OpenBSDInstallPrelude For most systems, the easiest way to install OpenBSD/MACHINE OSREV is via diskless booting over an Ethernet network. You will need both the "boot.mop" image and the "bsd.rd" kernel to boot. You will also need a machine configured as a rarp, MOP, bootparam, and NFS server. Should your VAX have supported SCSI, however, we provide a floppy image that can be written onto a disk in another system, and when booted on the VAX will present you with the standard install prompt. If this is the case, you can skip ahead to the "ready to install OpenBSD" section. This document will shortly provide examples on how to set up services for an OpenBSD netboot server. But if more information is required, the following resources may be helpful: The OpenBSD manpages for rarpd(8), mopd(8), nfsd(8), mountd(8), rpc.bootparamd(8), bootparams(5), and diskless(8). These pages are available online at: Brian Chase has written a guide for booting a VAX off of a network. It was written for NetBSD/MACHINE, but the procedure is virtually identical on OpenBSD, and the document covers the use of several different platforms as servers. The guide is available at: And finally, there is an OpenBSD/MACHINE mailing list at whose readers would generally be pleased to help. Booting from Network: When you turn on your VAX, it will run a set of self-diagnostic ROM routines. Depending on the model of VAX you have, it may take quite a while. When it is done, you will see a >>> prompt (also called the chevron prompt) on the console. Typing "show dev" or "show ethernet" to get the VAX ethernet device's MAC address usually works; also try "TEST 50" on MicroVAXen 2000 and 3100. You will need to create an /etc/ethers file on the bootserver. This file will be used by rarpd to answer rarp (ethernet address->IP address) requests. The format of this file is the ethernet address followed by the machine name or address. Here is an example: 08:00:2b:24:72:00 quickvax Then start rarpd (or configure /etc/rc.conf to always start rarpd). Copy boot.mop into /tftpboot/mop/1a2b3c4d5e6f.SYS, where "1a2b3c4d5e6f" represents the six octets of your ethernet address. For example, the filename for the machine described above would be "08002b247200.SYS". Note that all non alphanumeric characters must be stripped and the mac portion must be lower case, the extension upper. Start mopd by typing "mopd -a". rpc.bootparamd's configuration file is /etc/bootparams. The format for this file is described in the diskless(8) and bootparams(5) manpages. Enable rpc.bootparamd in /etc/rc.conf by changing the value of "bootparamd_flags". Also, make sure "portmap" is "YES"; you will need portmap running. nfsd and mountd configuration are described in their respective manual pages. Make a separate directory for your VAX's /, make sure it is exported via NFS, and place "bsd.rd" there. Typing "B ", where is your VAX's ethernet device, at the chevron prompt should then load the OpenBSD booter. OpenBSDInstallPart2 After setting up your bootserver, boot from it as described above. The OpenBSD bootloader will appear, and a countdown should begin; type any key on the console and type "boot bsd.rd". It will take a while to load the kernel especially on a slow machine, or from a slow network connection, most likely more than a minute. If some action doesn't eventually happen, or the spinning cursor has stopped and nothing further has happened, either your diskless setup is incorrect, or you may have a hardware or configuration problem. OpenBSDBootMsgs You will next be asked for your terminal type. If you are installing from a serial console you should choose the terminal type from amongst those listed. (If your terminal type is xterm, just use vt100). After entering the terminal type you will be asked whether you wish to do an "(I)nstall" or an "(U)pgrade". Enter 'I' for a fresh install or 'U' to upgrade an existing installation. You will be presented with a welcome message and asked if you really want to continue. Assuming you answered yes, the install program will then tell you which disks of that type it can install on, and ask you which it should use. The name of the disk is typically "sd0". Reply with the name of your disk. Next you will have to edit or create a disklabel for the disk OpenBSD is being installed on. The installation script will invoke the text editor allowing you to do this. Note that partition 'c' inside this disk label should ALWAYS reflect the entire disk, including any non-OpenBSD portions. The root file system should be in partition 'a', and swap is usually in partition 'b'. It is recommended that you create separate partitions for root and /usr, you may also want to specify /var and /home partitions. The swap partition (usually 'b') should have a type of "swap", all other native OpenBSD partitions should have a type of "4.2BSD". Block and fragment sizes are usually 8192 and 1024 bytes, but can also be 16384 and 2048 bytes. The install program will now label your disk and ask which file systems should be created on which partitions. It will auto- matically select the 'a' partition to be the root file system. Next it will ask for which disk and partition you want a file system created on. This will be the same as the disk name (e.g. "sd0") with the letter identifying the partition (e.g. "d") appended (e.g. "sd0d"). Then it will ask where this partition is to be mounted, e.g. /usr. This process will be repeated until you type "done". At this point you will be asked to confirm that the file system information you have entered is correct, and given an opportunity to change the file system table. Next it will create the new file systems as specified, OVERWRITING ANY EXISTING DATA. This is the point of no return. After all your file systems have been created, the install program will give you an opportunity to configure the network. The network configuration you enter (if any) can then be used to do the install from another system using NFS, HTTP or FTP, and will also be the configuration used by the system after the installation is complete. If you select to configure the network, the install program will ask you for a name of your system and the DNS domain name to use. Note that the host name should be without the domain part, and that the domain name should NOT {:-include-:} the host name part. Next the system will give you a list of network interfaces you can configure. For each network interface you select to configure, it will ask for the IP address to use, the symbolic host name to use, the netmask to use and any media flags to set. After all network interfaces have been configured the install pro- gram will ask for a default route and IP address of the primary name server to use. You will also be presented with an opportunity to edit the host table. At this point you will be allowed to edit the file system table that will be used for the remainder of the installation and that will be used by the finished system, following which the new file systems will be mounted to complete the installation. After these preparatory steps have been completed, you will be able to extract the distribution sets onto your system. There are several install methods supported; FTP, HTTP, tape, CD-ROM, NFS or a local disk partition. Note that installation from floppies is not currently supported. OpenBSDFTPInstall OpenBSDHTTPInstall OpenBSDTAPEInstall OpenBSDCDROMInstall OpenBSDNFSInstall OpenBSDDISKInstall(,{:-only-:}) OpenBSDCommonFS OpenBSDCommonURL OpenBSDCongratulations