In this guide, we will install Plan 9 4th edition with some patches for vmd.

Please note that the following Plan 9 4th edition ISOs do not run for VMM:

http://ftp.osuosl.org/pub/plan9/history/plan9-4e-latest.iso.bz2 http://9p.io/plan9/download/plan9.iso.bz2

A working ISO can be fetched from:

https://ircnow.org/software/plan9.iso

On the OpenBSD host, we first get serial console into the virtual machine:

host$ vmctl console $USER Connected to /dev/ttypq (speed 115200)

no vga; serial console only disk loader

cpu0: 4596MHz GenuineIntel Core i7 (cpuid: AX 0x206D7 DX 0x79BA97F)

init: starting /bin/rc /bin/dossrv: serving #s/dos use DMA for ide drivesyes: echo: write error: bad process or channel control request echo: write error: bad process or channel control request mouseport is (ps2, ps2intellimouse, 0, 1, 2)ps2: vgasize 640x480x8: text monitor is xga:

Press enter to use DMA for ide drives, then press enter again for ps2. We select text for vgasize, and for monitor, choose the default.

i8042: aux init failed i8042: aux init failed i8042: aux init failed i8042: 00 returned to the ea command /bin/aux/vga: vbecheck: VBE error 0x4f00 rio: can't open display: initdisplay: /dev/draw/new: no frame buffer

failed to start rio. you can start a text-based installation by running

inst/textonly

init: starting /bin/rc % inst/textonly

Since we don't have any VGA display on OpenBSD vmm, we run inst/textonly:

Mon Oct 7 19:26:17 EDT 2024 Installation process started

Task to do configfs:

Press enter to select configfs:

fossil the new Plan9 fileserver fossil+venti fossil + a archival dump server

File system (fossil, fossil+venti)fossil:

Press enter to select fossil:

The following unfinished tasks are ready to be done: partdisk - edit partition tables (e.g., to create a plan 9 partition)

Task to do partdisk:

Type enter to select partdisk:

sdC0 -

sdD0 - OpenBSD VMM CD-ROM 001

Disk to partition (sdC0, sdD0)no default: sdC0

Choose the disk that isn't the CD-ROM, in this case, sdC0:

The disk you selected HAS NO master boot record on its first sector. (Perhaps it is a completely blank disk.) You need a master boot record to use the disk. Should we install a default master boot record?

Install mbr (y, n)no default: y

Type y for yes:

This is disk/fdisk; use it to create a Plan 9 partition. If there is enough room, a Plan 9 partition will be suggested; you can probably just type 'w' and then 'q'.

cylinder = 8225280 bytes '* p1 0 2610 (2610 cylinders, 19.99 GB) PLAN9 >>> w >>> q

Enter w and q to write the partitions and quit:

The following unfinished tasks are ready to be done: prepdisk - subdivide plan 9 disk partition

Task to do prepdisk:

Type enter to subdivide the parttition:

/dev/sdC0/plan9 empty 0 41929587 (41929587 sectors, 19.99 GB)

Plan 9 partition to subdivide (/dev/sdC0/plan9)/dev/sdC0/plan9: This is disk/prep; use it to subdivide the Plan 9 partition. If it is not yet subdivided, a sensible layout will be suggested; you can probably just type 'w' and then 'q'.

no plan9 partition table found 9fat 204800 nvram 1 fossil 40676210 swap 1048576 ' 9fat 0 204800 (204800 sectors, 100.00 MB) ' nvram 204800 204801 (1 sectors, 512 B ) ' fossil 204801 40881011 (40676210 sectors, 19.39 GB) ' swap 40881011 41929587 (1048576 sectors, 512.00 MB) >>> w >>> q

Enter w and q to write and quit:

The following unfinished tasks are ready to be done: fmtfossil - initialize disks for a fossil server

Task to do fmtfossil:

Press enter to format the disk for fossil.

Fossil partition to format (/dev/sdC0/fossil)/dev/sdC0/fossil: Done.

The following unfinished tasks are ready to be done: mountfs - choose and mount file system partition

Task to do mountfs:

Type enter to mount the filesystem partition.

Please choose one to use as the installation file system for your Plan 9 installation.

--rw-r----- S 0 glenda glenda 20826219520 Jun 9 15:26 /dev/sdC0/fossil

Fossil partition (/dev/sdC0/fossil)/dev/sdC0/fossil:

Select the correct partition (in this case /dev/sdC0/fossil).

The following unfinished tasks are ready to be done: configdist - choose the source of the distribution archive download - download or continue to download the distribution archives

Task to do configdist:

Press enter to choose the source of the distribution archive.

Distribution is from (local, net)local:

On OpenBSD vmm, you should have the ISO loaded in CD-ROM, so press enter for local.

The following unfinished tasks are ready to be done: mountdist - locate and mount the distribution download - download or continue to download the distribution archives

Task to do mountdist:

Press enter to mount the distribution.

The following storage media were detected. Choose the one containing the distribution.

/dev/sdC0/fossil (plan9 fossil) /dev/sdD0/9fat (microsoft fat) /dev/sdD0/data (iso9660 cdrom)

Distribution disk no default: /dev/sdD0/data

Enter the path for the CD-ROM, in this case /dev/sdD0/data.

% 9660srv /bin/9660srv 2688: serving /srv/9660 % mount /srv/9660 /n/distmedia /dev/sdD0/data

Which directory contains the distribution? Any of the following will suffice (in order of preference): - the root directory of the cd image - the directory containing plan9.iso - the directory containing plan9.iso.bz2 Typing `browse' will put you in a shell that you can use to look for the directory.

Location of archives browse:

Type enter to browse for the root directory of the CD image.

This is a simple shell. Commands are: cd directory - change to directory lc - list contents of current directory exit - exit shell

Move to the directory containing the distribution and then exit.

Type lc to list contents:

/% lc

386 NOTICE bootdisk.img lp power64 9load NOTICE.old cfg mail rc LICENSE README cron mips sparc LICENSE.afpl acme dist mnt sys LICENSE.gpl adm env n tmp LICENSE.lucida amd64 fd pbsraw usr LICENSE.old arm lib power

Once you've confirmed this is the CD-ROM, type exit:

/% exit

The following unfinished tasks are ready to be done: copydist - copy the distribution into the file system

Task to do copydist:

Type enter to copy the distribution:

Preparing menu... The following tasks are done: configfs - choose the type of file system to install partdisk - edit partition tables (e.g., to create a plan 9 partition) prepdisk - subdivide plan 9 disk partition fmtfossil - initialize disks for a fossil server mountfs - choose and mount file system partition configdist - choose the source of the distribution archive mountdist - locate and mount the distribution copydist - copy the distribution into the file system

The following unfinished tasks are ready to be done: bootsetup - create a boot floppy or configure hard disk to boot plan 9

Task to do bootsetup:

Type enter to configure the hard disk to boot Plan 9.

Initializing Plan 9 FAT partition. add 9load at clust 2 Initializing FAT file system type hard, 100 tracks, 64 heads, 32 sectors/track, 512 bytes/sec Adding file /n/newfs/386/9load, length 369368 add 9load at clust 2 used 372736 bytes % cp /n/newfs/386/9load /n/9fat/9load % cp /n/newfs/386/9pcf /n/9fat/9pcf

There are myriad ways to boot a Plan 9 system. You can use any of the following.

floppy - create a boot floppy plan9 - make the plan 9 disk partition the default for booting win9x - add a plan 9 option to windows 9x boot menu winnt - add a plan 9 option to windows nt/2000/xp boot manager

If you are upgrading an extant third edition installation and booting from something other than a floppy, you needn't run anything here. Just type ctl-d. Enable boot method (floppy, plan9, win9x, winnt)no default: plan9

Type plan9 to have plan 9 boot by default.

If you use the Windows NT/2000/XP master boot record or a master boot record from a Unix clone (e.g., LILO or FreeBSD bootmgr), it is probably safe to continue using that boot record rather than install the Plan 9 boot record.

Install the Plan 9 master boot record (y, n)no default: y

Type y to install the Plan 9 master boot record.

Setting Plan 9 partition active.

The Plan 9 partition is now marked as active.

The following unfinished tasks are ready to be done: finish - finish the installation and reboot

Task to do finish:

Press enter to finish the installation.

Halting file systems...fsys all halt prompt: done

Remember to take the install disk out of the drive. Feel free to turn off your computer.

At this point, we escape the serial console by typing ~~., then stop and restart the virtual machine:

$ vmctl stop $USER $ vmctl start -c $USER

Connected to /dev/ttyp4 (speed 115200)

intrenable: nil handler for 5, tbdf 0xC001000 for ether0 #l0: virtio: 1Gbps port 0x2000 irq 5: aabbccdded54 1024M memory: 256M kernel data, 767M user, 1392M swap usbinit...usbd.../boot/usbd: /dev/usb: no hubs no /srv/usb...no usb disk...pickmethod...read #e/nobootprompt...read #e/bootargs...outin...root is from (tcp, local)local!#S/sdC0/fossil:

Press enter to boot from local!#S/sdC0/fossil.

pickmethod done bind #æ...bind #S...partinit...auth...usernone: glenda

Type glenda to run as user glenda.

usbinit...usbd.../boot/usbd: /dev/usb: no hubs no /srv/usb...no usb disk...mount usbd...boot: can't open /srv/usb: '/srv/usb' file does not exist time... fossil(#S/sdC0/fossil)...version...can't stat /srv/partfs.sdXX: '/srv/partfs.sdXX' file does not exist

init: starting /bin/rc i8042: aux init failed i8042: aux init failed i8042: aux init failed i8042: 00 returned to the ea command aux/vga: vbecheck: VBE error 0x4f00 rio: can't open display: initdisplay: /dev/draw/new: no frame buffer init: rc exit status: rio 30: display open

init: starting /bin/rc

Congrats, you now have a working Plan 9 installation. You can type ~~. to exit the serial console. Or, you can continue configuring your server. In particular, you may want to set up a cpu server.

Last modified Thu Feb 19 16:17:43 PST 2026

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