FreeBSD 12 – IPFW rules disappear after reboot due to rc.conf ordering – Fix & Prevention

📖 ~1 min read

Table of contents

1. Symptom & Impact
2. Environment & Reproduction
3. Root Cause Analysis
4. Quick Triage
5. Step-by-Step Diagnosis
6. Solution – Primary Fix
7. Solution – Alternative Approaches
8. Verification & Acceptance Criteria
9. Rollback Plan
10. Prevention & Hardening
11. Related Errors & Cross-Refs
12. References & Further Reading

Symptom & Impact

Firewall policy is absent after reboot, exposing services unexpectedly.

Environment & Reproduction

Occurs when rc.conf flags or startup script ordering are incomplete.

Root Cause Analysis

IPFW service starts without loading intended rules file.

Quick Triage

Check startup variables and confirm ruleset file availability at boot.

Step-by-Step Diagnosis

Inspect rc startup logs and compare live rules to baseline.

Solution – Primary Fix

Correct rc.conf settings and rules loading sequence for persistence.

Solution – Alternative Approaches

Migrate to PF if policy lifecycle tooling is standardized there.

Verification & Acceptance Criteria

Expected ruleset is active immediately after reboot cycles.

Rollback Plan

Restore previous startup script set and known working rules file.

Prevention & Hardening

Include firewall policy checks in post-boot health validation.

Related Errors & Cross-Refs

Related to rcorder dependency issues and missing filesystem mounts.

Related tutorial: View the step-by-step tutorial for FreeBSD 12.

View all FreeBSD 12 tutorials on the Tutorials Hub →

Browse all common problems & solutions on the Tutorials Hub.

References & Further Reading

ipfw(8), rc.conf(5), and FreeBSD firewall startup documentation.