A pages/blog/openbsd-oci.md

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+---
+template:
+slug: openbsd-oci
+title: Installing OpenBSD on Oracle Cloud
+subtitle: It finally works in 7.2!
+date: 2022-11-24
+---
+
+I've been trying to get OpenBSD to install on OCI since [early last
+year](https://marc.info/?l=openbsd-misc&m=162962869305286&w=2). As
+described in my email to misc@, my intial method of installation was
+rather unconventional:
+
+- Download the install image to tmpfs
+- dd it onto the host boot device (/dev/sda)
+- Reboot
+
+This works perfectly for Alpine, I'll have you know but not so much for
+OpenBSD. I don't know why. Anyway, with that rather useless preface
+aside, OpenBSD now supports booting on amd64 OCI instances (from
+https://www.openbsd.org/72.html):
+
+> Allowed bsd.rd and bsd/bsd.mp to boot on Oracle Cloud amd64 instances.
+
+This time around, I decided to try a somewhat less nuclear approach to
+booting it. The steps I followed were from a kind [internet stranger's
+article](https://blinken.life/oci-obsd/), coincedentally ranting about
+how they _failed_ to boot OpenBSD on OCI.[^1]
+
+[^1]: I pinged them on the fedi to let them know it works now: https://h.icyphox.sh/u/icy/h/3NGd59X2d6Kr958Nt2
+
+It's fairly straight forward, and you'll be fine simply following the
+steps in the article I linked above; but since you're here, let's run
+through them real quick:
+
+1. Download the `install72.img` onto an OpenBSD machine. Trust me,
+   dealing with loopback mounts is not fun on Linux.
+
+2. "Mount" the install image using [vnconfig(8)](https://man.openbsd.org/vnconfig):
+    ```
+    vnconfig vnd0 install72.img
+    mount /dev/vnd0a /mnt
+    ```
+3. Configure booting over serial:
+    ```
+    echo 'set tty com0' > /mnt/etc/boot.conf
+    ```
+4. Convert the modified `install72.img` to qcow2 using `qemu-img`. We
+   will be uploading this to OCI as a custom image.
+   ```
+   qemu-img convert -O qcow2 install72.img install.qcow2
+   ```
+
+5. Uploading the image requires creating an object storage bucket first.
+   Navigate to Storage → Buckets and create one. Call it whatever.
+
+6. Upload the qcow2 from step 4.
+
+7. Head to Compute → Custom Images and click Import Image. Choose your
+   bucket and qcow2 and select image type as QCOW2. We'll stick to
+   Paravirtualized mode. Give it a bit.
+
+8. Once it's done importing, create a new amd64 instance like you
+   normally would, and choose your newly created custom image. Don't
+   bother with SSH keys.
+
+9. Launch a console connection to access the serial boot. You should
+   hopefully see the OpenBSD installer. You might have to hit Enter
+   once. Hit 'I' and start the install.
+
+10. There should only be one disk available. Choose that. Everything
+    else should just work like in any other OpenBSD install.
+
+That's about it. I for one am super excited to move all my instances to
+OpenBSD. As always, [donate to the OpenBSD
+project](https://www.openbsd.org/donations.html) to ensure the continued
+development of our beloved puffy.