The best way to get an OpenBSD release (-release) and support us is to buy a 3-CD set. More information is available on our ordering page.
If you choose not to buy an OpenBSD CD-ROM, you can also install OpenBSD with a CDROM you burn yourself. To achieve this, you have to download one of the following ISO files from our mirrors:
If you choose cd42.iso, you will need to get the base and X sets via another media or network. Otherwhise, if you choose install42.iso, you will not need anything but the application packages.
Note that the paragraph above is also valid for the people interested by running -current. You can fetch install42.iso from the latest snapshot and install or upgrade your system very quickly.
OpenBSD can be also easily installed via FTP. Typically you need a single small piece of boot media (e.g., a boot floppy) and then the rest of the files can be installed from a number of locations, including directly off the Internet. Follow this simple set of instructions to ensure that you find all of the documentation you will need while performing an install via FTP. With the CD-ROMs, the necessary documentation is easier to find.
Read either of the following two files for a list of ftp mirrors which provide OpenBSD, then choose one near you:
Connect to that ftp mirror site and go into the directory pub/OpenBSD/4.2/ which contains these files and directories. This is a list of what you should see:
ANNOUNCEMENT amd64/ mac68k/ sparc64/ Changelogs/ armish/ macppc/ src.tar.gz HARDWARE avioon/ mvme68k/ sys.tar.gz PACKAGES ftplist mvme88k/ tools/ PORTS hp300/ packages/ vax/ README hppa/ ports.tar.gz zaurus/ SIZES i386/ root.mail xenocara.tar.gz landisk/ sgi/ alpha/ luna88k/ sparc/
It is quite likely that you will want AT LEAST the following files which apply to all the architectures OpenBSD supports.
README - generic README HARDWARE - list of hardware we support PORTS - description of our "ports" tree PACKAGES - description of pre-compiled packages root.mail - a copy of root's mail at initial login. (This is really worthwhile reading).
Read the README file. It is short, and a quick read will make sure you understand what else you need to fetch.
Next, go into the directory that applies to your architecture, for example, i386. You should see something similar to the following:
INSTALL.i386 cd42.iso floppyB42.fs pxeboot* INSTALL.linux cdboot* floppyC42.fs xbase42.tgz MD5 cdbr* game42.tgz xetc42.tgz base42.tgz cdemu42.iso index.txt xfont42.tgz bsd* comp42.tgz install42.iso xserv42.tgz bsd.mp* etc42.tgz man42.tgz xshare42.tgz bsd.rd* floppy42.fs misc42.tgz
Many ways to perform a new installation are available on our mirrors and you will have to choose one of the following methods:
Consult the Installation Guide to get an exhaustive list of the different ways to install OpenBSD, and learn how to make a bootable OpenBSD install media.