If you're looking for my modified Slackware Linux pkgtools (installpkg_remote and upgradepkg_remote), go here: pkgtools_remote. These allow for the installation and upgrading of Slackware packages (>=8.1) via http/ftp. For more information read the README.
I wrote this guide since I was having trouble finding any decent documentation on how to get XFree86 working in an OpenBSD virtual machine. At the time I was running VMWare workstation 3.1 (although this also works with 3.2) under Linux, and OpenBSD Current (before the release of 3.1, although this works with both 3.1 and 3.2, as well as NetBSD), running the default XFree86 4.2.0 install.
First off, you need to install the OpenBSD guest OS. For this, you'll want to select ``other'' for operating system under VMWare. I booted off a current snapshot of the bootdisk and did an ftp install. You could just as easily install from cd-rom if you wished. This part should be no problem, especially if you've installed OpenBSD before.
Now comes the tricky part. Since there are no VMWare tools for OpenBSD, you are on your own getting X to run. Initially I did an ``X -configure''. XFree86 4.1 and newer include the vmware driver. It detected the virtual video card and set up a basic XF86Config file for me.
This was fine to start, but it doesn't allow anything over 640x480 resolution. Since I was running this on my laptop with 1600x1200 native resolution, this wouldn't suffice. I took a look at the FreeBSD VMWare tools (you can get them from http://www.vmware.com), figuring they couldn't be that much different from what I needed on OpenBSD. Turns out I was right. I backed up my current XF86Config and installed the FreeBSD tools (they require tcl and tk, packages are available for both). The XF86Config that is included in the FreeBSD VMWare tools is designed for XFree86 3.3.6, so you need to make a few changes for it to work. The good thing is that now you have the modelines for the VMWare virtual monitor. Basically, I combined the VMWare tools XF86Config with my old XF86Config generated from X -configure, so now I had the appropriate modelines.
I have included all 3 XF86Config files in the download section so you can take a look at what exactly I did. After seeing these it should be no problem for you to do the same. Of course, you can also just go ahead and use my final XF86Config and change the resolutions/depth to suit your system.
These are the XF86Config files I used.
XF86Config.orig - Original XF86Config from "X -configure"
XF86Config.dist - XF86Config file from FreeBSD VMWare tools.
XF86Config - Final working XF86Config for OpenBSD under VMWare.
I have removed the 3.1 Release Bootable ISO Image since it is now becoming quite out of date. If you need an ISO Image you should be able to create one for 3.2 or 3.2-STABLE quite easily.
I have also removed my OpenBSD stable build, since it is also out of date and does not include patches for several of the latest vulnerabilities. I am hoping to provide this once again at some point, but for now I don't have the resources to provide updated builds. If you're interested in doing it yourself, read "man 8 release".
If you have any questions you can e-mail me at frogger974@yahoo.com
Check out some of my other open source work here.