OpenBSD as a Xen domU

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This information is correct as of OpenBSD 4.6 and Xen 3.2.1.

Does it Work?

Yes, OpenBSD works in HVM (full virtualisation mode), but it can not be paravirtualised. You need a processor that supports Hyper-V (intel call it something else). If you have the following, you're fine: 

# xm dmesg | grep HVM
(XEN) HVM: SVM enabled
(XEN) HVM: Hardware Assisted Paging detected and enabled.

Do it

  • Create a logical volume. (This also works with an image file, but an LV gives better performance): 
# lvcreate -L10G -n example.spruce.toastputer.net-disk xen-vol
  Logical volume "example.spruce.toastputer.net-disk" created
  • Grab the install iso that corresponds with your CPU architecture from a convenient mirror: 
# cd /home/xen
# wget http://www.mirrorservice.org/sites/ftp.openbsd.org/pub/OpenBSD/4.6/amd64/cd46.iso
  • Create a configuration file for the domU: 
# vi /etc/xen/example.spruce.toastputer.net.cfg 

import os, re
arch = os.uname()[4]
kernel = "/usr/lib/xen-default/boot/hvmloader"
builder='hvm'

memory = 512
shadow_memory = 8
name = "example.spruce.toastputer.net"
# Setting ne2k_pci is essential if you want the virtual NIC to work
vif = [ 'type=ioemu, bridge=eth0, model=ne2k_pci' ]
# for image file instead of LV:
#disk = [ 'file:/home/xen/example.spruce.toastputer.net.img,xvda,w', 'file:/home/xen/cd46.iso,xvdc:cdrom,r' ]
disk = [ 'phy:/dev/xen-vol/example.spruce.toastputer.net-disk,xvda,w', 'file:/home/xen/cd46.iso,xvdc:cdrom,r' ]
device_model = '/usr/lib/xen-default/bin/qemu-dm'
# boot on floppy (a), hard disk (c) or CD-ROM (d)
# default: hard disk, cd-rom, floppy
boot="cd"

sdl=0 
# Enable VNC
vnc=1 
# Listen on 127.0.0.1:5901
vncconsole=1
# Listen on all IPs (Do not want)
#listen='0.0.0.0'
vncviewer=0 
nographic=0 
stdvga=0 
serial='pty' 
audio=0 
localtime=1 
pae=0
acpi=0
apic=0
usb=0
nousb=1
audio=0
  • Instantiate the VM: 
# xm create example.spruce.toastputer.net.cfg
Using config file "/etc/xen/example.spruce.toastputer.net.cfg".
Started domain example.spruce.toastputer.net
  • Verify that the dom0 has a listening socket for VNC: 
# netstat -ntap | grep 5901
tcp        0      0 127.0.0.1:5901          0.0.0.0:*               LISTEN      9953/qemu-dm
  • ssh to the dom0, forwarding port 5901: 
# ssh user@dom0-address -L 5901:127.0.0.1:5901
  • You will now be able to VNC to 127.0.0.1:5901 and see the domU console, so just install OpenBSD as usual. I get messages about corrupt NIC memory during the install, but this does not persist once booted into the installed system.
  • NOTE: Chicken of the VNC on OS X doesn't like the VNC encoding used by Xen. Vine Viewer works fine, as does JollysFastVNC.
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