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Software Policies

A software policy is a named list of OPNsense plugins and FreeBSD packages, each marked Present or Absent. Attach the policy to a template and NetDefense installs or uninstalls the matching packages on every device that template reaches during the next sync. Read the conceptual model in Software Policies.

NDWeb Software policies list showing a "monitoring-tools" policy with present/absent counts

Each row is one policy:

ColumnMeaning
NameClick to open the policy.
PresentNumber of packages the policy declares must be installed.
AbsentNumber of packages the policy declares must be removed.
UpdatedWhen the policy or its package list was last changed.

Each row’s menu has Edit, Duplicate, and Delete.

+ New policy in the top-right opens the editor. A policy has a name, an optional description, and a list of package entries. Each entry has a package name (the FreeBSD pkg name or OPNsense plugin name) and a state — Present or Absent.

Once saved, the policy is inert until you attach it to a template. When a device synchronises with a template that includes a software policy, NDAgent computes the diff between what’s installed locally and what the policy declares, then installs or removes packages to converge. Failures surface as failed tasks on the device’s history.

Policies are organization-scoped, so the same list can be reused across multiple templates without duplication.