Creating an OpenBSD 4.0 bootable install CD

I needed to make an OpenBSD bootable install CD yesterday. I normally use the boot-only CD, then ftp install, the sets I need. Yet this was impossible on this particular system. So I needed to create an install CD.

Note: You can purchase the Official OpenBSD CD's from here: Orders. The sale of the CD's and other products go to fund the project, so please support them where you can.

Creating an OpenBSD 4.0 bootable install CD

First I needed a program to make the ISO image: mkisofs. To ensure mkisofs is installed I did the following:
# mkisofs -version
mkisofs 2.01.01a03-unofficial-iconv (i686-pc-linux-gnu)

So far so good.
Next I made the CD file system hierarchy, You can make these directories anywhere you would like:
# mkdir -p OpenBSD/4.0/i386
# cd OpenBSD/4.0/i386/

Then I downloaded the entire i386 directory from an OpenBSD ftp mirror: ftp mirrors.
# wget --passive-ftp ftp://ftp.it.net.au/mirrors/OpenBSD/4.0/i386/*

Now I can make the ISO image using mkisofs. I am going to use the cdrom40.fs as my boot image. Please see man mkisofs for instructions on use.
# cd ../../
# mkisofs -vrTJV "OpenBSD40" -b 4.0/i386/cdrom40.fs -c boot.catalog -o OpenBSD40.iso /home/kris/OpenBSD/

Now I have a ISO image named "OpenBSD40.iso" in my OpenBSD directory. I burnt it to a CD-rw to test it. Then after it proved itself, I burnt the image to a CD-r.

For more information on how to do this for yourself please see here: How to make an OpenBSD bootable install CD.