued in what order. This would allow you to duplicate my path and see what I had to add to a nearly bare [GhostBSD.org](http://GhostBSD.org) installation. I think I already had Python 3.8 version installed. > 2021-06-30T04\_55\_12\_953Z-debug.log This was the log file produced from running ??XXX??? > I added lines 70-76 to the makefile, to set variables PLATFORM = freebsd and HOST\_ARCH = x64 > > ``` > ifeq ($(shell uname -s),FreeBSD) > PLATFORM = freebsd > > ifeq ($(shell uname -m),amd64) > HOST_ARCH = x64 > endif > endif > > ``` > > I wonder how much editing needs to be down in how many files to support FreeBSD 13 with the Variables PLATFORM and HOST\_ARCH. > > Your thoughts and comments in replies below. Yes, I am lost on next step if FreeBSD works OOTB. Now reading the source files to learn more, where to setup ‘if (PLATFORM equate freebsd )’ > > ps, sure as I hit the ‘Reply’ button, I will remember important stuff to include here. ---
**Author:** ![zwhitchcox](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/8e7dd6/32.png) [@zwhitchcox](https://forums.balena.io/u/zwhitchcox)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2021, 11:33am UTC](https://forums.balena.io/t/can-we-install-balenaetcher-on-freebsd-13/317871/38 "2021-07-08T11:33:38Z")
So, looking over your notes and having messed around with it a bit, I don’t think this is going to be a quick change. In addition, we are in the middle of a major change to Etcher, maybe the biggest since it’s inception, so this will probably need to wait until that is done. That actually makes sense anyway, because this will probably be affected by that change (for the better) anyway. I created a pattern (which you can think of as a github issue) to come back to once the plugin system is created. This support thread is linked to that pattern, so when it is done, we will be reminded to post the update in this thread. Thank you for your patience and making sure we don’t leave FreeBSD users out. Hopefully we will be able to revisit this soon!