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diff --git a/content/posts/installing-openbsd-on-pcengines/OpenBSD APU2.jpg b/content/posts/installing-openbsd-on-pcengines/OpenBSD APU2.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..da992be --- /dev/null +++ b/content/posts/installing-openbsd-on-pcengines/OpenBSD APU2.jpg diff --git a/content/posts/installing-openbsd-on-pcengines/index.org b/content/posts/installing-openbsd-on-pcengines/index.org new file mode 100644 index 0000000..28f8d33 --- /dev/null +++ b/content/posts/installing-openbsd-on-pcengines/index.org @@ -0,0 +1,92 @@ +#+TITLE: Installing OpenBSD on a PC Engines APU2 +#+DATE: 2020-07-07T21:21:18-04:00 +#+DRAFT: false +#+DESCRIPTION: How I installed OpenBSD ob my new PC Engines APU2 +#+TAGS[]: openbsd pcengines +#+KEYWORDS[]: openbsd pcengines +#+SLUG: +#+SUMMARY: + +#+ATTR_HTML: :tag OpenBSD APU2 +#+ATTR_HTML: :title OpenBSD APU2 +[[file:OpenBSD%20APU2.jpg]] + +I recently purchased a new PC Engines APU2E4 to use as a home +router. I purchased the kit, which includes the board, case, and power +supply from https://corpshadow.biz/. I also ordered the DB9F to USB +adapter (Silicon Labs CP2104), so I don't need to get a separate null +modem connector. They're the only PC Engines distributor in Canada +listed on the PC Engines website. I had a great experience with +CorpShadow, they also sell a lot of other small single board PCs, so +check them out if you live in Canada. + +I also ordered a 128 GB mSATA SSD, as it significantly out-performs +any SD card you might put in the machine. While it's not necessary, +and an SD card would be much cheaper, I find the improved read and +write speeds are worth it. I got it from Canada Computers, as they +seemed to have the best price on one. mSATA SSDs are surprisingly not +as common as one might think on PC parts websites. And even when they +have one, I've found most sites will only carry one brand. + +The first step was to install the heat sync onto the CPU. This is +described on the PC Engines website. The heat sync is effectively just +a block of aluminum that you use to thermally bridge the CPU to the +enclosure. They're connected with, what I assume is, thermally +conductive double sided tape, which they provide for you. + +After the CPU is stuck to the enclosure using the tape and the board +is screwed in place, I installed the mSATA SSD into the first +expansion slot labelled =mSATA=. Then I screwed the top of the case +on, plugged the antenna holes with the provided rubber stoppers, and +screwed the bolts back on the RS232 port. These things are really easy +to put together! + +I downloaded the AMD64 =installXX.fs= image from the OpenBSD website and +burned it onto a spare USB drive I had lying around using =dd=. After +that I inserted the drive into the USB port on the APU2. + +I then plugged one end of the DB9F end of the serial adapter into the +APU2, and the USB end into my PC. My desktop runs Fedora, so I had to +install the =cu= utility using =sudo dnf install cu=. I then dialed it +up using the serial adapter with the command =sudo cu -s 115200 -l +/dev/ttyUSB0=. + +I plugged in the power connector into the APU2, and I saw the boot +info in my terminal! It's really cool that these things use SeaBIOS +and Coreboot. + +It automatically booted from the USB device, and I got dropped into +the OpenBSD =boot>= prompt. Instead of pressing enter like normal, I +entered +#+BEGIN_SRC +boot> stty com0 115200 +boot> set tty com0 +#+END_SRC + +The first command sets the baud rate for the serial connection. The +second command tells the OpenBSD installer to set the default TTY to +the serial port =COM0=. Without these, the machine will start to boot, +fail to find an output, and reboot. + +After that the installation went along as a normal install would. I +wasn't connected to the internet, but I already knew what IP was +assigning it, so I entered that manually when asked. I also installed +the sets from the USB. To do that, when prompted for the location of +the sets, type =disk=, when asked if it's already mounted type =no=, +then select the default partition and path, and continue without +signature. The signature isn't required since it's part of the install +media (assuming you verified the signature of the install media). + +After the install was done, I moved it to where I will be leaving it +to run, plugged in the power and ethernet, and SSH'd in. At that point +I ran [[https://man.openbsd.org/fw_update][=fw_update(1)=]] to pull in any extra firmware I might need, and +[[https://man.openbsd.org/syspatch][=syspatch(8)=]] to keep myself up to date with security patches. I was also +sure to add my user to the [[https://man.openbsd.org/doas.conf][=doas.conf(5)=]] config file. + +I kept the serial adapter connected and plugged it into another +machine I have right next to it, so if I ever have any trouble +booting, I can always SSH into the other machine and dial into the +serial connector to work things out without having to physically plug +the APU2 into my laptop. + +Finally I added the OpenBSD sticker! |
