This is the OpenBSD 2.1 release errata & patch list:

• All architectures

  • One of the install scripts has a flaw that makes the CD-ROM mount fail when using the CD-ROM as the install source media. To workaround this use the following sequence of commands before starting the install script. This must be done each time the install kernel is booted if the install script is to be run and the CD-ROM is the media to install from. Do the following at the shell prompt:

    # ed install.sub
    /{_filesystem/s//{_fstype/
    wq
    #
    

    For architectures where the install scripts start automatically (like amiga), you need to abort it at the (I)nstall or (U)pdate prompt by pressing Ctrl-C before doing the above command. After that you can restart the install by:

    # install
    

  
  

• Alpha

  • CD2 does not boot on the alpha, as had been planned. Instead, you must use the floppy install method. This is not significantly harder..
  
  

• i386

  • Some rarer PC BIOS's do not like the hardrive bootblocks when used as a MBR. The symptom is that the BIOS says "READ ERROR" when booting, but everything suggests it should work fine. In those cases, it is sufficient to install OS-BS or some other primary bootloader as the main MBR, then install OpenBSD in a partition all by itself starting at a non-zero offset. For instance, start OpenBSD at next track boundary or so.
  • The i386/X11/SUMS.md5 file contains 4 incorrect MD5 checksums. These have been corrected on the ftp mirrors. The correct lines are:
    MD5 (X33doc.tgz) = 6aa0be7987f9a3cf32a63b5ea9a83b39
    MD5 (X33html.tgz) = 6ba39d41aef7c75c35a0533275c6f8c0
    MD5 (X33ps.tgz) = ea49fc1b12c17fc16ece7d0e4ad4ee06
    MD5 (RELNOTES) = 689fda20596a4eb82f86ded51efb01f4
    
  • A lot of people with IDE disk drives fail to read the INSTALL.i386 document, and hence end up with geometry translation problems. Read the document, please.
  
  

• Amiga

  • The amiga install has a flaw wrt Tseng based graphic cards: when entering multiuser mode the console won't get a login prompt. This is due to a problem in the shipped /dev/MAKEDEV script. To fix, enter single user mode and do:

    # cd /dev
    # sh MAKEDEV ttye6
    

• Sparc

  • The sparc X11R6.3 xdm-config files reference /usr/X11R6.3/... This is due to X11R6.3's default config file contents. To fix, su and type:

    # cd /usr
    # ln -s X11R6 X11R6.3
    

  • The sparc "single floppy install disk" has a problem when you specify "dumb" in response to the terminal type query. As a work-around first specify an invalid terminal such as "bogus" and when prompted again for a terminal type, enter "dumb" and it will work correctly.
  • When netbooting an older sparc system such as a Sun4 or Sun4c, the boot may hang up at the end of the tftp transfer of the bootstrap due to the tftp transfer working in 512-byte blocks. If this occurs create a "padded" version of the bootstrap (boot or zboot) as follows:

    # cd /tftpboot
    # dd if=boot of=newboot obs=512 conv=osync
    # mv newboot boot
    

  • The sparc install script has two flaws that make the kernel copy and the bootblock install fail. The kernel copy only fails then installing from CD-ROM. To workaround this use the following sequence of commands before starting the install script. This must be done each time the install kernel is booted if the install script is to be run and the CD-ROM is the media to install from. Do the following at the shell prompt: if you install from CD-ROM do the following:

    # ed install.md 
    /\/bsd/s//\/mnt2\/2.1\/sparc\/bsd/ 
    wq 
    #
    

    ... or if you plan to use the bsd.scsi3 kernel you should use instead:

    # ed install.md 
    /\/bsd/s//\/mnt2\/2.1\/sparc\/bsd.scsi3/ 
    wq 
    #
    

    The following one you'll have to do always (not only then installing from from CD-ROM)

    # ed /usr/mdec/binstall 
    /getopt/,/getopt/+4d 
    wq 
    #
    

• Pmax

  • When using the X11R6 binaries from the 2.1 release you will get errors like:

    # mkfontdir
    mkfontdir: undefined symbol: 'astpending' 12
    Segmentation fault (core dumped)
    

    this is due to a little problem affecting the compatibility between the OpenBSD/arc port (on which the X11R6 clients were build) and OpenBSD/pmax. You can work around this problem by using the arc version of the shared libc instead of the pmax one. You may get a copy of the OpenBSD/arc 2.1 libc.so.16.1 from here . Simply download it and do the following:

    # cd /usr/lib
    # mv libc.so.16.1 original_libc.so.16.1
    # cp /where_you_have_downloaded_it_to/libc.so.16.1 .
    # chown root.bin libc.so.16.1
    # chmod 444 libc.so.16.1
    

    Please be careful while doing this - because the libc is a very sensitive part of the system. You can remove the original_libc.so.16.1 after the next reboot if everything is working fine.

• Mac68k

  • The installer generates incorrect /etc/fstab files causing messages such as "file system read-only" on bootup. To correct, boot to single-user mode (by clicking that checkbox in the Booter's Booting:Options dialog) and do the following:

    # mount /dev/sd0a /
    # ed /etc/fstab
    1,$s/ ufs / ffs /
    1,$s/ ro / rw /
    w
    q
    

    Alternately, simply invoke vi or another editor and change the root filesystem to be of type ffs rather than ufs and be rw (read-write) rather than ro (read-only). In either case, you'll need to reboot the system afterwards. Make this correction as soon as possible after installing the system. The installer should not have specified the filesystem as the old "ufs" type; the "ffs" type is more correct.
  • The installer forgets to install the kernel onto the filesystem. This is because the installer expects all packages including the kernel to be tar'ed and gzip'ed. The kernel was not shipped that way. Therefore, you must make this correction before attempting to boot the system. To correct, use the Installer mini-shell and do the following:

    > cpin :[internal-macos-path]:bsd-generic bsd
    

    This should place the kernel as /bsd on the filesystem. You should replace the above string with the colon-delimited path from your desktop to wherever you have placed the kernel. If possible, it is easiest to drag the kernel into the same folder as the Installer, so you can simply issue a command without leading colon(s) like:

    > cpin bsd-generic bsd
    

    Good luck.