How to install OpenBSD on the PBP?
#1
Hi,

I have tried all day to install OpenBSD 7.2, 6.9 and 6.7 on my Pinebook Pro.
When I flash the installer*.img or miniroot*.img onto my usb-stick or SD card
and apply the necessary dtb and u-boot patching described in https://ftp.openbsd.org/pub/OpenBSD/7.2/...TALL.arm64,
the PBP starts into boot(8) and no matter what I try (eg. `set tty fb0` and/or `boot /bsd.rd` and/or `machine dtb ...`)
I get a flashing screen and nothing happens.

1: Do I need to buy a serial cable to install it or am I doing something wrong?
2: Does anyone have a working installer or image that works without a serial cable?
3: Is there some other way of installing it instead, eg. over ssh with an ethernet adapter (Pinephone USB-C dongle)?
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#2
(10-26-2022, 03:22 PM)BenniTec Wrote: Hi,

I have tried all day to install OpenBSD 7.2, 6.9 and 6.7 on my Pinebook Pro.
When I flash the installer*.img or miniroot*.img onto my usb-stick or SD card
and apply the necessary dtb and u-boot patching described in https://ftp.openbsd.org/pub/OpenBSD/7.2/...TALL.arm64,
the PBP starts into boot(8) and no matter what I try (eg. `set tty fb0` and/or `boot /bsd.rd` and/or `machine dtb ...`)
I get a flashing screen and nothing happens.

1: Do I need to buy a serial cable to install it or am I doing something wrong?
2: Does anyone have a working installer or image that works without a serial cable?
3: Is there some other way of installing it instead, eg. over ssh with an ethernet adapter (Pinephone USB-C dongle)?

My understanding is that it won't boot visually to the display until after your install is complete.  So you need to use the Serial/3.5mm jack adapter and switch the audio out to serial mode.

This was beyond my level of interest once I realized someone premade some FreeBSD images:

https://personalbsd.org

FreeBSD runs reasonable well, would love it if someone got a more user-friendly OpenBSD installer image working, but if you're ok using a WiFi Dongle and wanna do BSD, I'd start at the above link.
  Reply
#3
(10-27-2022, 08:51 PM)evantaylor Wrote:
(10-26-2022, 03:22 PM)BenniTec Wrote: Hi,

I have tried all day to install OpenBSD 7.2, 6.9 and 6.7 on my Pinebook Pro.
When I flash the installer*.img or miniroot*.img onto my usb-stick or SD card
and apply the necessary dtb and u-boot patching described in https://ftp.openbsd.org/pub/OpenBSD/7.2/...TALL.arm64,
the PBP starts into boot(8) and no matter what I try (eg. `set tty fb0` and/or `boot /bsd.rd` and/or `machine dtb ...`)
I get a flashing screen and nothing happens.

1: Do I need to buy a serial cable to install it or am I doing something wrong?
2: Does anyone have a working installer or image that works without a serial cable?
3: Is there some other way of installing it instead, eg. over ssh with an ethernet adapter (Pinephone USB-C dongle)?

My understanding is that it won't boot visually to the display until after your install is complete.  So you need to use the Serial/3.5mm jack adapter and switch the audio out to serial mode.

This was beyond my level of interest once I realized someone premade some FreeBSD images:

https://personalbsd.org

FreeBSD runs reasonable well, would love it if someone got a more user-friendly OpenBSD installer image working, but if you're ok using a WiFi Dongle and wanna do BSD, I'd start at the above link.

Out of curiosity, I tried this guide:

https://tomscii.sig7.se/2022/02/Guide-to...inebookPro

It works flawlessly, but you need to prepare the eMMC, load everything on to a fat32 thumb drive, etc. and wait a while on reboots once firmware is updated.

I got 7.2 working fine in about an hour.

had to do doas date pool.ntp.org to get packages to install for some reason (ntpd wasn't updating), but otherwise got XFCE4, wifi, the display/uvideo all working.
  Reply


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