Introduction to BlueOnyx

Welcome, intrepid sysadmin! You’ve decided to embark on the epic journey of installing
BlueOnyx, the Linux distribution born from the legendary Cobalt Raq boxes.
Picture yourself sipping coffee while your server hums with delight—this guide will
walk you through every step, with technical precision and a dash of humor.

What Is BlueOnyx?

• Heritage: Derived from Sun Cobalt’s open–source spirit.
• Use Cases: Web hosting, mail, DNS, file services, virtualization and more.
• Interface: A powerful, browser–based admin panel that makes you feel like a wizard.

System Requirements

First rule of server club: make sure your hardware doesn’t fall apart under load.
Here’s what you’ll need:

1. Download the ISO

1. Visit the official BlueOnyx site:
   https://www.blueonyx.it
2. Select the latest stable release ISO for x86_64.
3. Verify its SHA256 checksum to avoid surprises (like that weird ISO of a cat riding a unicorn).

2. Create Installation Media

Whether you prefer a USB thumb drive or a spare DVD, the process is straightforward:

• USB:
  Use dd on Linux or Rufus on Windows:

  dd if=BlueOnyx.iso of=/dev/sdX bs=4M status=progress  sync

• DVD: Burn at low speed (x4–x8) to prevent scratches to your sanity.

3. BIOS/UEFI Configuration

• Reboot and enter BIOS/UEFI (usually F2, Del or Esc).
• Enable or disable Secure Boot according to your ISO (most BlueOnyx ISOs are unsigned).
• Set your USB/DVD drive to highest boot priority.

4. Starting the Installer

On boot, you’ll be greeted by a colorful menu. Choose
Install BlueOnyx Server, or press Enter for defaults.

• Select your language and keyboard layout.
• Accept the license—read it if you’ve got strong opinions about legalese.

5. Disk Partitioning

BlueOnyx uses standard partitions or LVM. For beginners, the automatic layout works fine.

• Automatic: Best if you’re impatient.
• Manual:
  • /boot – 1 GB, ext4
  • swap – 2 GB (or RAM size)
  • / – 20 GB , ext4 or XFS
  • /home – the rest, ext4

6. Network Hostname

Configure your primary NIC:

• DHCP: Quick, but shaky for servers.
• Static IP: Recommended. Provide IP, netmask, gateway, DNS (8.8.8.8, 1.1.1.1).

Then set a hostname (e.g., blueonyx-server.example.com).

7. Root Password Admin Account

You’ll be prompted for the root password. Make it strong enough to thwart
dictionary attacks—and also memorable so you won’t need to Stone Henge-level
password resets. Optionally, create a non-root admin user.

8. Install the Base System

Sit back while RPMs fly across your disk at gigabit speeds (or slower, if your drive
prefers yoga naps). When complete, the installer asks to reboot.

9. First Boot Configuration Wizard

• Log in as root.
• The BlueOnyx wizard configures services: HTTPD, MySQL/MariaDB, FTP, DNS, Postfix, etc.
• Set mail domain, admin email, and other defaults.

10. Accessing the Web Admin Panel

Open your browser to
https://YOUR_IP_OR_HOSTNAME:444
and log in with root password.

You’ll see a dashboard with charts, service controls, and enough buttons to make
any techie drool.

11. Post-Installation Best Practices

• Update Your System:

  yum update -y

• Firewall:

  systemctl enable firewalld  systemctl start firewalld

• Fail2Ban: Protect SSH and admin ports from brute force.
• SSL Certificates: Use Lets Encrypt via certbot for your services.
• Backups: Automate with rsync or commercial tools to avoid heart attacks.

12. Troubleshooting Tips

• Network Down?

  nmcli device status

  and

  journalctl -xe

• Service Won’t Start?

  systemctl status httpd

  and

  journalctl -u httpd

• Disk Full?

  df -h

  and

  du -sh /var/log/

• Password Lost?
  Boot into single-user, mount root rw and

  passwd root

Conclusion

Congratulations, you’ve transformed a humble piece of hardware into a full–fledged
BlueOnyx server. From here you can host websites, mailboxes, DNS zones, and more—
all managed through that sleek web interface. Now go forth, deploy, and may your uptime
exceed the length of your longest conference call.