Troubleshooting "No OS" Error When Installing OpenBSD Guest on KVM
You are trying to install OpenBSD as a guest virtual machine (VM) on KVM, but the installation process stops at the restart message "SeaBIOS (version 1.15.0-1) Machine UID...". This error message usually indicates that the virtual machine is not detecting the OpenBSD installation media or the installation process is not completing correctly. In this article, we will explore the possible causes of this error and provide solutions to help you successfully install OpenBSD on KVM.
1. Check the Installation Media
The first step in troubleshooting the "No OS" error during OpenBSD installation on KVM is to verify that the installation media is correctly configured and accessible to the virtual machine. This includes checking that the OpenBSD installation ISO image is correctly downloaded and not corrupted, and that it is correctly mounted on the KVM virtual machine.
# lsblk
NAME MAJ:MIN RM SIZE RO TYPE MOUNTPOINT
loop0 7:0 0 4.8M 1 loop /var/lib/libvirt/images/openbsd.iso
In this example, the OpenBSD ISO image is located at /var/lib/libvirt/images/openbsd.iso and is mounted on the virtual machine as a CD-ROM drive. If the installation media is not accessible, you may need to re-download the ISO image or reconfigure the virtual machine to use the correct media.
2. Check the Virtual Machine Configuration
Another possible cause of the "No OS" error during OpenBSD installation on KVM is a misconfigured virtual machine. This may include incorrect memory or storage settings, or a missing bootable device. To verify the virtual machine configuration, you can use the virsh edit command to edit the virtual machine configuration file:
# virsh edit openbsd
...
<os>
<type arch="x86_64">hvm</type>
<boot dev="cdrom"/>
<boot dev="hd"/>
<bootmenu enable="no"/>
<bootloader>
<loader readonly="yes">/boot/loader</loader>
<bootargs> </bootargs>
</bootloader>
<smp>
<sockets>1</sockets>
<cores>1</cores>
<threads>1</threads>
</smp>
<osType arch="x86_64">other</osType>
<features>
<acpi>on</acpi>
<apic>on</apic>
</features>
<bootdev>hd</bootdev>
</os>
...
In this example, the virtual machine is configured to boot from the CD-ROM drive and the hard disk, with one CPU, one core, and one thread. Make sure that the <boot> devices are set correctly and that the <osType> is set to other.
3. Perform a Manual Installation
If the installation media and virtual machine configuration are both correct, you may need to perform a manual installation of OpenBSD on KVM. This involves starting the virtual machine in text mode, accessing the virtual console, and performing the installation steps manually. To start the virtual machine in text mode, you can use the virsh start --console command:
# virsh start --console openbsd
This will start the virtual machine and display the installation messages on the console. You can then perform the installation steps manually, such as partitioning the virtual disk, creating user accounts, and configuring the network. Refer to the OpenBSD installation guide for more information on the installation steps.
- Verify the OpenBSD installation media is accessible to the KVM virtual machine.
- Check the KVM virtual machine configuration for incorrect memory or storage settings, or a missing bootable device.
- Perform a manual installation of OpenBSD on KVM by starting the virtual machine in text mode and accessing the virtual console.
References
- OpenBSD Installation Guide: https://www.openbsd.org/faq/faq11.html#InstGuide
- KVM Virtual Machine Configuration: https://libvirt.org/formatdomain.html