Sysinstall is the first utility started by a FreeBSD boot floppy or cdrom and is mostly used to install FreeBSD on a new system or do basic post install configuration tasks. It can be run interactively through its text-based menu driven interface (which is the default) or in batch mode following a script provided by the user.

According to its man page entry sysinstall is "at the end of its life cycle and will eventually be replaced" and furthermore is "a prototype which lasted several years past its expiration date and is greatly in need of death." A Summer of code project was accepted to implement a replacement in 2007..

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