how to install a XG home image on a modern hardware ?

So what hardware (other than a Sophos Appliance) will work with the latest build of XG.  I just bought a brand new Dell T150 and it doesn't have a legacy option.  We have used our own hardware for at least 10 years on Sophos firewalls.  Now I am screwed if the hardware fails and I have 4 firewalls.  Any help on the best hardware to use for XG would be appreciated. Thanks.

Hi,

you need to select a motherboard that has the legacy option and build your own box. from memory, there is a nice asus server mb that has the legacy option.

ian

Thank you for the information but XG does not support UNAME or WHOAMI commands at the console.  It looks like most commands are disabled and I can't find a way to get the kernel info from XG.

For such scenarios, customers get a HA (two appliances). You do not have to get an extra license to run this. Simply purchase two appliances and run the HA. 

The portion of customers running software "bare metal" is small. Virtual is another part of the story. 

You are right bare metal installs must be extremely rare as there is zero documentation on it.  I am all for HA and two appliances but we are under software contract for another two years so I can switch to an appliance. 

What about doing a Hypervisor setup in between? This would eliminate all limitations. 

Have you spoken to whoever supplied the licences and see if they can arrange a trade in for XGS hardware and new licensing. I don't know if Sophos do that sort of thing but some companies can be quite flexible, especially if you are experiencing the sort of issues you are.

I have not gone down that road yet as I thought this would not be as hard as it is to get this working.  Most likely there would not be much of a discount and it would cost us a lot more money then just buying the correct hardware that will work with this software.  This should not be this difficult.  

Thank you for the information but XG does not support UNAME or WHOAMI commands at the console.  It looks like most commands are disabled and I can't find a way to get the kernel info from XG.

That is really odd. I know for a fact it at least works on the UTM.

Uname also works on the XG.

ian

The command won't run on XG.  Sophos must have disabled this.

I have a suggestion that someone else told me in another thread:

1. download a linux distribution like Ubuntu LTS

2. Boot from Ubuntu on your device and  choose the option to "try it out".

3. Make sure all your hardware works, like your NICs. Then....

4. Install Ubuntu to the device. It still works? Then....

5. Install KVM on Ubuntu. Then...

6. Install Sophos XG on the KVM following one of the tutorials.

Installing Sophos XG on KVM

I have a suggestion that someone else told me in another thread:

1. download a linux distribution like Ubuntu LTS

2. Boot from Ubuntu on your device and  choose the option to "try it out".

3. Make sure all your hardware works, like your NICs. Then....

4. Install Ubuntu to the device. It still works? Then....

5. Install KVM on Ubuntu. Then...

6. Install Sophos XG on the KVM following one of the tutorials.

Installing Sophos XG on KVM