Essentially this guide is a preamble to my previous one entitled:
The installation hardware this time is a PCEngines WRAP. The operating system is OpenBSD 4.0. The real issue is that the WRAP even with the BIOS 1.11 update[zip file] cannot network boot OpenBSD’s pxeboot and bsd.rd. A sketch of the solution to the problem is provided by Rolf Sommerhalder. This is a more detailed description of the solution:
- You download the BIOS 1.11 update and unzip it in a temporary directory.
- You go to rom-o-matic.net. I used etherboot‘s version 5.4.2. The WRAP has a NatSemi dp83815 ethernet adapter. You need a .zrom image. After you select these, click on “Get ROM”. Save the ROM somewhere temporarily.
- Change to the directory you have unziped the WRAP’s BIOS. Copy the ROM from step #2 as pxe.bin. Yes, overwrite the existing one.
- If working on a Windows machine, run make.bat. Otherwise issue make.bat’s commands from the Unix shell prompt:
cat pxe.bin fill32.bin fill32.bin wrap_cfg.bin wrap.abs > wrap1.rom
cat wrap_up.bin wrap1.rom > wrap1.upd
cat pxe.bin fill32.bin fill32.bin wrap_cfg.bin wrap2.abs > wrap2.rom
cat wrap_up.bin wrap2.rom > wrap2.upd
If you want to make a custom logo, then use Windows. I did not go into figuring out how putlogo.exe works.
- From there follow the instructions in readme.txt on how to update your WRAP with the new BIOS which contains the updated Etherboot code. I used picocom –send-cmd “sx -vv” -b 9600 /dev/ttyS0 (my WRAP’s serial console is setup at 9600 baud which is not the default rate).
After the above steps are complete, you can follow the instructions of “Installing OpenBSD 3.9 on a Soekris 4801” even though the document is written for a Soekris 4081 running OpenBSD 3.9 and not for WRAPs running 4.0.
My df -h right after I finished the install on a 256MB Compact Flash card:
# df -h Filesystem Size Used Avail Capacity Mounted on /dev/wd0a 240M 140M 88.0M 61% /
Managing organized complexity 
I’m about to get a Soekris board myself. How was the purchasing experience with them? Did everything go smooth, or were there any issues with the money transfer, shipping, customs, etc.?
@past:
For Europe use : http://www.kd85.com/. The guy is great.
For US : http://www.soekris.com
@adamo:
Ena mini explaination wrap vs soekris?? Ta soekria ta exw dokimasei ta empisteyomai ta wrap oxi. Pros vs Cons?
@past:
I’ve bought the Soekris boxen from KD85. Many 4501s and 4801s. I can lend you any of them (including the WRAP ) to help you decide.
I bought the WRAP directly from PCEngines. I have friends though that have bought them from Aerial.net and are very happy with them.
@Aristotelis:
I like the Soekris boxen more. For my uses, there is no technical advantage of the Soekrises over the WRAPs. I like it that there is even a mailing list for discussing issues with them. For anything tricky with the WRAP you have to turn to their designer or do some Google mining.
OTOH, the WRAPs definately have a better WAF .
Many people i know got their WRAPs from Aerial.net and they are fine. :)
“Aristotelis Says:
November 8th, 2006 at 12:40
@past:
For Europe use : http://www.kd85.com/. The guy is great.”
Durr… His an OpenBSD Guy!
it would be better with other languages support, but thanks..