OpenBSD 7.1 Sysupgrade Guide

This is a quick upgrade guide for OpenBSD 7.1 using sysupgrade.

NOTE: This guide is no substitute for reading the OpenBSD FAQ. In particular, you should read the Upgrade Guide.

First, check to see if you need to upgrade your OS. To find our your operating system version, type: uname -r. If it says 7.0, you need to upgrade. If it says 7.1, or 7.1-beta you are on the most recent OS version.

Before you begin, make sure to back up any files. Use dump and restore or rsync.

Performing the Upgrade

$ doas sysupgrade

Running sysupgrade above will automatically download the base sets and reboot the system for installation. The upgrade will begin automatically. You can view it in the serial console ? for VMM ? or in VNC for BuyVM.

$ doas sysupgrade
Fetching from https://ftp.usa.openbsd.org/pub/OpenBSD/7.1/amd64/
SHA256.sig   100% |***********************************|  2144       00:00    
Signature Verified
INSTALL.amd64 100% |**********************************| 43495       00:00    
base71.tgz   100% |***********************************|   330 MB    02:18

Once installation begins, you will need serial console access to view progress. If you're on OpenBSD's VMM, login to the host and use vmctl console:

host$ vmctl console username
Connected to /dev/ttyp9 (speed 115200)


OpenBSD/amd64 (username.host.example.com) (tty00)

login: stopping package daemons: dovecot php74_fpm tor.
syncing disks... done
vmmci0: powerdown
rebooting...

Using drive 0, partition 3.
Loading......
probing: pc0 com0 mem[638K 3070M a20=on]
disk: hd0+ hd1+
>> OpenBSD/amd64 BOOT 3.53
upgrade detected: switching to /bsd.upgrade

Once complete, it will automatically reboot:

Installing xserv71.tgz  100% |**************************| 20117 KB    00:07   
Location of sets? (cd0 disk http nfs or 'done') [done] done
Making all device nodes... done.
fw_update: firmware.openbsd.org: no address associated with name
Cannot fetch http://firmware.openbsd.org/firmware/7.1/SHA256.sig
fw_update: added none; updated none; kept none
Relinking to create unique kernel... done.

CONGRATULATIONS! Your OpenBSD upgrade has been successfully completed!

syncing disks... done
vmmci0: powerdown
rebooting...

After installation completes, you should be able to login using ssh:

Last login: Sun Jun  5 15:09:46 2022 from 172.56.16.57
OpenBSD 7.1 (GENERIC) #443: Mon Apr 11 17:55:15 MDT 2022

Welcome to OpenBSD: The proactively secure Unix-like operating system.

Please use the sendbug(1) utility to report bugs in the system.
Before reporting a bug, please try to reproduce it with the latest
version of the code.  With bug reports, please try to ensure that
enough information to reproduce the problem is enclosed, and if a
known fix for it exists, include that as well.

$

To check if installation succeeded:

$ uname -a
OpenBSD username.host.example.com 7.1 GENERIC#443 amd64

To check if you have the proper amount of RAM and number of cores, run top ?.

load averages:  0.61,  0.48,  0.41freeirc 01:49:33
217 processes: 216 idle, 1 on processorup 137 days,  3:21
CPU0:  6.4% user,  0.0% nice, 19.5% sys,  6.9% spin,  1.0% intr, 66.3% idle
CPU1:  6.5% user,  0.0% nice, 18.9% sys,  7.1% spin,  0.0% intr, 67.5% idle
Memory: Real: 1023M/1775M act/tot Free: 189M Cache: 392M Swap: 993M/2288M

You will want to patch the system:

$ doas syspatch

Then, you'll want to run sysmerge to merge any configuration files:

$ doas sysmerge

Then, make sure to upgrade your packages:

$ doas pkg_add -u

Read and fix any error messages that you may see.

You will want to reboot after some patches:

$ doas shutdown -r now