Vnx-rootfsopenbsd

How to create a KVM OpenBSD root filesystem for VNX

Follow this procedure to create a KVM OpenBSD based root filesystem for VNX. The procedure has been tested with OpenBSD 5.8.

Basic installation

• Create the filesystem disk image:

# 32 bits
qemu-img create -f qcow2 vnx_rootfs_kvm_openbsd.qcow2 12G
# 64 bits
qemu-img create -f qcow2 vnx_rootfs_kvm_openbsd64.qcow2 12G

• Get OpenBSD installation CD. For example:

# 32 bits
wget http://mirror.meerval.net/pub/OpenBSD/5.8/i386/install58.iso
mv install58.iso /almacen/iso/openbsd-install58-i386.iso
# 64 bits
wget http://ftp.eu.openbsd.org/pub/OpenBSD/5.8/amd64/install58.iso
mv install58.iso /almacen/iso/openbsd-install58-amd64.iso

• Create the virtual machine with:

# 32 bits
vnx --create-rootfs vnx_rootfs_kvm_openbsd.qcow2 --install-media /almacen/iso/openbsd-install58-i386.iso --mem 512M
# 64 bits
vnx --create-rootfs vnx_rootfs_kvm_openbsd64.qcow2 --install-media /almacen/iso/openbsd-install58-amd64.iso --mem 512M --arch=x86_64

• Follow OpenBSD installation menus to install a basic system:
• When asked about the network interface, answer "done" to not configure the network now.
• Answer 'yes' to the question "Change the default console to com0" to enable serial console.
• Add a user named "vnx".
• Use the whole "wd0" disk and "Auto layout".
• Choose cd0 for the "location of sets" question if you have installed from the .iso disk as proposed here (you can alternatevely downloading packages from the network using http). Besides, you can update the system later. Choose the default "sets".
• After ending installation, but before shutting down the virtual machine, you he to disable mpbios, as follows:

chroot /mnt
config -ef /bsd
disable mpbios
quit

• Finally, halt the system:

halt -p

The OS installer will offer to reboot, but do not do that. Instead, close the VM console window and then, from the host OS, destroy the virtual machine:

# virsh list
 Id    Nombre                         Estado
----------------------------------------------------
 33    vnx_rootfs_kvm_openbsd-5.8-v025.qcow2-7440 ejecutando

# virsh destroy 33

Configuration

• Start the system with the following command:

# 32 bits
vnx --modify-rootfs vnx_rootfs_kvm_openbsd.qcow2 --update-aced --mem 512M
# 64 bits
vnx --modify-rootfs vnx_rootfs_kvm_openbsd64.qcow2 --update-aced --mem 512M --arch x86_64

Note: ignore the errors "timeout waiting for response on VM socket".

• Access the system through the text console to easy the copy-paste of commands:

# virsh list
Id    Name                           State
----------------------------------------------------
31    vnx_rootfs_kvm_openbsd64-5.8-v025.qcow2-912 running
 
# virsh console 31

• In case you do not have access to the serial console, you can configure it manually by editting /etc/ttys file and changing the line:

tty00 "/usr/libexec/getty std.9600"   dialup  off secure

to:

tty00 "/usr/libexec/getty std.9600"   vt100  on secure

Reboot the system after modifying the ttys file.

• Loogin as root in the console and configure the network with DHCP:

dhclient re0

• Configure the environment variable with network repository:

export PKG_PATH=ftp://ftp.eu.openbsd.org/pub/OpenBSD/`uname -r`/packages/`machine -a`/

• Install bash and change package repository (change ftp.es.freebsd.org to your nearest mirror):

pkg_add -r bash  
usermod -s /usr/local/bin/bash root
usermod -s /usr/local/bin/bash vnx
echo "export PKG_PATH=ftp://ftp.eu.openbsd.org/pub/OpenBSD/`uname -r`/packages/`machine -a`/" > ~/.bash_profile

• Install XML::LibXML and NetAddr-IP perl libraries:

pkg_add -r p5-XML-LibXML p5-NetAddr-IP 

• Install VNX autoconfiguration daemon:

mount_msdos /dev/wd1i /mnt
perl /mnt/vnxaced-lf/install_vnxaced

• Create a file /etc/vnx_rootfs_version to store version number and informacion about modification:

VER=v0.25
OS=OpenBSD 5.8
DESC=Basic OpenBSD 5.8 root filesystem without GUI

• Configure interface em0 so that it does not get configured with DHCP. To do that, if file /etc/hostname.em0 exists, edit it and delete or comment the line with "dhcp".
• Stop the machine with that script:

vnx_halt

If everything went well, your root filesystem will be ready to be used with VNX. You can make a simple test using the simple_openbsd.xml (32 bits) or simple_openbsd64.xml (64 bits) scenario distributed with VNX.

Installing additional software

To install additional software or to modify your root file system, you just have to:

• Start a virtual machine from it:

# 32 bits
vnx --modify-rootfs vnx_rootfs_kvm_openbsd.qcow2
# 64 bits
vnx --modify-rootfs vnx_rootfs_kvm_openbsd.qcow2 --arch x86_64

• Check network connectivity. Maybe you have to activate the network interface by hand:

dhclient re0

• Do the modifications you want.
• Finally, halt the system using:

vnx_halt

OpenBSD tips

To upgrade OpenBSD to the next release, the OpenBSD site provides useful hints. For instance, to upgrade from 5.8 to 5.9, you can follow the instructions provided in http://www.openbsd.org/faq/upgrade59.html